DiamondCentric

In case you were having a severe case of FOMO regarding Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers, the team just threw you a lifeline. The Brewers announced they are putting about 1,000 tickets for the March 26 game against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on sale. In addition, more tickets for the second and third games of the season, March 28 and March 29, have been made available for purchase. You can buy them by visiting brewers.com/tickets. The tickets became available from what the team had previously reserved for expected or potential attendees. View the full article

With the Royals looking to return to being competitive in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look around at the other teams in the division and what moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the 2026 Detroit Tigers. The Tigers finished second in the AL Central and secured a Wild Card spot, defeating the Guardians 2-1 in their opening playoff series before being eliminated by the Mariners in a five-game Division Series. This offseason brought about a series of significant moves for Detroit, as they attempt to attain October for the third straight season. Notable Tigers Subtractions Chris Paddack (starting pitcher) Tommy Kahnle (relief pitcher) Alex Cobb (starting pitcher) Alex Lange (relief pitcher) Andy Ibáñez (lefty masher) Justyn-Henry Malloy (third baseman/outfielder) Notable Tigers Additions Framber Valdez (starting pitcher) Justin Verlander (starting pitcher) Kenley Jansen (relief pitcher) Drew Anderson (swingman) Looking at these transactions, it appears the additions outweigh the subtractions for the Tigers. Specifically, Framber Valdez, a playoff-caliber starter, signed a lucrative three-year deal to slot in behind two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, Tigers legend Justin Verlander returns on a one-year deal, bringing valuable experience to fortify the rotation. Verlander will strengthen a rotation dealing with injuries, though given his age and recent track record, he could be among the injured at times. Drew Anderson is also joining as a depth rotation option, while Kenley Jansen is set to fill the primary closer and high-leverage bullpen role. Three key players who had at least a chance of going elsewhere have also returned. Starter Jack Flaherty exercised his player option for 2026; second baseman Gleyber Torres accepted the qualifying offer of $22.025 million; and trade deadline acquisition Kyle Finnegan hit free agency but ultimately re-signed for two years. Tigers Injuries Jackson Jobe - returning from Tommy John surgery Troy Melton - slowed by elbow inflammation in spring training; will start on 60-day IL Reese Olson - out for the year Key Tigers Players C Dillon Dingler - 3.1 bWAR in 2025 1B Spencer Torkelson - 2.3 bWAR in 2025 2B Gleyber Torres - 2.9 bWAR in 2025 3B Zach McKinstry - 2.8 bWAR in 2025 LHP Tarik Skubal - 6.5 bWAR in 2025 Skubal, embarking on a defense of two straight Cy Young Awards and trying to position himself for a historic free-agent payday, is the most obvious center of gravity for the team, but last year, the club thrived because of its balance. They ranked 11th in runs, 10th in home runs, 12th in OPS, and 16th in batting average last season. Their 61 steals, however, were last in MLB. Top Tigers Prospects Kevin McGonigle - SS Max Clark - OF Josue Briceno - C/1B Bryce Rainer - SS Thayron Liranzo - C/1B Observers are especially optimistic about Kevin McGonigle, a likely early-season call-up—if he's not on the Opening Day roster. Max Clark, taken just before Walker Jenkins in the 2023 MLB Draft, will be compared to Jenkins as their careers unfold in the AL Central. Tigers Spring Storylines (and Beyond) Verlander's triumphant return and Skubal's potentially imminent exit loom large, but the team is trying to establish a winning identity that will stretch beyond this year and those two players. At 25, Riley Greene is expected to continue progressing toward stardom. Emerging talents like Colt Keith, McGonigle, and Clark could shape the Tigers’ future core. When and how well Jobe returns from Tommy John surgery will be a major storyline, too. Beyond Jansen, Finnegan and Vest line up for late innings. However, the work of the pen will be spread very evenly. A.J. Hinch has earned considerable praise for his nimble usage of an often motley relief crew. What he dubbed 'pitching chaos' during the 2024 playoffs has been an effective tack for keeping order over the last year and a half, leading to two straight overachieving seasons. The Tigers are expected to remain competitive in the AL Central in 2026. Projected Tigers Lineup Parker Meadows - CF Gleyber Torres - 2B Riley Greene - LF Spencer Torkelson - 1B Kerry Carpenter - DH Dillon Dingler - C Colt Keith - 3B Matt Vierling/Wenceel Pérez - RF Zach McKinstry - SS Note: Javier Báez is an option off the bench with this lineup—and could sometimes be the starting shortstop, with McKinstry shifting to third base, like he played last year. Projected Tigers Rotation Tarik Skubal - LHP Framber Valdez - LHP Justin Verlander - RHP Jack Flaherty - RHP Casey Mize - RHP Projected Tigers Record PECOTA: 2nd place, 83-79 Fangraphs: 1st place, 85-77 If everyone stays healthy, the Tigers are the favorite to win the Central this year. They seem to have improved overall in the offseason, and are looking for the young core group to take a step forward and see if they can get past the Division Series. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs enter 2026 in a rather interesting position in center field. On the one hand, they have Pete Crow-Armstrong entrenched as the anchor of the outfield grass. His speed, obscene glove, and baserunning acumen will keep him in the lineup even when the bat is being pinned down by a still-developing approach. We know the upside is in there; Crow-Armstrong took steps toward stardom in 2025 courtesy of a 109 wRC+ and impressive counting stats that included 31 home runs and 35 stolen bases. However, he's held back by his immaturity, with chase and whiff rates that were among the league's worst and strikeout and walk numbers to match. The hope is that some growth is in the tank and a more measured approach can yield larger gains on the offensive side. Even so, though, he's the guy in the longer-term. Behind him, however, things are a bit cloudy. Ethan Conrad and Kane Kepley are interesting prospects near the top of any prognostication of the team's system, but each at least a couple of years away. Brett Bateman is closer but features less upside. That means that beyond Crow-Armstrong in the short term, you're looking at some combination of Kevin Alcántara or whichever of the smattering of non-roster invitees stick around past spring camp. Not that it's cause for concern when you're employing someone like Crow-Armstrong, but you'd like perhaps just a bit more certainty, especially if the starter proves as susceptible to burnout as he appeared to be in the latter portion of 2025. Cubs' Center Fielders At A Glance Starter: Pete Crow-Armstrong Backup: Kevin Alcántara Depth & Prospects: Dylan Carlson, Chas McCormick, Justin Dean, Ethan Conrad, Kane Kepley, Brett Bateman fWAR Ranking Last Year: 4th (5.4) fWAR Projection This Year: 2nd (4.8) The Good The center field position for the Cubs features one of the most exciting players in baseball. While some growth is needed on the offensive side, the glove plays. Crow-Armstrong's Outs Above Average finished at 24 in 2025, leading all defenders regardless of position. He was three ahead of Ceddanne Rafaela in OAA and seven in front of the next-closest outfielder. It's not a mystery where the strongest facet of his game lives. Even with the development still needed at the plate, Crow-Armstrong has the chops to bring that same level of excitement on offense. His Barrel% sat at 13.0 percent, which helped to feed into the .234 ISO he posted. A leveling out of his contact — his fly-ball rate was up near 50 percent — could allow his offense to take off on on-base gains alone. That'd allow him to utilize his 96th-percentile sprint speed with even more regularity. Beyond Crow-Armstrong, the prospects the Cubs have in their center field pool represent another layer of good for this group. Ethan Conrad may be destined for a corner before long, but possesses intriguing offensive upside. Kane Kepley represents a more traditional archetype at the position as a high-speed, high-contact guy. Along with Alcántara in Iowa, it's a position worth watching in a system that doesn't run too deep in terms of impact offensive talent. The Bad Swing-and-miss is a fairly prominent trait among this group. Crow-Armstrong did it 28.9 percent of the time last year and punched out 24.0 percent of the time overall. Alcántara did so at nearly a 30 percent clip while in Iowa. Neither will be able to fully realize their offensive potential if that element remains as it is. Given that he's the starter at the major-league level, though, Crow-Armstrong remains the focus. It's not so much the idea that he's an aggressive hitter. He very much is, but it's about the inconsistency within that aggression and the inability to make consistent contact as a result. Aggressive hitters can thrive, but too often Crow-Armstrong fails in maintaining a steady approach. That's how you get something that looks like this: Note that this graph charts his swings and misses inside of the strike zone. It's unlikely he's going to be able to eliminate the aggression entirely. Aggressive hitters generally stay aggressive. But he's going to have to find something consistent in terms a plate approach in order to stave off some of the streakiness we've seen to this point. Some mechanical tweaks could also be in the cards to level things out as well, but everything's going to have to start with some level of a plan when he steps into the batter's box. The Bottom Line This is a fun position in the organization. Not only do the Cubs employ one of the most exciting players in the sport in the middle of their outfield, but some of the most interesting prospects in the system come from that same spot. As such, Crow-Armstrong represents one of the most intriguing storylines in the game. Can he take the appropriate next steps forward? How far can the other names ascend in the system? These are legitimately fun questions to ask and the results will be worth monitoring regularity throughout 2026. View the full article

