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James Outman arrived in Minnesota under less-than-ideal circumstances. The Twins acquired Outman at last season’s trade deadline during the organization’s sweeping sell-off, sending reliever Brock Stewart to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1-for-1 deal. Among the moves the Twins made that week, that trade may have drawn the loudest criticism from the fanbase. Stewart had been one of the most reliable arms in the Twins bullpen and, perhaps more importantly, he still had multiple seasons of team control remaining. Given the demand for high-leverage relief pitching at the deadline, many assumed Stewart would command a more substantial return. Instead, the Twins flipped him for Outman, another left-handed hitting outfielder who had struggled to replicate the success of his standout rookie campaign. After bursting onto the scene in 2023 with the Dodgers, Outman has posted a sub-.700 OPS over the last two and a half seasons. To many observers, it felt like the Twins had simply added another corner outfielder to a roster that already had several. Outman’s initial performance in Minnesota did little to quiet those concerns. Over the final stretch of the 2025 season, Outman got 104 plate appearances for the Twins and struggled mightily. He posted a .558 OPS, while striking out 45 times and drawing just eight walks. For a player already fighting the perception that his rookie season might have been a mirage, the numbers didn’t help. Because of that performance and his roster status, Outman entered spring training in a precarious position. He's out of minor-league options, meaning the Twins cannot send him to Triple-A without first exposing him to waivers. In practical terms, that left the organization with a simple choice: either he makes the Opening Day roster, or he's designated for assignment near the end of this month. Coming into camp, it seemed fairly likely the Twins would take the attendant risks and end up cutting him. Given Outman’s struggles over the past three seasons, it was reasonable to believe he might clear waivers and allow the Twins to stash him in Triple-A as depth. If he didn't, it looked likely to be a palatable loss. Spring training, however, has a way of complicating things. In a very small sample, Outman has looked like a different player. Across just 25 plate appearances this spring, he has posted a 1.019 OPS while launching two home runs. He's also showcased his speed on the bases, swiping five bags in six attempts. Twenty-five plate appearances alone are not going to force the Twins to completely rethink their roster construction. But Outman’s strong start introduces a few new variables that could make the decision more complicated. The biggest, perhaps, is his waiver outlook. Earlier this spring, the Twins might have felt confident that Outman would pass through waivers unclaimed. After three disappointing seasons, the odds of another club using a roster spot on him didn’t appear particularly high. But if he continues to perform well throughout camp, that calculation changes. Outman is still only 28 years old. He’s fast; he plays a capable center field; and his rookie season remains recent enough to intrigue another front office. That year included a 114 OPS+ and meaningful postseason contributions for the Dodgers. Even after a few down seasons, it’s hard to imagine every team passing on that profile if he’s showing signs of life. The Twins also have alternatives for that left-handed outfield spot, but those alternatives come with roster flexibility that Outman does not. Alan Roden entered camp as the presumed third outfielder behind Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner, with Trevor Larnach expected to spend most of his time at designated hitter. Unlike Outman, Roden still has minor-league options remaining. That gives the Twins the ability to send him to Triple-A without risking losing him. If the Twins decide they want to keep Outman in the organization, they could choose to open the season with him on the roster while using Roden’s option. There are also defensive considerations. Outman has extensive experience in center field and grades as a strong defender there. That should translate to an even more valuable glove in a corner outfield role. Perhaps just as importantly, he provides the type of true center field depth the Twins have often looked for behind Buxton. Roden has seen time in center this spring, but Outman is a proven option there. None of this guarantees Outman a roster spot. Spring numbers can evaporate as quickly as they appear, and the Twins still have several weeks left to evaluate their roster. But the conversation has clearly shifted. What once looked like a straightforward DFA decision has turned into a legitimate roster question. If Outman continues to swing the bat well and showcase his athleticism, the Twins may decide the safer move is keeping him on the Opening Day roster, rather than risking losing him on waivers. Not bad for a player who entered camp looking like one of the most obvious roster casualties of the spring. What do you think? Has James Outman done enough to earn a spot on the Twins’ Opening Day roster, or should Minnesota still take the chance and try to sneak him through waivers? View the full article

While the key players at the World Baseball Classic won't be returning for a while, things are heating up at San Diego Padres camp. Some players continue to make a push to be on the Opening Day roster, which figures to lead to some tough decisions for new manager Craig Stammen and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Friars improved to 8-8 in Cactus League play, beating the Chicago Cubs 3-0 Friday, losing to the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 Saturday and beating the Cincinnati Reds 14-3 Sunday. Who's Hot at Padres Camp? 