There was nothing unusual about Joe Ryan on Monday afternoon. The right-hander took the ball at Hammond Stadium, worked four innings, allowed a single run on five hits, and struck out six with one walk. It looked like a standard March outing, the kind that blends into the rhythm of spring training. Except it wasn’t supposed to happen there. Ryan’s latest appearance came against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Fort Myers, not under the lights in Miami at the World Baseball Classic championship. For weeks leading up to this, the expectation was that Ryan would factor into Team USA’s pitching plans deep into the tournament. Instead, as events unfolded, he was left watching as the roster shifted in a different direction. The decision caught him off guard. “That was a shock,” Ryan told the Star Tribune. “Definitely a weird one to process. I was fully prepared, ready to go, the car was all ready, and excited to go there, obviously, the whole time. Then was told I wasn’t going to go.” The path to that moment had been anything but straightforward. Back in December, Ryan was originally named to Team USA’s roster as part of a loaded pitching staff assembled for a title run. However, a bout of back inflammation during spring training altered his early availability, keeping him out of pool play but leaving the door open for a return in the knockout rounds as the spring progressed. As Team USA advanced through the tournament, that opportunity seemed likely to materialize. At one point, Manager Mark DeRosa even indicated publicly that Ryan could step in for Clayton Kershaw if the team reached the later rounds, potentially pitching in the championship mix. Instead, when it came time to finalize the roster for the later rounds, Team USA ultimately used its available spot on reliever Jeff Hoffman, prioritizing bullpen depth over inserting Ryan into a starting role. This decision, made near the championship stage, left Ryan on the outside looking in, although his throwing schedule was carefully built around the possibility of pitching in the final. Adding to the frustration was the timing and method of communication. Ryan said he first learned of the roster change through Twins leadership shortly after the decision, not Team USA directly, and didn’t hear from USA Baseball until days later. Still, he made it clear where the support came from. “The Twins were great, super supportive with a really good plan the whole time,” Ryan said. “They really wanted me to go. It wasn’t up to us at the end of the day.” From Minnesota’s perspective, there is at least a practical silver lining. The organization had adjusted Ryan’s spring workload to align with a potential WBC appearance, and now that plan rolls seamlessly into the regular season. He remains on track to start Opening Day in Baltimore, a role that carries its own weight even if it lacks the global spotlight. It is a strange baseball reality. One week, you are penciled into a potential championship game for your country. The next, you are back on a spring mound facing a split-squad lineup. For Ryan, the preparation never changed. The opportunity did. Joe Ryan Timeline for World Baseball Classic Dec. 17: Team USA announces that Ryan will be on its roster. Feb. 21: Ryan is scratched from his Grapefruit League debut due to back discomfort. Mar. 1: Ryan throws a bullpen session but is removed from consideration for the round robin portion of the tournament. Mar. 10: Ryan makes his 2026 game debut for the Twins. Mar. 12: Mark DeRosa says Ryan and Nolan McLean could pitch in some combination during the championship game. Mar. 13: Team USA adds reliever Jeff Hoffman to the roster instead of Ryan. Mar. 14: Ryan throws a bullpen session, and the Twins confirm he will remain in camp. Mar. 15: Ryan makes his second spring start for Minnesota. View the full article

The television landscape can be difficult to navigate for baseball fans, so the Milwaukee Brewers are offering 10 games this season in seven markets in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan. The games include Opening Day on March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Here are the cities and the channels games will be simulcast from the Brewers.TV feed: Milwaukee: WITI Madison: WISC, TVW Duluth-Superior: KDLH, KBJR Green Bay: WGBA, WACY La Crosse-Eau Claire: WKBT Marquette, Mich.: WJMN Wausau-Rhinelander: WSAW, WZAW, WYOW Brewers Games On Local Broadcast TV Here are the games that will be telecast (all times Central): March 26: vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m. March 31: vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m. April 28: Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. May 12: vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m. May 19: at Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. June 2: vs. San Francisco Giants, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 4: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 18: vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 25: at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m. Sept. 8: Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Although Italy was eliminated by Venezuela in the semifinal round of the World Baseball Classic on Monday night, this tournament was definitely a successful step for the country. This was the furthest that Italy has ever advanced in the WBC, a run that included five consecutive wins and an upset of Team USA during pool play. Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee was able to soak it all in as their starting center fielder. Marsee, who was participating in his first WBC, has grandparents of Italian descent on both sides of his family, which made him eligible to participate. "It's been amazing," Marsee told Fish On First prior to Monday's game. "The atmosphere has been electric everywhere I've been. We've been the away team most of the time wherever we've gone, but it's been a lot of fun playing in these packed crowds. We're making a lot of noise early, and getting to play baseball that means something this early is a lot of fun." Heading into the 2026 season, the Marlins have one of Major League Baseball's youngest rosters. Every hitter on their 40-man roster is still in their 20s (Marsee is 24), and even their coaching staff has very limited MLB playing experience. That's why in the two weeks he spent around Team Italy, Marsee found it valuable to speak with veterans like Jon Berti and Vinnie Pasquantino. "They've been around and they're successful at what they do. I wanna play this game a long time and try to find out what makes them click each year." The Italian club was managed by Francisco Cervelli, who himself spent 13 seasons in the majors. The former catcher's final season as a player came with the 2020 Marlins. "Jakob is one of our best players, and I've known that from the start," Cervelli said pregame. "He’s someone who wants to play every day no matter what. I've tried to give him a day off his feet and put him in as the designated hitter, but he doesn’t want that—he wants to play center field. He has truly impressed me, and I think the Marlins have a future star." Marsee's insistence on remaining in center field paid off in the top of the first inning against Venezuela. With one out and Maikel Garcia on first base, Luis Arraez lined out to Marsee, who noticed Garcia was nearly all the way down to second. Marsee fired a 90.5 mph throw to Pasquantino to turn an inning-ending double play. It marked Marsee’s second outfield assist of the tournament, both coincidentally with Aaron Nola on the mound. In six WBC games, Marsee posted a .174/.345/.217 slash line. His five walks were tied for the second-highest total on the team. Marsee will return to Marlins spring training camp on Wednesday, according to manager Clayton McCullough. In the meantime, Tuesday’s WBC championship game is set between the United States and Venezuela. Nolan McLean (New York Mets) will start for Team USA, while Venezuela will go with veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (Arizona Diamondbacks). With a Venezuelan victory, Javier Sanoja would join Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich (2017) as the only Marlins players to ever win a WBC title. First pitch will be shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET. View the full article

Once it became clear that Pat Murphy is enamored of David Hamilton, the suspense about the Brewers' Opening Day position-player roster was virtually gone. William Contreras and Gary Sánchez will be the catchers. Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, Luis Rengifo and Hamilton are locks on the infield. Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell are locks in the outfield. As important a teammate and defensive presence as Blake Perkins has often been over the last two years, it would be tempting to at least write in his name, too, using heavy pencil. That would sew up all 13 spots that will go to hitters when the team breaks camp next week. At this point, though, Perkins looks nearly certain to head to Triple-A Nashville, for one simple reason: Brandon Lockridge will not be denied. Since he was acquired last July, it's been clear that the Brewers were high on Lockridge, internally. The front office found plenty to like about him, which is why they were willing to trade a promising (if far-off) prospect, Jorge Quintana, to get him. At the time, it felt like a move motivated partially by a vague need for depth and partially by a vague desire to be rid of Nestor Cortes, but every moment since the deal, it's become clearer that Lockridge himself was essential—and that the Brewers were right to like him. Broadly speaking, the front office and manager Pat Murphy agree on their objectives and plans for the team, but there are times when they clearly hold different views on a particular player. This is not one of those times. Lockridge has become a favorite of Murphy's, too, after he handled himself well and flashed some of the skipper's favorite on-field traits (high-end speed, and a high baseball IQ) during his brief audition last summer. This spring, Murphy has repeatedly referred to Lockridge as "the right who"—his favorite way to praise a player's makeup, implying that they fit well in the clubhouse and have the combination of resiliency and attention to detail that Murphy prizes. To those soft factors and floor-setters, Lockridge has added thunderous power this spring, making his bid for the roster virtually undeniable. He spent time over the winter adjusting his posture and his swing path, he said, and the results speak for themselves. Of his 23 batted balls in Cactus League play, six have left the bat at 105 miles per hour or more. On Monday, he hit a grand slam against the Dodgers, his second homer of the spring and the latest evidence of the changes he's made. Speaking to reporters after leaving the contest, Lockridge was detailed and thoughtful about his "swinghauling". The biggest things, he believes, are being more opportunistic in taking his 'A' swing early in counts and using better posture to feed a more productive bat path. Let's examine those assertions. Compare the video above with this hit, from when he was still a Padre last year. TzBsNDRfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkZNRFhGTlZCVmNBREZFS1h3QUhCUTlYQUFBSFZBVUFCQWRSQXdvQ1V3UUFWUUJm.mp4 Like the pitch he hit out of Camelback Ranch on Monday, this was a very hittable pitch in an early count. As Lockridge self-diagnosed, though, last year, he wasn't taking an appropriately aggressive cut on such pitches. Indeed, by looking at two crucial moments within these two swings, we can see the differences at work. The top two panels show Lockridge the moment when his front foot lands, last year and on Monday. The difference here is subtle, but he's more upright and much more engaged in his lower half in the screenshot on the right. By starting a bit more locked in, he begins his swing more explosively this year than last. In the lower two frames, we see the moment where Lockridge releases his hands to attack the ball—when he makes his final swing decision. Look at how much more open his front hip and shoulder are this spring. Look at how he's letting his top hand drive a more powerful swing, rather than keeping the right elbow tucked to his body and being direct to the ball with less force. He's unleashing himself this spring, and while he's swung and missed more often than he might have otherwise, the hard contact has been more than worth it. You can also see the added thickness in his legs this year. Lockridge is much stronger than he was a year ago, so he's naturally swinging faster, but a big piece of his improved performance is the way he's moving, to catch the ball out front and do more potential damage, rather than a simple increase in swing speed. Perkins hasn't been able to get untracked this spring. He's batting just .231/.300/.269, with anemic batted-ball data. Lockridge is hitting .323/.462/.742, with his average batted ball hovering around 95 MPH. Spring results don't determine these types of battles, but there's a threshold at which the disparity can't be ignored. Perkins is an exceptional fielder, and Murphy values not just his tools, but his savvy within moments. He feels the wall well. He charges singles and makes excellent throws. He's a switch-hitter. Lockridge, though, is faster. He's also a terrific defender. The two are the same age, and each has two minor-league options remaining. It would feel strange to send Perkins to the minors, Murphy acknowledged earlier this month, but he didn't flinch at the idea the same way he did with Jared Koenig during the same conversation. Lockridge, meanwhile, has seized his attention in a way no rival to Koenig's roster spot has done. Mitchell might be in position to be platooned. Frelick could benefit from the occasional day off, and when those come, they should come against left-handed pitchers, anyway. Yelich should be shielded from outfield duty as much as possible, and all of them (plus Chourio, and Perkins, for that matter) come with some injury history that suggests a risk of sudden need. Lockridge is becoming the obvious candidate to fill that need. "In the last meeting I was in, with our coaches," Murphy said on Mar. 5, "I just had a moment. I figured out, now, why I'm excited—why I believe that this conglomeration of guys can do something." He meant something big—something beyond even what they did the last two years. And that reason why he's excited, he went on to say, was position-player depth. It was upside that had been absent in the past. He didn't say the name, but it was clear: he was thinking (among others) about Lockridge. Two weeks later, he still is, and two weeks from now, fans are going to be thinking about Lockridge, too—because he's going to be on the roster, making significant contributions. View the full article