🔥 Nick Castellanos: Going 1-for-3 in two Cactus League games might not mean a whole lot, but the probable Opening Day first baseman (at least as part of a platoon) showed that his offense is coming along. Castellanos had an RBI single in the third inning off Cubs right-hander Ben Brown, then drew two walks in his three plate appearances against the Reds. His spring average is up to .318 (7-for-22) and he has now walked one more time than he has struck out (5-4). That is the type of look the Friars would be looking for from a potential No. 5 hitter in the lineup. Logan Gillaspie and Kyle Hart: I had them individually here in the last version of this feature, but since they pitched back-to-back Sunday and turned in very nice outings, I am combining them this time around. Gillaspie, a right-hander, started and stretched out to four innings against the Reds and still has yet to allow a run over 7⅔ innings this spring. He did walk two and only struck out a pair after having back-to-back outings with three strikeouts. Hart, a left-hander, came in for 2⅔ scoreless innings, facing the minimum and striking out three. Like Gillaspie, he hasn't allowed a run this spring, going 8⅔ innings. Jackson Merrill: The center fielder, looking to shake off a his injury-marred 2025 season, has five hits in his last 11 at-bats. That includes having two doubles in three at-bats vs. the Reds and scoring once. While the Padres figure out how their top four hitters will slot in, Merrill regaining his rookie form will go a long way toward making the offense much more productive. Who's Not? 🧊 Luis Campusano: Coming back to Campusano in the cold section isn't easy, especially considering I take spring training results with a grain of salt. But when a guy's primary contribution is with his bat and his exhibition average drops to .143 with Opening Day 17 days away, this starts to become a concern. Campusano started two of the three games and went 1-for-6, which is actually higher (.167) than his spring average. He is making contact, lining out, grounding out and flying out with similar exit velocities, so it could be a simple funk that just takes one good game to break out of. Gavin Sheets: Could Sunday have been significant for the slugging first baseman? The left-handed hitter smashed his first homer of the spring and it couldn't have come at a better time. Sheets has been scuffling this spring, entering the game 3-for-15 (.200) before roping a 97.7 mph four-seamer from Reds right-hander Chase Burns for a two-run homer, his first of the spring. With how some other candidates have been performing, there could have been some small rumbles about Sheets' roster spot, but this will calm that down for now. Mason McCoy: Getting starts at second and shortstop, McCoy isn't hitting his way onto this roster as of now. After going 0-for-6 in those two games, McCoy is now down to a .143 spring average (3-for-21), although he does have a double and triple in there. McCoy is a true shortstop, which is his path to a bench role, but with what other players bring offensively, that probably isn't enough to get him to San Diego come Opening Day. View the full article

Coming out of the third weekend of spring training, players have had ample time to acclimate to the rhythms of baseball. Meanwhile, many Royals regulars have gone off with their national teams to compete in the World Baseball Classic. This has allowed the depth players and non-roster invitees more opportunities to make a push for the Opening Day roster. Which players have taken their opportunity in stride, and who has come up short in their appearances? As a reminder, don't read too much into spring training performances. Sample sizes are small, competition levels vary, and players may be working on specific adjustments that don't necessarily translate to traditional stats. This post is only meant to inform and summarize what has happened in the past few games. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Daniel Lynch IV Lynch had a productive outing on Friday, pitching one inning with one strikeout and no hard-hit balls. In the game, he induced three swings and misses and a chase rate of 77.8%. He only threw two of his 11 pitches in the zone, but the extremely high chase rate suggests hitters were expanding the zone aggressively. Lynch has now pitched four innings this spring and has only allowed one run on a solo homer. Despite having a zone rate of only 48%, he has not yet allowed a walk this spring. While Lynch’s fastball velocity has been good this spring, averaging 95.5 mph, its Stuff+ has been below average at 96. His changeup and slider have been his best pitches this spring, with Stuff+ of 106 and 105, respectively. As Lynch continues to ramp up this spring, it will be worth keeping an eye out to see if his fastball’s effectiveness improves. Nick Mears Mears also stood out in his appearance on Friday, striking out two hitters and not allowing a baserunner in his inning against the Dodgers, who were off to a hot start, scoring six runs in the four innings before Mears entered the game. Mears threw his fastball, slider, and changeup to great effect, all grading with Stuff+ of at least 107. He induced a whiff rate of 60% and a chase rate of 33.3%. When a batter made contact, it resulted in an easy groundball. Friday was Mears’ best outing of spring so far, where he has not allowed a baserunner. He has been able to limit hard contact so far this spring, not yet allowing a hitter to barrel the ball, and his 74.4% ground-ball rate ranks in the 95th percentile among pitchers this spring. Until Friday, Mears struggled to get hitters to chase the ball out of the zone, so he will be looking to continue this growth as the regular season approaches. Nick Loftin Loftin saw time this weekend on Friday and Sunday. The Royals struggled against the Dodgers on Friday, only getting three hits as a team, but Loftin stood out among Royals hitters with a walk and his two other plate appearances being hard-hit outs, one of which was a 108 mph groundout. Loftin may have been a bit unlucky not to get a hit with his two batted balls, having an expected batting average of .440. On Sunday, Loftin was not struggling with luck, getting two hits, including a home run, and three RBI. He also walked and scored a run while batting leadoff. Loftin has seen good results this spring with an above-average wOBA of 0.473. He has also had good plate discipline with above-average chase, whiff, strikeout, and walk rates. While he has not necessarily hit the ball hard this spring, he has been able to find ways to reach base this spring. If he continues this level of production, he can certainly make his case for winning one of the utility bench spots on the opening day roster. Who’s Not? 