The 2026 Twins are certainly set up to have a much better rookie class in 2026 than they did in 2025. Cody Christie asks Jamie and Jeremy which of the Twins top prospects at Triple-A will become the Twins rookie leader in WAR this upcoming season. Discussed in this video are Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alan Roden, and Mick Abel. View the full article

No pitcher in baseball last season produced as much horizontal separation between their four-seam fastball and their changeup as did Cubs righthander Cade Horton. What he calls a four-seamer (but which, in fairness, Pitch Info tags as a hard cutter) is a pitch with an extreme amount of relative cut for a fastball, which is part of the equation. Still, the 13.1 inches of difference between the lateral movement of his fastball and his offspeed pitch paced the league. In fact, only a handful of pitchers even come close. Freddy Peralta (then of the Brewers, now of the Mets) achieves a solid foot of separation, thanks to a much lower arm slot than Horton's and the ability to generate more sheer run on the changeup. That has led Peralta, who functionally lacked a changeup until 2021, to use the pitch more each season since, until it became his most reliable complement for the fastball last year. There's a simple reason for that: a changeup that can even vaguely mimic the fastball out of the hand but move that much is bound to end up generating lots of whiffs, and lots of weak contact even when the batter connects. That's why, as his rookie campaign unfolded, Horton, too, went to his change more and more often. By season's end, over 47% of swings against it had resulted in whiffs. Like Peralta, Horton was late in developing the changeup. When he entered pro ball, the headliners were his fastball and his slider, with a sharp curveball coming along for the ride. He's tightened his command and comprehension of each of those pitches, but it's the changeup that has transformed him. As he prepares for his first full season in the majors, he's a dark-horse candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, for the same reason why Paul Skenes exploded into that caliber of pitcher sooner and more completely than pundits predicted: because great players find unexpected ways to improve. Skenes added a splinker that changed his scouting report for the better, even after being the first overall pick in 2023. Because of injuries (and a bit less raw talent), it took longer for Horton to unlock his game-changing new weapon, but his changeup is just that. Yankees lefty Max Fried does technically have more separation between his changeup and his primary fastball (a cutter, and more of a true cutter than Horton's, with less ride on it) than does Horton. He has an even deeper arsenal than Horton's burgeoning five-pitch mix, too. Horton, however, uses his change much more than Fried does, akin to the amount that Peralta uses it. After he laid waste to the Guardians with the pitch in his penultimate spring tuneup Monday night, we might see his reliance on that offering rise even more this year. Note, too, that Horton's so-called four-seamer is two miles per hour harder than Fried's cutter, so hitters have less time to react to the gulf between his heater and his changeup than they do with Fried. More similar in their relative usages and plans are Horton and Twins righty David Festa, who operates with a higher-carry four-seamer but gets lots of depth on the change. Festa's ability to do that, though, reflects the motor preference of his arm, which generates so much arm-side movement and allows him to command a two-seamer but doesn't allow him to move the ball to the glove side very much. Horton, more like Fried and Peralta, can move the ball all the way from east to west. Unlike Peralta, though, he does it from a high arm slot where the horizontal movement on both his sweeper/slider and his changeup surprise the batter more, and unlike Fried, he has two-plane separation between his heater and his changeup, because he gets more carry on his fastball than Fried does on his cutter. In short, Horton's changeup has turned him into a unicorn. He won't strike out 10 batters very often, because his stuff is geared more toward outs than toward whiffs. He's still unlikely to win the Cy Young Award this year; Skenes and Logan Webb are early favorites. However, this development—this ability to make the last pitch he brought along (save his little-used sinker) his best one, even though it works opposite the movement pattern that comes most naturally to him—has unlocked the next level of success for him. Don't be surprised if Horton is the Cubs' ace this season, letting his former fourth pitch emerge as his signature weapon. View the full article

It seems that in recent years, the Twins have had very few classic roster battles in spring training. Part of this decline is due to the fact that spring training performance isn’t taken as seriously as it once was, but the Twins have also had a pretty set roster coming into camp for a few years. The “battles” on the offensive side tend to be “which of this pool of guys could be the 13th man on the bench,” which came more down to preference between very different roles. For instance, would Mickey Gasper’s bat or DaShawn Keirsey’s speed be more useful? (Because look, not all of the questions had a right answer.) This year, though, the Twins have a specific need: backup shortstop. After an offseason of collecting fringe major-league talent (and letting some of it, like Vidal Bruján, pass right through without ever actually donning the uniform), they have three options to fill the spot. Each has a unique profile, so it’s unclear that their talent level will be the deciding factor. However, this is one of the battles in camp least adulterated by outside factors like minor-league options or deferring to seniority. Orlando Arcia: The Veteran Arcia is in Twins camp on a minor-league deal worth $1.25 million if he makes the team out of camp. He has an opt-out clause, so if the Twins don’t add him to the 40-man roster, he may be able to re-enter free agency. Just two seasons removed from an All-Star nod, Arcia is the biggest name of the bunch. He spent a couple of seasons in Atlanta, hitting fine (100 OPS+ between 2022 and 2023), but his offense has fallen off a cliff over the last two seasons (.599 OPS, 64 OPS+ between 2024 and 2025). His peak was league-average, so there’s not much room to fall offensively. Once lauded for his defense, Arcia has slipped a bit upon entering his 30s. Stepping in for Dansby Swanson in Atlanta, he registered 7 outs above average (OAA) at shortstop over 2,591 innings between 2023 and 2024, but clocked in at -2 OAA in 173 innings at shortstop in 2025. He was still a plus defender at second base (3 OAA in 115 innings) and third base (1 OAA in 115 innings), but he’s not getting any younger, and his primary function would be playing shortstop. Arcia has played mostly shortstop and second base this spring and has put together a solid enough spring, with a .780 OPS. Obligatory “spring training stats don’t mean anything,” but if he’s looking good enough at shortstop, he might have the inside track on the spot, since the Twins can keep the other two choices. They both have minor-league options. Nothing about Arcia's batted-ball data suggests a significant change in who he is, though he's made more contact this spring than he has in recent big-league seasons. Ryan Kreidler: The Glove Kreidler was claimed late in 2025 from Pittsburgh and has lasted the entire offseason on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old is getting big-league opportunities for one reason: he can pick it at short. He's probably the best shortstop defender in the organization who’s not named Marek Houston. For a team with a starting shortstop (Brooks Lee) who has major defensive questions, Kreidler can provide some stability. He’s registered 2 OAA at the position in 253 big-league innings. He can also play a solid center field, league-average by OAA at 0 in 117 innings there last season. The eye test matches the stats, though he lacks the raw speed you look for in a center fielder. The issue? The dude has never hit. In his best season, 2022, he slashed .178/.244/.233, for a 39 OPS+, where 100 is average and higher is better. This is saying he was less than half as productive as an average hitter—in his best year. Funny enough, he was worth positive WAR by both Fangraphs and Baseball Reference for that season, and would have been a 1-2 WAR player if given 300 plate appearances. That might tell you something about his defense. I guess it might also tell you something about WAR's utility in edge cases. He’s only got 211 MLB plate appearances in his career, and if he can hit even a little, he could be an adequate bench player who can play both shortstop and center field when needed. But it’s difficult to see him mustering even 2024-2025 Arcia-level offense at this point in his career. He’s played all three infield positions (other than first base) and both center and right field this spring, but he’s only got a .469 OPS in 30 (meaningless) spring training plate appearances. He's making slightly better and more frequent contact than has been his wont, but there hasn't been a breakout or visible overhaul. Tristan Gray: The Hitter Now, “The Hitter” might be overselling it a bit with Gray, but compared to the other two options, hitting is his defining trait. Gray was acquired for minor-league catcher Nate Baez this winter, and he’s stuck around on the 40-man roster, like Kreidler, indicating that the Twins have some lasting interest in him. Gray turns 30 this season, and he’s registered 122 plate appearances in his three-year MLB career between Tampa Bay, Miami, and Oakland. He’s also been in the Pirates, White Sox, and Red Sox organizations. He slashed .231/.282/.410 last season, and his OPS was just 9% below league average. He plays all four infield positions. He’s played 80 or fewer big-league innings at each infield position, but he’s been worth 0 OAA at first, 0 OAA at second, -2 OAA at third, and 1 OAA at short. I’m listing these for consistency in this writeup. The sample is too small for the stats to be meaningful. But the scouting report suggests that Gray could be serviceable at shortstop—not standout by any means, but potentially serviceable. One knock against Gray is that he’s left-handed, which adds another lefty to a roster crowded with lefties. However, the other infield positions are currently manned by Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis, which would give Gray opportunities to give them days off against righties in addition to his normal days backing up Lee. He’s split his time evenly between second, third, and short this spring. If the Twins think he can hit a little and play a decent enough shortstop, he might be a better fit than the light-hitting options. And here’s your meaningless spring training stat: .648 OPS. He's swung and missed disturbingly often for Grapefruit League action and isn't hitting the ball especially hard, but he has plus bat speed, which the other two can't say. The Verdict: I Don’t Know Funny enough, at the time of writing, all three have exactly five appearances at shortstop this spring. I could see it going any way. I think I’d say 1) Kreidler, 2) Arcia, 3) Gray, but I could also see a world where Gray makes the team alongside one of the other two, due to injuries. In less than a week, we'll know for sure. View the full article