🧊 Noah Cameron Cameron struggled in his outing Sunday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. While he did strike out three batters and induce eight swings and misses, when batters were able to make contact, they did damage. Cameron allowed a 67% hard-hit rate with an average exit velocity of 99.3 mph on Sunday. Cameron now has an ERA of 5.87 this spring in 7 ⅔ innings pitched. He is struggling to strike out batters with a rate of 14.7% and is below average in both chase and whiff rates this spring at 21.8% and 23.8%, respectively. Cameron has also not been able to limit hard contact, with a 44% hard hit rate and an average exit velocity of 92.7 mph. His Stuff+ has been well below average at 94 this spring, with all of his pitches grading at below average except for his slider, which has a score of 100. As the presumed fifth starter of this rotation, there is still time for Cameron to hit his stride before the regular season starts. If he is unable to find his form and other pitchers like Ryan Bergert continue to pitch well, then there may need to be a discussion on who will be at the end of this rotation for the start of the 2026 season. Héctor Neris Neris struggled in his outing against the Dodgers, allowing four hits, one walk, and three earned runs and zero strikeouts in his lone inning on Friday. Until Friday, he had not allowed a single run, but there were early signs since he had allowed five baserunners and not struck out a single batter in his three innings before this appearance. Neris is struggling to induce swing and misses at only 6.1% and is unable to get hitters to chase balls out of the zone with a rate of 22.9%. Overall, his Stuff+ this spring is sitting at 95, with all five of his pitches grading at below average. As a non-roster invitee, Neris faces an uphill battle if he wants to make a push for one of the open bullpen spots on the Royals’ roster. Isaac Collins Collins appeared in games on Friday and Sunday, going a total of 0-6 with a walk and four strikeouts. He has not had a good spring so far, slashing .067/.125/.133. Despite his struggles at the plate, Collins is starting to hit the ball harder this spring. When he does, he makes contact with an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph and a max velocity of 110.6 mph. There is still plenty of time for Collins to hit his stride this spring, especially since he is recovering from offseason injections to treat tendinitis in his knees. With the signing of Starling Marte last week, the Royals will feel that they have a capable replacement at the plate if Collins’s recovery takes longer than expected. View the full article

Here's a rundown of a handful of Twins topics. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch while playing for Team USA, but he's going to be okay. Joe Ryan, who is ramping up after a back injury, hopes to join Buck on Team USA soon. The Spring Breakout preliminary rosters were revealed. I'm excited to see some of the 2025 Draft class play in that prospect showcase. A couple of important items to monitor this spring are the velo of Bailey Ober and Liam Hendriks. Early returns are not encouraging, but it is still early. View the full article

"Well, they've gotta understand what's gonna happen at the end there," Pat Murphy said to reporters on Feb. 24. "Every team's gonna do this, unless you have a [Trevor Hoffman]. It doesn't mean that Megill won't get a lot of them, because Megill handles lefties real well. So that's kinda how it's always felt, but if we've got three righties coming, no pinch-hitters who'd make a difference in our minds, we might go Uribe—or Zerpa. Or Koenig. Or Coleman Crow." The 'they' to whom Murphy was referring is the duo of Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe. The 'this' he was talking about is dividing save opportunities among multiple relievers. Entering the season, his vision for the back end of the bullpen can best be described as "closer by committee"; he wants the ability to play matchups and riffle through options in the ninth inning. Is his 6-foot-8 erstwhile closer good with that collectivist approach? Uh. no. "I got no plans of seeing it change," Megill said on Mar. 5. "But, you know, we'll see what they say. The only thing I can do is go out there and just pitch the way I know how to, which I feel like I have, and things will line up the way they're supposed to." Knowing that Megill has viewed himself as an eventual closer since 2023, took pride in filling in brilliantly for Devin Williams in 2024 and was the lion of the relief corps in 2025, that answer deserved a follow-up. If that weren't how things went—if Murphy did ask him to pitch the eighth (or even the seventh) more often—would he be ready to do whatever was asked, without friction? A pause. "I mean, I definitely see myself pitching the ninth," he said. So, we've got a bit of a situation on our hands. Because his focus is not primarily on data and because his method of facilitating the input of the front office is very personality-driven, it's easy to mistake Murphy for a typical modern players' manager. That's not who he is. The former college coach in him is alive and well, and that background informs his roster management. He isn't beholden to analytics, but his loyalty is to the pursuit of wins—even as he loves many of his players and wants the best for them. As such, he's less squeamish about friction in the clubhouse than are many modern skippers. That Megill wants to be a traditional, unquestioned closer—at least for as long as he earns that kind of job—does matter to Murphy, but winning matters more. It's understandable that Megill wants to rack up saves. Among relievers, only closers make any real money in arbitration, a process Megill will have to traverse one more time next winter. Saving 21 games as Williams's replacement for much of 2024 earned him $1.95 million in his first trip through arbitration, and 30 more saves last year spiked his earnings to $4.7 million. He'll earn much more next year if he does serve as the full-time closer than if he's relegated to any form of more flexible relief ace. On the other hand, Uribe, too, craves the saves that pave the way to higher pay. More importantly, from Murphy's perspective, he faces the imperative of keeping both of his star righty relievers healthy—particularly because the team is much deeper from the left side than from the right in the bullpen. Murphy acknowledged last week that, in a perfect world, he would have one more trustworthy, high-leverage righty than he does, so he can ill afford to find himself with one fewer, instead. Rather than asking Megill to pitch anywhere but the ninth, the plan might be simply to back off his usage overall—and, simultaneously, Uribe's. As Murphy has noted several times this spring, Uribe pitched more than 80 times last year, including the postseason. He's also pitching for his native Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Rather than let either of his top-flight righties be used as heavily as they were last year just to have both available whenever they have a lead, Murphy could be more judicious about giving them each rest between appearances—which might naturally mean an extra handful of save opportunities for Uribe but no unwanted shifts into setup duty for Megill. With Grant Anderson feeling good coming into camp again, the Crew can take that approach without undue fear. They'll need their top lefties—Ángel Zerpa, Aaron Ashby and Jared Koenig—to bridge the gaps, but that was necessary, anyway. Make no mistake: Megill will be upset if he doesn't get 30-plus save opportunities again this year. Murphy, however, is not obligated to bend to those whims. In the name of getting to the end of the year a bit more intact, he might ask his closer to be more open to days off, rather than trying to move him to any other place in the game—and it might just mean more save opportunities to go around, in the long run. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox have finally started shaving down their major-league roster, optioning or re-assigning eight players to minor-league camp on Monday, March 9. Jake Bennett is the most notable name on that list as a member of the 40-man roster and one of the team's top prospects. Still, he's got a long way to go before making his MLB debut, as he's still behind Payton Tolle and Connelly Early on the organizational depth chart. Three of those pitchers (Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Vinny Nitoli) are either hurt or have been delayed in their ramp-up for the regular season. Both catchers (Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario) are projected to open the season in Double-A as depth behind Triple-A options Jason Delay and Mickey Gasper. The other two arms (Devin Sweet and Jeremy Wu-Yelland) are intriguing bullpen options who struggled mightily in their limited spring training action. Expect more rounds of cuts in the coming weeks, especially as the team's 15 representatives at the World Baseball Classic make their way back to camp. View the full article

Spring training can feel sluggish at times. The initial buzz of pitchers and catchers reporting is long gone, and the euphoric high of finally getting game action has faded. Opening Day is still more than two weeks away. If spring training had its own version of the regular season's “dog days,” we’d probably be in them by now. The good news is that competitive baseball is still on TV. With the World Baseball Classic underway (go Team Canada!), and with 13 players from the Blue Jays organization away representing their countries, opportunities have opened for players still in Blue Jays camp who normally wouldn’t receive an extended look. As always, the usual spring training caveats apply. Players might be experimenting with new mechanics or just simply focused on preparation rather than results. It's almost impossible to learn much from one game or one week of baseball games, and that's especially true in March. Still, strong performances and struggles are worth noting. Last week, we noted some observations from the first week of spring, and now that the sample has grown a little, it's time for another check-in. One young infielder has been impossible to ignore, while a familiar face on the roster is still searching for his first real swing of the spring. Stats updated prior to split-squad games on March 8. Who's Hot? Max Scherzer: Early velocity suggests the veteran might have more in the tank than expected. Don’t look now, but he’s doing it again. Scherzer made his spring debut for the Blue Jays on Saturday and looked like he was already in midseason form. He faced 12 batters, retired 11, and the only runner to reach base was promptly erased on a double play. The key number in this start: 95.6 mph. That was the velocity of a fastball he threw in the first inning, and it's a mark he didn’t reach at all in the spring of 2025. It’s only one outing, but he passed his first test, as the future Hall of Famer prepares for his 19th big league season Josh Kasevich: The young prospect has been turning heads in all aspects of the game. Every spring training, there is one player who forces you to take notice. That player for the Blue Jays has to be Josh Kasevich. Kasevich (Jays Centre's No. 11 prospect) has been impressive in all aspects of the game. At the plate, he’s hitting .389 with a .450 on-base percentage and has yet to strike out. He’s showing his skills on the basepaths with two stolen bases, tied for the team lead this spring. He’s flashed the leather as well, including a diving stop up the middle against the Phillies on Saturday. While he’s currently not on the 40-man roster, he’s checked every box this spring, and if the Blue Jays were strictly building their best 26-man roster based on spring performance, Kasevich would have a compelling case. Opening Day is still a long shot, but his odds of making an appearance with the team this summer have increased dramatically with his performance this spring. Brendon Little: New pitches and big velocity are turning heads early in camp. The last time we saw Brendon Little on a major stage, he allowed Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the World Series. Naturally, there were questions about what Little might look like coming into 2026. So far this spring, the answer has been encouraging. He has yet to allow a hit and has struck out 46.2% of the batters he’s faced. It also appears he’s expanded his arsenal, adding a slider and a four-seam fastball that touched 98.1 mph to go along with his sinker and knuckle curve. Command has always been the question with Little, but early results suggest the wipeout stuff is still very much there. Who’s Not? Gage Stanifer: The results haven’t been pretty, but the sample size is tiny. Stanifer (Jays Centre'S #6 prospect) was exceptional in 2025, posting a 2.86 ERA and 13.17 K/9 in 110 minor league innings. This spring provided an early look at the 22-year-old, but the results have been rough so far. He’s recorded just five outs and carries a 16.20 ERA. Command has been the main issue, with two walks and one hit batter. Stanifer’s ceiling remains sky-high, but this spring has also highlighted some of the development areas he’ll need to address this season. Arjun Nimmala: The tools remain exciting, but the bat hasn’t gotten going yet. Nimmala (Jays Centre'S #3 prospect) entered his second big league camp with plenty of attention. Unfortunately, the first handful of games haven’t gone the way he would have hoped. After a 2025 season that featured flashes of high-end talent mixed with extended slumps, the bat hasn't heated up this spring. In 16 plate appearances (prior to his game on Sunday), he had just two hits and seven strikeouts. The tools are still very obvious; he remains a top-100 prospect for a reason. Yet, his development is still very much in progress. Davis Schneider: One of the quietest cold streaks in camp so far. It hasn’t been much discussed, but Davis Schneider is having a rough spring. His 22 plate appearances are tied for second on the team, but he has just one hit, a single, to show for it. Schneider's roster spot appears relatively safe as a right-handed option who gets in against left-handed pitching, but with Eloy Jiménez and Kasevich having good spring trainings of their own and making their own cases for roster spots, it's worth keeping an eye on how Schneider finishes camp. In spring, these things can change quickly; a two-home run day by Schneider or Nimmala changes the narrative rapidly, and there is still plenty of time for players to get hot. We will see how things look in a week's time, or more importantly, by Opening Day. View the full article

Age: 25 (DOB: 1/10/2001) 2025 Stats (Double-A and Triple-A): 24 GS (24 G), 1-9, 4.03 ERA, .288 BAA, 1.51 WHIP, 98 K, 31 BB, 82 2/3 IP ETA: 2026 2025 Ranking: 10 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: 94 | FAN: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | TJ: 75 | ESPN: 54 What’s to Like? Since bursting onto the college baseball scene as a 19-year-old true freshman with Alabama, Prielipp’s “stuff” has always been something to dream on. He debuted with four starts in the SEC that year facing 75 hitters over 21 innings. He struck out 35 of them (47%) and allowed just five hits and zero runs in those games. That was good for a 0.52 WHIP and 15.0/9IP strikeout rate that vaulted him into future #1 overall pick conversations. We all know how that came crashing down the next season via Tommy John surgery, but it was still enough for the Minnesota Twins to bet their second-round pick on that “stuff” in the 2022 draft as he recovered. His arsenal includes a mid 90’s fastball that topped out at 98 MPH in pitches tracked with the St. Paul Saints in 2025, a plus slider that can touch 90 and has elite spin rates, and a changeup that generated a 62% whiff rate. He also mixes in a sinker and is toying with a new curveball this spring, but it’s those three plus-pitches coming from a lefty that could remind Twins fans of names like Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. What’s Left to Work On? In addition to the elbow work Prielipp went through in college, he also had to have a second surgery during the 2023 season after making just a pair of appearances to kick off his professional career. He returned in time to pitch 23 1/3 innings at the end of the 2024 season, but simply staying healthy has been a monumental hurdle for him to overcome. The good news is Prielipp did so during the 2025 season, to the tune of 82 2/3 innings with Wichita and St. Paul. Those were 24 more than his total from all five of his college and pro seasons combined before then. He simply still needs innings to develop and re-harness those electric pitches. His walk rate with the Saints last year more than doubled what he had done with the Wind Surge, and he did give up plenty of hits in between the strikeouts. While his ERA landed above 4.00 on the year, his FIP came in about a half-run lower, suggesting some further improved command can pay dividends on the results. What to Look For in 2026? Prielipp has commented this spring that he’s going to be built up as a starter, so while it was fun to think of him as a possibility among the bullpen competition, he looks set to open the year in the Saints rotation. This is the right call for his future and where he is at his development. Going every five days and throwing plenty of pitches is how he’ll get to where the Twins and fans want to see. But I’ve also said in the past because of his injury history, he might just be a prime candidate to start his professional career much like one of those guys I made the “stuff” comparison to earlier. It is very likely Prielipp could be starting games on the mound at Target Field this season with the Twins. But the further into the summer any debut is pushed, the more likely it becomes he breaks into the majors in a reliever role as there will likely still be a clear limit to his innings. Getting his feet wet in the majors the same way Johan Santana did could allow him to both impact more major league games and provide him some runway to be unleashed as an impact starter in future seasons. Blossoming into a closer like another lefty in Glen Perkins is an appealing outcome, too. When you have the pure “stuff” that Prielipp does, you certainly have options. View the full article

Seiya Suzuki takes a lot of pitches. His swing rate hovers around 40% each year, which is markedly below the league average. That earns him a good number of walks, but it also means lots of called strikes. That's the price he pays for his selectivity. He gains more than he loses with his takes, but they're a source of much of the positive and negative offensive value he creates. In 2026, those takes will be affected by a new variable: the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system. The less often a hitter swings, the more they'll interact with that system. Thus, Suzuki will be one of the Cubs most exposed to it, for better (he can challenge bad calls on pitches just outside the zone that are called strikes) and for worse (when he gets a bit lucky on a ball that should have been called a strike, the opposing catcher can appeal it). New teammate Alex Bregman is almost exactly as patient as Suzuki is, so he, too, will have to navigate the system well. Let's explore how these two will have to adjust to life under a partially computer-optimized zone, starting with Suzuki. Here's the bad news: Suzuki will have to adjust his sights and his swing a bit to adapt to the shifting zone in 2026. Last season, most of the balls called strikes just outside the edges of the zone to him were above the top of the strike zone. He can continue to let those go, and get aggressive with challenges there. However, at the bottom of the zone, he got away with some takes that were called balls, but which will be strikes this year, if umpires respond to the codified zones and/or if catchers are quick to challenge against him in those zones. This is bad news because Suzuki's swing and approach have always been geared toward owning the top of the zone. His patience on low pitches is part of a plan, and he's done best when he's dedicated himself to