Jays Centre is taking a close look at every position on the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the 2026 season. Check out prior entries in the series here: Catcher First Base The Toronto Blue Jays' starting second basemen were considered a defensive strength, but not an offensive weapon, over the last couple of decades. The only offensive standouts were Aaron Hill, hitting 62 home runs between the 2009 and '10 seasons, and Marcus Semien, hitting 45 long balls in his only campaign with the Blue Jays (2021). Last season was no different, with Ernie Clement's 3.2 fWAR being heavily lifted by his 11.7 defensive runs above average. However, over the course of the postseason, Clement became a Blue Jays legend. He set the single-postseason hits record with 30, breaking Randy Arozarena's 2020 record (29). That total led to a .411/.416/.562 slash line, 13 runs, and nine batted in. It was a performance that made the Blue Jays' second base decision for this season an easy one. The position is Clement's, but the Blue Jays have plenty of flexibility with players who can play multiple positions. Toronto Blue Jays Second Basemen at a Glance Starter: Ernie Clement Backup: Davis Schneider Depth: Leo Jiménez, Andrés Giménez, Addison Barger, Prospects: Josh Kasevich, Arjun Nimmala Jays 2B fWAR in 2025: 13th out of 30 Jays 2B FGDC Projection for 2026: 13th out of 30 The Good The Blue Jays enter the season with a clear view of who their second baseman will be. Clement has continued his postseason hitting spree this spring, going 5-for-10 at the plate with a double and a triple while with the Blue Jays. With Team USA, he is 1-for-5 but has walked twice and scored three runs. During the WBC, he's played in four games in a complementary role. Defensively, he's as sure-gloved as a player can get. In the last two seasons as a full-time utility man, he's received fWAR ratings of 2.1 and 3.2, respectively, but defensive ratings of 8.2 and 11.7 heavily skew these numbers. It's tough to find a more defensively sound player. Another benefit the Blue Jays have is defensive flexibility. Clement can play any position, even pitch if needed. However, he's not Toronto's only flexible defender. Schneider and Barger can also play all over the field, and shortstop Giménez can handle second and third base. Clement will never be a massive earner like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., due to his limits offensively. So, the Blue Jays are in a wonderful financial position with Clement. He's 29, making $4.6 million this season, and under team control through 2028. This makes him an excellent secondary teammate to the number of superstars above him in the batting order. The future is bright at the position as well. Kasevich and Nimmala are primarily shortstops, but moving to second wouldn't be a massive transition, and most shortstops can move all over the infield. Of the two, Nimmala is the more promising prospect offensively (though Kasevich is closer to the majors). Last season, Nimmala hit 13 home runs and stole 17 bases over 543 plate appearances at the High-A level. Though he showed power and speed, his contact skills need improving. He has yet to posta batting average higher than .240 over his three minor league seasons, and he struck out 21.4 percent of the time at High A. Despite these struggles, he's found ways to be productive offensively, with only one season under a 120 wRC+. The Bad Toronto's downfall at second base is an awfully low offensive ceiling. Clement puts the ball in play exceptionally well, only striking 10.4 percent of the time last season, but that's where his offensive prowess ends. He hit 12 home runs in 2024, but that seems like a ceiling given how poorly his important power metrics are rated, according to Baseball Savant. Stat Percentile Number Avg. Exit Velocity 8th 86.6 mph Barrel Percentage 6th 2.4% Hard-Hit Percentage 2nd 26% Bat Speed 5th 67.6 mph These stats show Clement's lack of power. However, he will likely be in the ninth spot in the batting order. So, he won't be relied on to do the heavy lifting of carrying the offense. Let's be honest, though, second base isn't a position that you expect to get massive offensive production out of. Last season, only five primary second basemen hit more than 20 home runs: Jazz Chisolm Jr., Brandon Lowe, Ketel Marte, Jose Altuve, and Lenyn Sosa. This shows that second base is more thought of across MLB as a defensive position. The Bottom Line The Blue Jays aren't asking Clement to hit 20 home runs. It appears they're fine with someone who can put the ball in play and perform well defensively, which Clement excels at. He's also known as a gritty player who can play through injuries. Last season, he suffered a hairline fracture in his left middle finger, a shin injury that required 10 stitches, and a knee injury from diving for a ground ball. However, he still played in 157 games. Clement brings stability and a solid glove to second base for the Blue Jays. View the full article

Based on how some players go about their daily business, you almost take them for granted. Such is the case with Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers. He routinely gobbles up grounders as the Crew's second baseman, and last year showed that he can be a big part of the team's offense. Was that power surge a flash in the pan, or is there more to get out of him with the bat? Brewers Second Basemen At A Glance Starter: Brice Turang Backup: David Hamilton Depth: Luis Rengifo Prospects: Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, Brady Ebel, Diego Frontado, Daniel Dickinson Brewers fWAR ranking last year: 5th out of 30. Brewers fWAR projection this year: 8th out of 30. THE GOOD Defense was always going to be the calling card for Turang. Even in his amateur days, he got the nod to start at shortstop over Bobby Witt Jr. with Team USA. But when Turang made his MLB debut, the Brewers had Willy Adames at shortstop, so Turang took over at second, and has proven to be an elite defender. Turang not only won the 2024 NL Gold Glove at second base, but also took home the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender. But in 2025, the now-26-year-old became a more complete player, as his bat started to produce. After having a .239/.303/.328 slash line and a total of 13 homers in his first two big-league seasons, Turang was at .271/.339/.363 with 6 homers and 44 RBIs when the calendar flipped to August. Then, as everyone knew he could, he turned up the power in his game, doing deep 10 times in the month, including his first two-homer game and a five-game stretch in which he homered four times. Turang finished 2025 with a slash line of .288/.359/.435, with 18 homers and 81 RBIs. There was a notable jump in his exit velocity, which went from 87 mph and the 14th percentile in MLB in 2024 to 91.1 mph and the 75th percentile in 2025. THE BAD Depending on which defensive metric you trust, Turang slipped from elite to either merely very good or fringe-average last season. Watching him on an everyday basis, the former feels closer to the mark. He was worse, but still solidly in the top third of defenders at the keystone. As for things he truly needs to work on, besides leaning into a pitch now and then, Turang could stand to cut down on his strikeouts. His 2024 strikeout rate of 17% is an outlier when compared with his 2023 showing of 21% and his 2025 number of 22.8%. While 22.5% was the MLB average in 2025, putting those extra balls in play or drawing walks is something that will benefit him and the Crew offensively. Of course, if whiffing more is the price of getting to all the power we saw late last season, it's more than worth it, so the question here is one of calibrating the approach at a very fine level. Turang didn't run as much in 2025 as he did in 2024, when he swiped 50 bases. That number dropped to 24, which was slightly below the 26 he stole as a rookie in 2023 in 19 fewer games. Turang's sprint speed took a slight dip in 2025 (from 29.3 to 28.9 feet per second), but he still ranked in the 88th percentile. The real problem was that he was caught more often when he did run—eight times in 32 attempts, after going 76-for-86 in his first two years. That was caused by lousy leads and jumps, though he got better about it later in the year. He batted throughout the order during the season, starting at the bottom but then becoming a regular leadoff hitter against right-handed starters. Surprisingly, Turang was nearly as good against left-handed pitchers (.305/.361/.391) as against right-handers (.280/.358/.454). In his first two seasons, he struggled more with lefties, but other than a lack of power, he licked that issue last year. THE BOTTOM LINE Turang could turn into a bigger offensive threat if he taps into that power a little more often. There is 20-homer potential, to go along with 30 (or even 40) steals. Manager Pat Murphy needs to find a way for Turang to feel free to run more than he did in 2025 and make him more dynamic. Is that batting leadoff or second? Maybe fifth? Regardless, having Turang at second base gives the Brewers one of the game's best defenders at the position. He also has shown the ability to play shortstop, his natural position, when called upon. Hamilton can fill in nicely for Turang at second, with the potential of more offense than Andruw Monasterio could provide. The future will provide some interesting challenges for the Crew, with Williams (this year) and Made (probably next year) set for their own debuts somewhere on the infield. View the full article

The Red Sox have made another series of spring training moves, reassigning multiple names to minor-league camp. This group is exclusively pitchers this time, which makes sense in the wake of the team signing southpaw Danny Coulombe last week. The names being reassigned are: left-handed pitcher T.J. Sikkema, and right-handed pitchers Seth Martinez, Wyatt Olds, and Noah Song. This leaves big league camp at 54 while Craig Breslow and the coaching staff begin to whittle away the depth options in the bullpen. It’s been a mixed bag for each of these four pitchers during their time in spring training. Song posted a stellar 1.13 ERA across six games, but lacked control as evidenced by his three wild pitches. He did post nine strikeouts though, indicating that there’s still life left in his pitch mix and he should be pushing for a spot on the 26-man roster at some point this season. Olds fared much worse, posting a 6.75 ERA over seven games, but he also struck out nine. Martinez held a 7.27 ERA with only five strikeouts. Sikkema clocked in with the highest ERA at 9.00 over three games, but struck out five in those three appearances. Song is perhaps the most shocking name to be reassigned so far in camp, but he doesn’t have a true spot in the bullpen as it’s currently constructed. Should he show out in Worcester early in the season, expect to see his name called early and often. As for the other three, the reassignment makes sense as none of them have shown to be dependable enough in camp to warrant consideration for the big-league roster at this point. We’re getting closer and closer to Opening Day, so expect more names to be reassigned to minor league camp as Breslow and Alex Cora start making the tough roster decisions. View the full article