that. Because he has a slightly flatter-than-average swing, he naturally gets to the ball better when it's around or just above the belt. He has to be sitting on the low pitch to hit it solidly, and that makes him more vulnerable up at the top rail of the zone. He's also prone to rolling over on that low ball. Needing to swing more in that range is dangerous for him. The good news, though, is that he can afford to lock in more on the bottom third of the zone if he can be confident enough to challenge some calls along the top edge of the zone. Moving the measurement of pitch location back to the middle of the plate (rather than the front) will mean everything shows up as very slightly lower than it did last year, which evens out the above somewhat, but more importantly, the codified ABS zone simply stops lower on the typical player's body than has generally been called. The zone is shrinking, and it's shrinking more at the top of the one (especially for players under 6 feet tall) than anywhere else. Speaking of such players, let's turn our attention to Bregman, whose official listed height was 6 feet in 2024, 5-foot-11 in 2025 and now 5-foot-10 in 2026. With his even flatter swing, Bregman can handle the high pitch even better than Suzuki can, but unlike Suzuki, he doesn't particularly hunt in vertical layers of the zone. Instead, he assiduously avoids chasing off the edges of the plate. With anticipation and good hands, he can manipulate the contact point and tilt of his swing, but because it's so flat that he's prone to weak contact via balls on the handle or out at the end of the bat, he focuses his plate discipline on attacking the ball based on horizontal location. Since hardly anyone knows the zone as well as Bregman does (and because of that orientation of his approach), he's in position to get a more unmitigated benefit from the system and its changes. He can afford to keep being extremely selective at the top of the zone, and he's in position to harvest lots of extra balls off the plate away, where most of his erroneous called strikes were last season. Winning teams will find ways to gain value from this system; others will lose it. Suzuki is a good example of a hitter who has to make a substantial adjustment to thrive under the new framework, but Bregman is sitting pretty, even doing things the same way he's been doing them for a decade. View the full article

It’s been an eventful few days of spring baseball for the Twins. They opened the stretch with a dominant 15-0 win over the Yankees on Thursday before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Braves on Friday and a tight 3-2 game to the Orioles on Saturday. Sunday’s matchup with the Phillies provided some late drama, as the Twins walked it off in a 7-6 victory. The results themselves aren’t the main focus this time of year. Early March is more about individual progress, building innings, and seeing which players are starting to separate themselves as camp moves along. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check from the past few days of Twins spring action. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Bailey Ober Ober finally made his spring debut on Friday, and it couldn’t have gone much smoother. The right-hander tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner, giving the Twins exactly what they were hoping for in his first outing of camp. His fastball averaged around 90 mph, which is right in line with expectations. Ober has never been a power arm, typically working in the low 90s while relying on command and deception to keep hitters off balance. The biggest takeaway here is simply that he’s healthy and back on the mound, and his first appearance of the spring was a clean one. Brooks Lee The Twins’ starting shortstop put together a strong weekend at the plate. He went 3-for-6, including a triple and a double, and four of the five balls he put in play were classified as hard contact. For a player who hasn’t quite lived up to the early hype surrounding his prospect status yet, this is an encouraging sign. When Lee is driving the ball with authority like this, it’s a glimpse of the offensive impact the Twins believed he could provide when they drafted him. Mick Abel Through three spring starts, Abel continues to look like one of the most dominant pitchers in camp. In his latest outing, he threw four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and no walks. That now gives him 10 innings this spring without issuing a free pass, to go along with 13 strikeouts. He didn’t rack up quite as many whiffs as he did in his first couple of appearances, but that was largely because Baltimore’s hitters were aggressively swinging early in counts as Abel attacked the zone with fastballs. He still consistently ran his heater up to 98 mph and needed just 41 pitches to get through four innings, 30 of which were strikes. Considering he was facing several Orioles regulars, it was another impressive showing and further evidence that Abel is making a strong case for a spot in the Twins’ rotation. James Outman Outman has quietly put together a strong stretch over the past few days. Since Thursday, he’s gone 3-for-7 with a home run and three stolen bases, showing off both his power and athleticism. A couple of his batted balls have come off the bat at 100 mph or harder, highlighting the kind of impact contact he’s capable of when he’s locked in. With several outfielders competing for limited spots on the Opening Day roster, performances like this keep Outman firmly in the mix. Who’s Not? 🧊 Justin Topa It’s been a rough spring for Topa, and that continued Sunday when he squandered a Twins lead against Philadelphia. He allowed four runs on three hits and a hit-by-pitch, and the damage came against a Phillies lineup made up mostly of backups rather than regulars. Through his appearances this spring, Topa’s ERA now sits north of 30, which obviously isn’t the kind of line you want to see this late into camp. There’s still time for him to turn things around, but each tough outing makes the battle for a bullpen spot a little more difficult. Kendry Rojas After looking electric in his first outing of the spring, things haven’t gone nearly as smoothly since for Rojas. On Friday against Atlanta, he was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs across 2 ⅔ innings. He gave up five hits while striking out three, and while his changeup generated plenty of whiffs, his fastball and cutter caught too much of the plate, and hitters made him pay. The positive takeaway is that his command was solid; he threw 35 of his 50 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. The issue right now isn’t finding the zone, but rather leaving too many pitches over the heart of it. Royce Lewis It wasn’t the strongest weekend at the plate for Lewis, who went 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts. Most importantly, he’s healthy and on the field, which remains the top priority at this stage of the spring. Still, the quality of contact wasn’t there in this small sample. None of the balls he put in play left the infield, and only one was hit particularly hard. Both strikeouts also came on three pitches. It’s far too early to read much into a couple of quiet games, but it wasn’t Lewis’ most productive stretch offensively. It’s still early in camp, and none of these performances lock anyone into or out of a role. Spring training is about adjustments, building rhythm, and getting ready for the long season ahead. But as the innings start to pile up, the early trends are beginning to come into focus. View the full article

Padres Mission's top 20 prospect rankings continue for the 2026 season. Be sure to check out previous editions here: Nos. 16-20 Nos. 11-15 No. 10: Kale Fountain No. 9: Ryan Wideman No. 8: Ty Harvey (Lake Elsinore Storm) One of the higher upside prep catchers in last year’s draft class, Ty Harvey, finds himself as the number eight prospect in the San Diego Padres' farm system going into the 2026 season. A catcher who graduated from Inspiration Academy out of Bradenton, Florida, Harvey was a Florida State commit before the Padres took him in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Harvey’s scouting report before the draft showed plenty of power in his swing for an 18-year old kid. The Friars thought highly enough of him to pay him more than triple his slot value ($1.5 million signing bonus) in order to break his commitment to FSU. In summer showcases and the MLB Draft Combine, Harvey had plenty of home run swings that traveled over 400 feet as well as exit velocities reaching anywhere from 100-110 MPH. But prep catchers are a hard group to bank on maintaining their power from the time they’re drafted up until they reach the upper levels of the minors. Harvey’s seven-game sample size in 2025 showcased the challenge in adjusting to power in the pros from high school pitchers, as he didn’t have a single home run over his 30 plate appearances in Low-A. In fact, Harvey was only 4-for-23 with 12 strikeouts and seven walks. Any player's numbers in their first seven games in pro ball are not enough to judge what their future will be. In Harvey’s case, what we can draw is the makings of decent plate discipline, with a need to fix the holes in his swing that opposing pitchers were able to get via those 12 strikeouts. Harvey will return to Low-A Lake Elsinore to begin his 2026 season and have a runway there all season to work on his strengths and weaknesses at and behind the plate. The key thing to follow will be his power numbers. If he can hit anywhere from 15-20 home runs this season, he will be in good shape to climb up the rankings of the Padres’ farm system. If he doesn’t show that much power, then it’ll be a matter of whether he trades that for more contact and a higher walk rate than he's previously shown capable of producing. Defensively, Harvey had one of the better throwing arms among prep catchers in his draft class. The sample size of how he calls games and stops bad pitches is still not enough to merit how strong his defense will be long term, but belief is strong that he'll stick behind the plate as he climbs the ladder. Harvey will turn 20 on July 28 and has a good opportunity in front of him for his first full season in pro-ball. With Ethan Salas still holding the title of the Padres’ best catching prospect, it allows the organization more time to develop Harvey into their liking and not rush him up the system. In a best-case scenario, Harvey won't be MLB-ready until 2028 or 2029. If he crushes the pitching at Low-A, then it’s likely he moves up to High-A Fort Wayne by the end of this year. If Salas doesn’t turn out to be the MLB star he’s been projected to be, then Harvey will likely be the Padres' next chance at developing an All-Star-caliber catcher behind the plate for the long term. View the full article

Spring training battles are starting to heat up with Opening Day just a little more than two weeks away. Non-roster invitees are being sent to minor-league camp with more regularity. This won't cover the Milwaukee Brewers players who are in the World Baseball Classic; it will only focus on the players who are in camp. As a reminder, don't take anything in this recap too seriously. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. In Cactus League play, the Crew improved to 8-7 by sweeping all three games in this period, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Friday, the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Saturday, and the Seattle Mariners 6-3 Sunday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Brandon Woodruff In the first start of what is probably his final spring with the Crew, the right-handed starter looked solid in his two innings vs. the Angels. Woodruff allowed two hits and no runs, walking one and striking out three. How he looks over his next two starts will go a long way to determining whether he begins the season in the rotation or perhaps with a brief stay on the injured list following his lat injury from last season. It also wouldn't be surprising for the Brewers to be creative if he is on the Opening Day roster, perhaps deploying him more as an opener, going three innings and building up over the first month or so of the season. Jesus Made At this time next year, we could be talking about Made being on the Opening Day roster somewhere on the infield. But for now, Brewers fans will have to watch as the 18-year-old shortstop puts up big numbers in the minors. That potential was evident as he went 4-for-7 in two games. He drove in four runs in those two games, scored once, and stole a base. In his first major-league spring camp, Made is batting .320 (8-for-25) with a triple and six RBIs. He has been humbled with eight strikeouts, but his eight hits are tied for second-most on the Crew this spring. Trevor Megill In his second outing this spring, Megill gave us the full experience, allowing two hits but striking out three against the Angels. He followed Woodruff by pitching the third inning, striking out Mike Trout and Jorge Soler to begin the frame. Then he surrendered a single to Vaughn Grissom and a double to Jeimer Candelario, then bore down and struck out Travis d'Arnaud with three straight 97 mph four-seamers. Who's Not? 