The final stretch of spring training is supposed to be about decisions, not diagnoses. For the Twins, that equation shifted quickly on Monday when Austin Martin exited Minnesota’s game against the Pirates with a concussion, creating uncertainty just days before the roster is finalized. Martin was lifted from the contest after sustaining the injury during Minnesota’s 5-1 victory. The play in question came in the third inning when he tracked a ball into right field off the bat of Henry Davis. Attempting to make a diving grab, Martin hit the ground awkwardly and appeared shaken up as he got back to his feet. After the impact, Martin remained in the game and collected a single in the bottom of the third. However, he showed signs of discomfort and was removed before the start of the fourth inning, with James Outman replacing him in right field. Twins manager Derek Shelton provided an update after the game, outlining the immediate plan for Martin’s recovery. “He won’t do anything through the next two days, and then we’ll reevaluate him,” Shelton said. The sequence of events raised concern in real time, particularly as Martin began to show signs of discomfort after the play. “When he dove, I think he kind of jarred himself a little bit,” Shelton said. “I think once he got on the bases, he realized he was a little bit dizzy. And then as he walked past [bench coach Mark Hallberg] and I, we kind of saw a little bit of hesitation, and then [head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta] got to him.” At this point, there is no firm timetable for Martin’s return, which is less than ideal given how firmly he had worked his way into the roster conversation. The former top prospect had been trending toward a role in the outfield mix, offering defensive flexibility with the ability to handle center field and even contribute at second base if needed. His trajectory dates back to last season, when he capitalized on an opportunity late in the year following Minnesota’s trade deadline selloff. Martin responded with some of the most productive baseball of his career by posting a 106 OPS+, putting himself squarely on the radar entering camp this spring. The timing of the injury is what stings most. With Opening Day looming, Martin represented one of the few right-handed-hitting outfield options expected to break camp with the club. If he is unable to clear concussion protocol in time, the Twins may need to pivot quickly. That could open the door for players on the roster bubble. Ryan Kreidler brings right-handed balance and defensive versatility. Alan Roden offers a left-handed bat with upside. Veteran Orlando Arcia also remains a possibility as a depth option if the team prioritizes experience. For now, though, the focus remains on Martin. Concussions are unpredictable, and even minor symptoms can linger longer than expected. In a camp where every at-bat and inning matters, the Twins will have to wait and see if one of their most intriguing roster pieces can get back on the field in time. View the full article

Dub Gleed quietly climbed from rookie ball to the upper levels of the Marlins farm system in 2025, demonstrating strong on-base skills every step of the way. Fish Unfiltered discusses his long-term outlook. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins held a retirement celebration last weekend honoring longtime Major League Baseball umpire Phil Cuzzi, who officially stepped away from the game after more than three decades of service. The event, which took place at Target Field, was decorated with framed scorecards and a suspicious number of printed screenshots from Ump Scorecards and gave the Twins organization an opportunity to recognize Cuzzi’s long career—while also revisiting one moment that many in Minnesota have spent the last 17 years trying to forget. Cuzzi, 70, began as an MLB reserve umpire in 1991 and later joined the league’s full-time umpiring staff. His career covered thousands of games, numerous postseason assignments, and at least one unforgettable moment for Twins fans. That moment came in Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS. After losing Game 1 in the Bronx, the Twins pushed Game 2 to extra innings, tied 3-3. In the 11th, Joe Mauer hit a 1-1 pitch down the left-field line. The ball hit Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera’s glove, then bounced into the stands. Fans expected Mauer to be awarded a double. Cuzzi, just feet away, immediately ruled it foul. Mauer attended the retirement celebration and admitted the moment still occasionally crosses his mind. “I remember hitting it and thinking, well, that worked out nicely,” Mauer said with a laugh. “Then I saw Phil wave his arms, and I thought maybe he wanted someone to bring him a glass of cool, refreshing Kemps milk.” Mauer paused for a moment before smiling. “Honestly, I figured there had to be something I missed. It turns out the only thing missing was about three feet of chalk.” The call proved costly. Instead of standing on second with nobody out, Mauer remained at the plate, before eventually reaching first base. The Twins followed with two singles, but could not push across the go-ahead run. The Yankees eventually won the game in the bottom of the inning. Former Twins GM Terry Ryan said the team still revisits the moment when the phrase “close call” comes up. “I’ve seen that replay more times than I can count,” Ryan said. “Every time I watch it, I try to see it from Phil’s perspective. I squint a little, tilt my head, maybe turn the television sideways.” Ryan shrugged, “I still can’t find the foul ball.” Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire also attended the event and joked that the retirement party felt like a long-overdue therapy session for everyone involved. “I told Phil tonight that I forgive him,” Gardenhire said. “It only took about 16 years and roughly a thousand Coors Lights.” Gardenhire added that he briefly considered bringing a chalk line to the party as a gift, but ultimately decided against it. “I didn’t want to cause a scene,” he said. “Plus, someone might have ruled it foul.” Cuzzi addressed the crowd later in the evening and reflected on his long career in Major League Baseball. “Umpiring is a tough job,” Cuzzi said. “You make thousands of calls every season, and people remember the one you miss.” Gardenhire could be heard, in a low voice, telling a joke related to that observation, having to do with masonry, carpentry, animal husbandry and the nature of fame. Despite the lingering frustration surrounding the 2009 call, the Twins organization emphasized that the celebration was meant to recognize Cuzzi’s decades of service to the game—and maybe to give him a last chance to change his mind. Several attendees acknowledged that the play came up multiple times during the evening. At one point, the replay looped on a nearby television. The room fell silent before someone quietly suggested the camera angle may have been misleading. The group agreed there was only one way to settle the debate: have Cuzzi watch the replay. According to attendees, he ruled it inconclusive. View the full article

Long gone are the days of Benito Santiago, who excelled at the plate as well as behind it. Such a catcher, if they're even in the system, is still a ways off. Thus, the San Diego Padres have tried to piece together a catching tandem that will help the team make a push for NL West title or a postseason berth. Freddy Fermin begins his first full season with the Friars and will be the No. 1 catcher for the first time in his brief MLB career. Will he be able to handle the rigors? Can Luis Campusano be good enough defensively to get his bat into the lineup? Padres Catchers At A Glance Starter: Freddy Fermin Backup: Luis Campusano Depth: Blake Hunt, Rodolfo Duran, Anthony Vilar Prospects: Ethan Salas, Ty Harvey, Lamar King Jr., Truit Madonna Padres fWAR ranking last year: 28th out of 30. Padres fWAR projection this year: 19th out of 30. The Good Whether it was a desperation move or the Padres actually thought so highly of him, Fermin was acquired at the trade deadline for two starting pitchers, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek. At the time, the Friars were in need of offense from the position without losing much defensively; prior to the trade, the Padres had the worst fWAR at the position of any team in MLB as they tried to stay afloat with Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz. While he won't be confused for his Royals mentor, 2015 World Series MVP and five-time Silver Slugger Salvador Perez, as an offensive weapon, Fermin is certainly not the black hole that Maldonado and Diaz were. Fermin had a career .268/.314/.383 slash line in K.C. with a high of nine homers in 235 plate appearances in 2023. Those numbers slipped to .244/.278/.339 in 42 games as the Friars' regular catcher following the deal, though that drop in performance can at least be partially attributed to Fermin focusing on getting to know a whole new set of pitchers. But now in 2026, Fermin is firmly the No. 1 catcher, with Campusano as the backup. Campusano is the more accomplished hitter, but not the defender that Fermin is. Fermin has a terrific pop time of 1.90 seconds, which is in the 88th percentile, and led to a caught-stealing above average that was in the 76th percentile. His blocks also ranked in the 72nd percentile. His framing is certainly his weakest skill behind the plate, but with the introduction of the ABS system this year, the team should be able to mitigate some of that. The 27-year-old Campusano spent all but 10 games of 2025 at Triple-A El Paso, where he tore it up. In 105 games and 472 plate appearances, he had a slash line of .336/.441/.595 with 25 homers and 95 RBIs, yet did not get a call to the majors when the Padres needed offense from the catching position. In the majors, Campusano has a career slash line of .240/.294/.372 over 178 games with inconsistent playing time. The Bad Picking up on that last note, why wasn't Campusano brought up? Campusano's pop time from 2024 at the MLB level was 1.97 seconds, which was in the 38th percentile, while his framing, caught-sealing above average and blocks above average were all in the bottom nine percentiles. In other words, he's bad behind the plate. How much did that catching improve at Triple-A last year or over the winter, as he played 13 games in the Dominican Winter League? The Padres appear convinced it will be good enough to at least spell Fermin once or twice a week. Campusano is out of minor-league options, so it would require putting him through waivers to send him back to the minors, perhaps a reason why A.J. Preller, the Friars' president of baseball operations, decided to stick with Campusano this spring. After all, he was a fairly highly touted prospect just a few years ago. As for the 30-year-old Fermin, while his offense is solid enough, he doesn't bring much in the way of productivity besides a rather routine batting average. His average exit velocity last year of 89.1 mph ranked in the 39th percentile of all MLB hitters. And other than a strikeout percentage of 18.7% that ranked in the 66th percentile, everything other notable metric was worse than his exit velocity numbers. The Bottom Line The Royals were willing to part with Fermin for two reasons. First, they got two young starting pitchers in return. Second, Fermin was going to start getting expensive, as he was arbitration-eligible for the first time this past offseason. How this experiment works out with Fermin, a defense-first catcher who provides a little bit of offense, and Campusano, an offense-first catcher who struggles defensively, will be interesting to watch. As long as Fermin can hit in the .250 range in his first season as an everyday catcher, you would think the Friars would be happy with that and the defense he brings. How much rope Campusano is given is another question. There were thoughts early in spring training of carrying three catchers, with Hunt being the backup and Campusano getting time at designated hitter and perhaps first base in addition to pinch-hitting. But with other moves made to create a logjam at first base and DH, that is no longer an option. That doesn't mean there aren't better days coming for the Padres at catcher. Salas, arguably the top prospect in the organization, should be starting the season at Double-A, where he played just 10 games last year due to a stress reaction in his back. Salas is elite defensively and has 20-homer potential. A healthy 2026 could put him in the mix for the starting job as early as next spring. View the full article

Spring training is entering its final stretch, and the roster decisions are starting to come quickly. With Opening Day set for March 26 against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, the Minnesota Twins are beginning to finalize the final pieces of their pitching staff. On Monday, the club reduced its bullpen competition by sending two relievers out of major league camp. Minnesota reassigned right-handers Julian Merryweather and Grant Hartwig to minor league camp as the organization inches closer to setting its Opening Day bullpen. Both pitchers entered camp as non-roster invitees looking to pitch their way onto the major league roster. With the calendar now showing mid-March, the Twins are clearly entering the phase of spring where roster battles become more defined. The moves leave the organization with 45 players still active in big league camp, including 21 pitchers. However, that number does not fully reflect the group competing for Opening Day jobs. Right-hander David Festa is expected to begin the season on the injured list, while right-hander Travis Adams has been limited by elbow inflammation during camp. If Adams is not ready for the start of the season, the Twins would be left with roughly 13 relievers competing for what is expected to be eight bullpen spots on the 26-man roster. Merryweather showed flashes early in camp before his progress was halted by injury. The hard-throwing right-hander strained his left hamstring during his first Grapefruit League appearance on February 24. Since then, he has thrown several bullpen sessions but has not yet returned to game action. Hartwig saw plenty of work this spring, appearing in seven Grapefruit League games. The results were uneven as he allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 7 1/3 innings. For both pitchers, the reassignment does not necessarily close the door on helping the Twins later this season. Injuries and performance fluctuations often lead to bullpen shuffling throughout the year, and strong outings in the minors can quickly put a reliever back on the radar. For now, though, Minnesota continues narrowing the field. With only days remaining before the season opener in Baltimore, the Twins are quickly approaching the moment when speculation ends, and the final 26-man roster becomes reality. View the full article

Andrew Morris might not be the flashiest pitching prospect in the Twins’ system, but his command and impressive arsenal make him one of the more intriguing arms in the organization. After a strong season at Triple-A, the 24-year-old could be closer to the majors than a lot of people realize. View the full article

Jarren Duran has been making a bold statement before the start of 2026 spring training. Is his power a sign of what's to come? Jarren Duran's 2025 regression was largely characterized by a decline in luck and plate discipline rather than a loss of physical power. Preseason action is justifying that he's retaining better discipline at the plate. View the full article

Daniel Palencia has pitched seven scoreless innings this spring. The first three were virtually meaningless Cactus League warmups. The last four have been some of the biggest games of his life, serving as the closer for Team Venezuela in its first-ever run to the finals of the World Baseball Classic. He closed down wins for his country in both the quarterfinals against Japan on Saturday and the semifinals against Italy on Monday. Now, there's a tough question at hand. Relievers don't work three times in four days during March. That simply doesn't happen. It's not even something rubber-armed guys do to get ready for that pattern when it arises during the regular season; it's viewed as a greater risk than it's worth. However, Palencia has pitched twice in the last three days, including Monday night. If Venezuela has a late lead it needs to protect, will he be available to pitch? The answer isn't clear. Team USA closer Mason Miller is in a similar situation, having pitched both Thursday and Saturday, but he has an extra day of rest in his would-be three-appearance window—and still, neither he nor the team is yet committing to him being able to go. Miller did need a combined 40 pitches to get through his outings Thursday and Saturday, though. Palencia has yet to throw more than 17 pitches in a WBC game, and only needed 13 and 15 to mow down Japan and Italy, respectively. With hard throwers, in particular, a heavy early workload feels risky. There's no getting around the fact that Cubs fans have divided allegiances, because for many of them, the top priority is having Palencia healthy for the full regular season and (they hope) postseason ahead. Indeed, realistically, that's the nature of the relationship between MLB and international baseball right now: the latter is subservient to the former. Major League Baseball puts on the WBC; the event has little hope of real independence from the league. In my opinion, though, if the right moment comes, Palencia has to be on that mound. The Cubs should contact Venezuelan manager Omar López expressly to tell him that he has their blessing to go to his closer. This could easily be the biggest baseball moment of Palencia's life—even bigger than winning a World Series in the States. He deserves the opportunity, and international baseball needs that boost in legitimacy. Players take extended breaks from the top soccer clubs in the world several times each season to reunite with their national teams for various competitions and qualifiers. Sometimes, guys get hurt during international duty, as happened to Seiya Suzuki in the quarterfinals of the WBC. Other times, when a player needed a true break, playing for their country further wears them out instead, and they need to be lightly used for a period after returning from abroad. It's never fun when these things happen, but there's little expectation from fans that clubs will exercise power over the player or some national federation to prevent them from playing. That's the culture we need to pursue with baseball. If players want to play winter ball in Australia or in the Caribbean, they shouldn't need their MLB team's permission. When players join their national teams for the WBC or the Olympics, they shouldn't be constrained in usage by the dictates of their home club. We can move forward, toward a less MLB-centric baseball world. It can be a more vibrant world, and a more immersive one. Injury risk is a part of the game, but it should be a shared burden, and letting players and lesser leagues have more power to decide when and how players are used would do that—while also fostering the growth of shared benefits, like a game with greater global popularity and a more year-round calendar. It's clear that pitching for Venezuela is important to Palencia. He looks strong. He's been efficient. He has a chance to create the memory of a lifetime Tuesday night, if the right situation arises. If that happens, López should give him that chance, and the Cubs and their fans should be rooting unreservedly for a showdown between Palencia and Alex Bregman or Pete Crow-Armstrong with everything on the line. View the full article

Their vaunted rotation-fronting trio was to be foundational for Minnesota's hopes of fielding an unlikely contender this year. When Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are healthy and on their games, it's hard to discount this team. Unfortunately, López went down with a season-ending elbow injury on the first day of spring training. Ryan and Ober were slow to get going in the first half of camp, and both have question marks attached to them entering their second-to-last seasons under team control. It's unclear which version of Ober we're going to get this year, and whether Ryan will still be a Twin after the deadline. These factors increase the urgency for the next wave of pitching talent to firmly establish itself in the major leagues. It is going to be the central storyline of this season, with major implications for the team's ability to compete in 2026 and contend for a championship down the road. TWINS STARTING PITCHERS AT A GLANCE Projected Rotation: Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel Depth: Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris, David Festa Prospects: Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto, Riley Quick Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 16th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 14th out of 30 THE GOOD The Twins have invested heavily in turning their pitching pipeline into a strength. They used high draft picks on Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto and Riley Quick. They targeted Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas in high-profile deadline trades. Several of those pitchers on the verge of joining the MLB rotation mix, if not on already in it. Others are rising fast through the minors and garnering acclaim. It's an exciting group. Woods Richardson has proven himself as at least a solid big-league starter, and his strong finish last year hinted at more to unlock. Bradley undoubtedly has more to unlock as a former top prospect who hasn't quite pulled it all together, but is still only 24. Rojas and Abel have commanded attention with their performances in camp, and the latter is angling for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Abel is competing for that spot against Zebby Matthews, who was conversely not acquired via any ambitious investment, but rather through savvy drafting and development. He's gone from eighth-round draft pick to potentially entrenching himself in the major-league rotation if he can stay healthy and find consistency. Much like Bradley, Rojas and Abel, Matthews has frontline-caliber stuff and that's plain to see. Same goes for David Festa, who will hopefully be able to rebound from a shoulder setback and contribute. This deep assortment of promising arms could give the Twins a big advantage when facing lesser fourth and fifth starters for other clubs. The top of the rotation took a major hit with the loss of López, but in such a scenario, few teams could turn to an alternative No. 1 starter as good as Ryan. He's coming off an All-Star season at age 29. This year, only 11 AL starters are projected for a higher fWAR than Ryan's 3.1. The right-hander was slowed out of the gates in camp by a minor back tweak, but threw three innings in his spring debut last week and went four in a crisp outing on Monday. Minnesota projects as a middle-of-the-pack team for starting pitching. If some of these young starters and post-hype prospects take real steps forward, they can easily finish a lot higher. The front office is counting on just that. THE BAD In a recent survey, MLB coaches and executives were asked to name the best teams at pitching acquisition and development. The Twins received only four votes, ranking near the bottom. That's not what we were hoping for after seven years of Derek Falvey's leadership. For all the talk of his pitching specialization, and all the success stories we've seen sort of start to materialize, not that many panned out under Falvey. Injuries have ravaged the pitching pipeline. Guys like Matthews and Festa, who rose to prominence as prospects, have stalled out in their entry to the majors. And the Twins are taking on several more similarly intriguing but unfinished projects that other orgs more or less gave up on in Bradley, Abel and Rojas. Jeremy Zoll now leads baseball ops for the Twins, but otherwise the faces are mostly the same. Pete Maki survived a coaching shakeup and still runs the pitching staff. These guys need to buck the trend and turn some young arms into actual difference-makers in the MLB rotation. Past successes are already starting to fade from the picture. López will be coming back from Tommy John surgery in his final season under contract. Ryan seems somewhat unlikely to make it past this trade deadline as a Twin. And Ober saw a dramatic drop-off last year due to a velocity loss that shows no sign of being resolved. No doubt these emerging arms entering the fold can be good. They just haven't been good yet. Bradley has a 4.86 career ERA, including 6.61 with the Twins last year. Able has a 6.23 career ERA (8.36 with Twins). Matthews and Festa haven't turned the corner, with ERAs over five. Rojas has yet to find success in Triple-A. At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. THE BOTTOM LINE This is going to be a transitional year for the Twins rotation. The younger starters have a chance to stake their claims and position this unit for a bright future, but they need to stay healthy and turn promise into results. Up until now, none have really been able to do it on the big-league stage. I don't want to say "now or never" for them because they've all got time left to figure things out, but if several don't do it now, the Twins will never have a chance in 2026. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter View the full article

When it comes to evaluating pitchers and their pitches, pitch modeling is all the rage. Whether it's models from Eno Sarris (Fangraphs), Jeremy Maschino (Pitch Profiler), or Kyle Bland (Pitcher List), pitching models give us a chance to understand how the characteristics of a pitcher's particular offering contribute to preventing runs. Thomas Nestico's pitch model, TJ Stuff+, has been one of my favorite models, mostly because I believe in the data he selects and analyzes. Furthermore, TJ Stats' presentation of the data, especially through his pitcher summaries, makes the most sense to me for understanding pitch effectiveness. When it comes to what TJ Stuff+ does, there are three key characteristics: A full deep dive into the TJ Stuff+ process is available in this Medium article published by Nestico in 2024. With that context about TJ Stuff+, Nestico's TJ Stats site has seen massive improvement over the past year and has been one of the best resources this spring for acquiring and breaking down pitch-modeling data from Spring Training. With every MLB Spring Training ballpark having public Statcast data, fans can get a breakdown of pitcher TJ Stuff+ every outing and overall this spring as well. Thus, with Opening Day coming up in 10 days, I wanted to see which Royals pitchers have been the top performers this spring in TJ Stuff+, whether in Cactus League play or WBC competition. A full leaderboard of Royals pitchers and their TJ Stuff+ marks can be seen here. Let's take a look at five Kansas City pitchers who have thrived this spring in TJ Stuff+ and what Royals fans can take away from those particular pitchers' metrics in preparation for the upcoming season. Steven Cruz, RHP, 107 Overall TJ Stuff+ Cruz hasn't seen a whole lot of work this spring, as he has only pitched 4.2 innings and thrown 56 total pitches. However, in his limited work, the 26-year-old righty has been sensational on a TJ Stuff+ end. The 6'7 pitcher leads all Royals with a 107 overall TJ stuff+ mark this spring. That includes two pitches with TJ Stuff+ marks of 110: his four-seamer and slider. His four-seamer has been his best pitch not just in terms of velocity (96.6 MPH), but also whiff rate (70%) and xwOBACON (.274). The pitch has shown some growth for Cruz over the past year in generating better iVB while still maintaining the horizontal break (HB) that makes it a unique fastball offering. When he locates the four-seamer effectively in the zone (especially up), it can be an effective offering, especially in two-strike counts. Here's an example of Cruz pumping the four-seamer 101.2 MPH last year to Cal Raleigh and striking him out. His slider has also been an effective offering in terms of TJ Stuff+ and zone rate (58.8%). He hasn't generated as many chases (28.6%) or whiffs (18.2%) with his primary breaking offer, but he may still be working on the command of the pitch this spring. I think once he gets more ramped up, his slider will be an effective secondary offering for him. Last year, he produced a 24.5% whiff rate and .201 xwOBA on the slider. The only pitch that has been underwhelming is the cutter, which has a 99 TJ Stuff+. Cruz has been flooding the zone with the offering (69.2%), but it's been getting hit hard (.691 xwOBACON). The cutter was a great put-away pitch for him last year (36.4%), but it wasn't a great overall whiff pitch (19%). His cutter was his second-most-thrown offering last year (25.5%), so I wonder if Cruz will throw his cutter less and slider more in 2026, based on his Spring Training trend. Cole Ragans, LHP, 104 Overall TJ Stuff+ Ragans has been the Royals' second-best pitcher in terms of overall TJ Stuff+ and the best starter this spring in this category. He has four pitches with a 100 TJ Stuff+ or higher, including his four-seamer, slider, changeup, and cutter. He also has three pitches with 60 grades or higher (four-seamer, slider, and changeup). His four-seamer and slider have been his main weapons in Cactus League play, as Ragans has thrown them 53.4% and 18.7% of the time, respectively. His four-seamer is generating a 30.2% chase and 37.7% whiff, and his slider has a 47.8% cahse and 43.5% whiff. The four-seamer has gotten hit a bit hard, with a .535 xwOBACON. That said, it's Spring Training, and Ragans' command is still getting ramped up (46.6% zone rate). Ragans generated a 43.4% whiff rate and 28.9% put away rate on his slider in 2025. He threw it only 13.8% of the time last year, nearly 5% lower than his usage this spring. When the slider is working, it's his best swing-and-miss offering, as illustrated in this strikeout of Austin Hedges last year. He's only been using the knuckle curve sparingly this spring, with an 8.8% usage. That's four percent down from a year ago. However, it only has a 97 TJ Stuff+ and a 40 grade, so it makes sense why Ragans would opt for the slider more and the curve less in Arizona. It will be interesting to see if this usage breakdown carries over to the regular season. Ryan Bergert, RHP, 102 TJ Stuff+ The results haven't been great for Bergert this spring. After a strong start, he has a 6.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 9.2 IP. To make matters worse, his FIP is worse than his ERA at 9.46. That doesn't bode well for him getting a spot on the Opening Day, though Spring Training numbers always have to be taken with a grain of salt. On a positive note, the stuff has been solid for Bergert in Cactus League play. He has an overall TJ Stuff+ of 102 with four pitches with TJ Stuff+ marks over 100 (four-seamer, slider, sweeper, and curveball). He also has a chase rate of 36.5% and a whiff rate of 34.7%. What's interesting, however, is that despite those strong chase and whiff numbers, he has a pretty mediocre K% (19%). Thus, putting away batters has been a work in progress for Bergert this spring. An issue is that Bergert's control has been erratic, as evidenced by his 43.5% zone rate. One concerning pitch related to this trend has been his slider. It has a 106 TJ Stuff+ and some great chase (45.2%) and whiff (54.8%) rates. However, it has a 42.6% zone rate and .497 xwOBACON. A primary issue is that it hasn't been all that effective against lefties this spring, according to his heatmap data from TJ Stats. The slider has a 52.8% CSW and 80% whiff rate against righties. However, it has only a 16.7% CSW and a 9.1% whiff rate against lefties. He is also leaving the pitch a lot more in the zone against righties, which explains why he's not generating as many whiffs. Bergert has thrown the slider 19.6% of the time against lefties this spring, so it is used fairly often. Hence, ironing out the command on the pitch to generate more strikes, especially of the whiff variety, could make his slider more effective overall in 2026 (and thus help his strikeout problem in Spring Training). Dennis Colleran, RHP, 102 TJ Stuff+ Colleran has been one of the best non-roster invitee stories this spring for the Royals. In four innings of work in Cactus League play, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 1.65 FIP, and a 25% K% and K-BB%. When it comes to results, no NRI pitching prospect was more impressive than the former Northeastern product. In terms of TJ Stuff+ data, there was also a lot to like with Colleran this spring. The 22-year-old righty posted a 102 overall TJ Stuff+ with a 55.2% zone rate, 30.8% chase, 33.3% whiff, and .241 xwOBACON. All those metrics are not just above-average, but quite stellar. Even though Colleran was already sent to Minor League Camp for the remainder of Spring Training, he may be a candidate for a midseason or end-of-year call-up if he progresses in Minor League ball as expected in 2026. One of Colleran's most intriguing pitches was his four-seamer, which he threw 34.5% of the time this spring. The four-seamer averaged 98.2 MPH and had an excellent chase rate (33.3%), whiff rate (45.5%), and xwOBACON (.277). However, the TJ Stuff+ was mediocre at 99. When it comes to shape, Colleran's four-seamer is pretty atypical. It has more horizontal movement with a 12.7 HB. As a result, his iVB is lower than typical for a four-seamer, at 11.6. Colleran has a pretty horizontal arm angle at 19 degrees, so increasing the iVB should be possible. However, it's a bit flatter, moving more like a sinker than a traditional four-seamer. Here's a look at the heatmap data of Colleran's four-seamer, and it's interesting to note how much he left it in the zone this spring. Now, the middle location of those four-seamers didn't hurt him too much. He had a 33.3% CSW against lefties and 50% CSW against righties, as well as xwOBACON marks of .321 and .263, against lefties and righties, respectively. However, when it came to the quality of competition, he had an Opponent Quality of 6.4, according to Baseball-Reference. That is just below Double-A competition on their scale. Thus, Colleran still has some things to work on, especially with his four-seamer. The velocity is there. The swing-and-miss ability is there. However, generating a better shape on the pitch will help him in his transition to the Major Leagues, whether it's this year or next. Luinder Avila, RHP, 102 Overall TJ Stuff+ Avila has been one of the more intriguing pitchers for the Royals this spring, as his outlook for 2026 still feels a bit in flux. On one hand, it seems that Matt Quatraro and the organization believe Avila can still develop into a frontline starting pitcher at the MLB level. If that's the case, then it would make sense for Avila to begin the year in Triple-A Omaha so he can get starts and innings. That's hard to do now at the Major League level with a crowded Royals rotation. However, looking at his repertoire and TJ Stats summary, it's hard to fully buy into Avila as a starter for now. The Venezuelan-born pitcher has an elite curveball that demonstrated a 107 TJ Stuff+ and a 66 grade this spring. He had some trouble with locating it in Arizona, as evidenced by his 38.6% zone rate and 18.5% chase. However, he still had a 35.7% whiff rate on the pitch, which shows its effectiveness at generating swing-and-miss swings. The big area of focus with Avila is his fastball offerings, specifically his sinker and four-seamer. The pitches have average grades, with his sinker at 96 TJ Stuff+ and his four-seamer at 101 TJ Stuff+. That said, despite having a lower TJ Stuff+, this sinker has been more effective this spring for Avila, as he is generating a 37.5% chase, 35% whiff, and .171 xwOBACON with the pitch. His four-seamer has a better TJ Stuff+ but lags in whiff (15.4%) and xwOBACON (.627). What's intriguing about Avila's sinker and four-seamer is that when he's fully letting loose of it in high-pressure situations, like the WBC, he has seen a sharp jump in pitch quality. That was the case in Monday's WBC semi-final, as he went 2.1 IP and posted excellent stuff metrics in his relief appearance against Italy. Not only did Avila have a 106 overall TJ Stuff+ against Italy, but he had three pitches with grades over 70 (curveball, changeup, and four-seamer), and all of his pitches were over 60. He didn't generate a lot of whiff (11.8%), but he did a solid job when it came to inducing chase (38.9%) and weak contact (.291 xwOBACON). Thus, would Avila be better served in the bullpen, where his stuff could play up in the big, high-leverage moments? The data seems to point in that direction, though the decision will ultimately fall on Quatraro and GM JJ Picollo. Safe to say, after a strong MLB debut in 2025 (1.29 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 14 IP) and a strong spring in the Cactus League and WBC play, it will be tough to leave Avila off the Royals' Opening Day roster. View the full article

Having spent the last couple of weeks examining the top 20 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization (as voted on by our North Side Baseball writers), we, at last, turn our attention to the man in the top spot who may lack a position but not a future in Chicago. Be sure to check out all of our previous rankings! Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos Prospect #9 - Josiah Hartshorn Prospect #8 - Kane Kepley Prospect #7 - Pedro Ramirez Prospect #6 - Ethan Conrad Prospect #5 - Jonathon Long Prospect #4 - Kevin Alcantara Prospect #3 - Jefferson Rojas Prospect #2 - Jaxon Wiggins #1 - Moisés Ballesteros (Iowa Cubs, Triple-A) A relatively quick riser through the Cubs' system after being signed out of Venezuela in 2021, the 2025 campaign was Ballesteros' first extended action in Triple-A. The year prior, he split between Knoxville and Iowa, with his first taste of the higher level leading to an uptick in strikeouts, a dip in walks, and a fall in his wRC+ (to exactly average, 100). An adjustment manifested quickly, however. Last year, Ballesteros was back in Iowa to start the year. Across more than 500 plate appearances, he slashed .316/.385/.473, with a 13.2 percent strikeout rate that was eight points lower than when he initially reached that level. The walk rate crept back up (9.6 percent), and his total body of work featured a wRC+ that came in at 121. One might have hoped for a bit more in the power game (.157 ISO), but the bat-to-ball skills were on display enough that Ballesteros was able to earn a cup of coffee with the Cubs. In 20 games, he finished at a 143 wRC+ and showcased some particularly encouraging signs toward what his future could look like in the lineup. What To Like The bat is big-league ready. Ballesteros has already proven that much, both through the evidence in Iowa and his small body of work in Chicago. Ballesteros made contact at an 81.8 percent rate in Iowa last year and didn't experience too much of a downturn upon his call-up (77.6 percent). In addition to quality contact skills, he's plenty capable of driving it to all fields; he split between a 35.6 percent pull rate and a 33.4 percent opposite-field rate in Iowa. What's more is that his swing is adaptable. Our Matt Trueblood recently explored this as a benefit within Ballesteros' game. Not only is he capable of creating consistent contact, but he's able to generate different types of it based on pitch type. While that skill will continue to evolve, that's part of the reason we see such a wide distribution of his hits to each portion of the field. For an organization that likes efficiency in their swings, it's hard to find a better prototype. However, there's just a bit more nuance needed within that offensive profile before we're ready to declare Moisés Ballesteros an everyday bat for the 2026 Cubs. What To Work On From an offensive standpoint, Ballesteros has work to do on two fronts. The first is adjusting the approach to suit his skill set. Yes, he can create contact from various parts of the zone and spin that into hits in any part of the field. But he could also be seizing more opportunities to create impactful contact: There's just a touch too much aggression in Ballesteros' approach at present. He's able to compensate well given the aforementioned bat-to-ball skills and inherent ability to avoid whiffs, but he's also not finding the barrel at the type of rate one might expect, and there's room for growth in his overall hard-hit rate. Further, there's a bit more elevation needed if Ballesteros is to get his game moving to the next level. He spent 49.6 percent of the time on the ground with his contact last year and was up over 62 percent in his small sample with the major-league club. While the all-fields contact offers its share of benefits, the nature of such an adaptable swing should allow him to lean into the pull side just a bit more. If Ballesteros' ability to recognize pitches continues to develop, that varying swing path should be able to produce such results to a degree that will allow him to reap the benefits of an increased barrel and hard-hit rate. On the defensive side, the picture has been murky for quite some time. The Cubs are continuing to develop Ballesteros as a catcher, despite the fact that he appeared there just once in his 20 major-league games last season. His arm is decent from behind the plate, but he has enough work to do in virtually every facet with the glove that any answers about his long-term position might have to wait until the end of 2026 at the soonest. Nevertheless, his offensive profile should earn him regular work as a designated hitter, and demonstration of the refinement needed in his bat could make a defined defensive position somewhat unnecessary. What's Next There are two paths before Moisés Ballesteros ahead of 2026. The first is that Seiya Suzuki slides back into regular work in right field following Kyle Tucker's departure, freeing up the designated hitter role for Ballesteros. Perhaps he gets occasional work behind the plate, but he factors into the lineup on the strength of his bat almost exclusively. Maybe he draws an occasional start or appearance at first base, but that part seems less likely for a player standing 5'8". That's assuming he doesn't falter at the plate, with some adjustments to his approach manifesting into one of the better hitters on the team. Of course, the possibility exists that the team goes in a different direction, wherein Ballesteros gets just a bit more seasoning in Triple-A, especially to work on his defensive game. With Carson Kelly reaching free agency following the year, the Cubs will have some space behind the dish. Extra time to develop the glove and all of the intricacies that come with being a big-league catcher could do Ballesteros some good. Injuries could land him back up on the Cubs' roster at a decent rate, but the focus remains on development in this case. In terms of a one-or-the-other scenario, the former feels far more likely. The Cubs could certainly work with Ballesteros the catcher at the top level throughout the year, even if it features fewer game reps. They could go that route while keeping Ballesteros the batter in the lineup on a regular basis. With a decent volume of bench options remaining in camp, though, it might not be entirely unreasonable to see them go the latter path, either. Either way, we're likely to see a whole bunch of the hitting artist known as Mo Baller throughout the 2026 season. View the full article

Big questions gnaw at the Kansas City Royals. Will offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas, and now Starling Marte, breathe more life into the infamously poor offensive production of KC’s outfielders? Can Jonathan India or Michael Massey come through at second base? Will the starting rotation, so strong in 2024, shake the injury bug that struck too hard and too often in 2025? And is Jac Caglianone ready to prove he can handle big league pitching? No such questions, though, loom over Kansas City’s catchers. When the Royals take the field at Atlanta’s Truist Park to open the season against the Braves on March 27, and absent a late spring training injury, look for nine-time All-Star Salvador Perez behind the plate, where only twice since 2013, his first full big league season, has he not been stationed on Opening Day. And backing him up will be promising Carter Jensen, the franchise’s No. 1 prospect and heir apparent to Perez when the club captain retires. But expect some change at the position. Not a lot, mind you, but some. Royals Catchers At A Glance Starter: Salvador Perez Backup: Carter Jensen Depth: Luca Tresh, Elias Díaz, Jorge Alfaro Prospects: Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez, Hyungchan Um Royals fWAR Ranking Last Year: 18th of 30 Royals fWAR Projection This Year: 18th of 30 The Good There’s a lot about his catchers for manager Matt Quatraro, a former professional backstop himself, to like. Perez, still primarily a catcher as he preps for his 15th big league campaign, threw out 43.8% of runners who tested his arm last season (43.9% is his career high) and KC pitchers seem well-satisfied with his game-calling. His five Gold Gloves speak for themselves. And although the five-time Silver Slugger winner slashed only .236/.284/.446 in 2025, his 30 homers and 100 RBI prove he can still produce. Jensen is, of course, a work in progress, but the progress is excellent. After slashing .290/.377/.501 with 20 homers and 76 RBI in 111 games split between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last season, he spent September with the Royals, where his 20-game .300/.391/.550 line and 159 wRC+ made him a cinch for the club’s 2026 Opening Day roster. He’ll also get plenty of work at DH. Perez and Jensen will probably be it for the Royals — carrying a third catcher seems unlikely. But the club should be in good stead if injuries hit: Luca Tresh can be called up from Omaha in a pinch, and don’t be surprised if at least one of the two major league veterans working in spring camp on non-roster invitations — Elias Díaz or Jorge Alfaro — sticks around and heads to Omaha with Tresh. There’s also Blake Mitchell, our No. 2 KC prospect who’s in line for No. 1 when Jensen compiles enough big league time to drop off its list. Mitchell, the Royals’ top 2023 draft pick, will reach the majors, but probably later rather than sooner — he’s had some bad injury luck and has yet to see a Double-A pitch. Don’t be shocked, though, if the club gives him a taste of The Show in September. The Bad Perez isn’t, and never will be, a great framer, and he doesn’t block pitches as well as he used to. He’s also entering his age-36 season and will need more time at first base and DH than he’s accustomed to. All that isn’t terrible, though, and beyond the need to rely more on the less-experienced Jensen behind the plate, there isn’t much about KC’s catching to worry Quatraro. The Bottom Line The Royals are in good shape behind the plate. Expect good performances from Perez and Jensen, with Jensen making even more strides under Perez’s tutelage. Previous Installments: Second Base Position Analysis View the full article