🧊 Kyle Harrison After a splashy spring debut in which he unveiled his new kick change, Harrison took a small step back in his second outing. Very, very small. Against the Mariners, the left-handed starter did strike out eight, which was great, but he did walk two, and only 37 of his 60 pitches were strikes. He remains a top contender for a rotation job, so don't get too worried about this outing. The eight strikeouts are very encouraging. Brock Wilken The 2023 first-round draft pick hasn't had a smooth path at this point in his pro career, but the third baseman is still on track to start the season at Triple-A. He was hit in the face by a pitch in 2024 and had a knee injury in 2025. Still, he hit 22 homers in 2025 in a little more than half a season. He has gotten a long look this spring, his third in major-league camp. In two games, he went 0-for-4, dropping his Cactus League average to ,222 (4-for-18). He has gone deep once. His power is what the Brewers are banking on, in addition to his ability to play third base. Jeferson Quero Another big prospect, the catcher has had a slow spring offensively. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts while also scoring a run vs. the Mariners. He is just 2-for-16 (.125) in Cactus League play. This will be a big season for Quero, who has one minor-league option remaining, thus putting him as a likelihood to be on the Opening Day roster next year if not the starter, depending on whether William Contreras is still with the Crew. View the full article

Spring training always sparks the same debate: Who will make the Opening Day roster? Which prospects or veterans will secure a spot or be squeezed out? The conversation can dominate the entire spring. Fans and analysts pore over roster projections while every exhibition lineup gets dissected. A bench player starting a Grapefruit League game can suddenly spark speculation about a roster battle. Meanwhile, injured players are racing the calendar, hoping to be ready by the time the regular season begins. Opening Day carries a certain weight. It represents the first real snapshot of a team’s roster construction. The lineup card becomes a symbol of the organization’s plan for the year ahead. But history shows that a snapshot can be misleading. Players get hurt, veterans lose playing time, and prospects can arrive faster than expected. Sometimes Opening Day starters become footnotes by October, while unexpected names seize brief opportunities. As we reflect on recent Twins seasons, several once-prominent names in Opening Day lineups have since faded from memory. Noticing these surprises reveals how quickly the roster landscape shifts from year to year. Let’s revisit five Opening Day starters from recent Twins history who might have slipped your mind, illustrating how initial expectations often shift as the season progresses. 2024: Manuel Margot (DH) When the Twins acquired Margot, the expectation was that he could provide depth behind Byron Buxton in center field. Margot had spent most of his career as a capable defensive outfielder and seemed like a logical insurance policy if Buxton needed days off. It quickly became clear that his days as an up-the-middle defender were largely behind him. Ultimately, Margot filled a different role during the 2024 season. He shifted to designated hitter and sometimes played corner outfield. Notably, he started at DH on Opening Day. Although he remained on the roster for most of the year, his offensive production failed to develop. Margot appeared in 129 games but finished with a .238/.289/.337 (.626) slash line, good for a 76 OPS+. His season also included a strange bit of baseball trivia as he went 0 for 30 as a pinch hitter, setting a Major League record for the most hitless pinch hit appearances in a single season. He briefly resurfaced with Detroit in 2025, appearing in only a handful of games. With his playing time dwindling, it appears his Major League career has likely come to an end. 2023: Nick Gordon (2B) Gordon entered professional baseball carrying significant expectations as a highly regarded shortstop prospect. The Twins selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and envisioned him as a long-term piece of their infield. His development path turned out to be slower than anticipated. Gordon battled health problems and inconsistency in the minor leagues and did not make his Major League debut until he was 25 years old. Things finally clicked during the 2022 season when he became a valuable utility option for Minnesota. He played all over the field while posting a 111 OPS+ across 136 games. That performance helped earn him a spot in the Opening Day lineup at second base in 2023. Unfortunately, that momentum did not carry over. Injuries limited Gordon to just 34 games that season, and he struggled when he was on the field, finishing with a 35 OPS+. With his role shrinking, Minnesota ultimately moved on and traded him to Miami before the 2024 season in a deal that included reliever Steven Okert. 2020: Jake Cave (CF) The 2020 season remains one of the most unusual campaigns in baseball history. The pandemic shortened the season, changed routines across the sport, and created a number of unusual roster situations. One small detail that is easy to forget is who actually started in center field for the Twins on Opening Day that year. It was Cave, not Buxton. Cave had quietly become a useful contributor after arriving from the Yankees in a trade that sent pitching prospect Luis Gil to New York. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he showed legitimate offensive value, combining for a 112 OPS+ across 163 games. That stretch earned him the Opening Day assignment in center field when the 2020 season began. His production declined over the following years, however. Across his final three seasons with Minnesota, he posted a 71 OPS+, falling well below league average as his role diminished. 2018: Logan Morrison (DH) Morrison’s time with the Twins began with a bit of late offseason intrigue. Coming off a career year with Tampa Bay in 2017, Morrison hit 38 home runs while producing a 133 OPS+ and roughly three wins above replacement. Despite those numbers, the market for first basemen was slow that winter, and Morrison remained unsigned deep into February. Minnesota eventually brought him aboard on February 28, only weeks before Opening Day. While the move created some excitement at the time, the on-field results never followed. Morrison, unable to find consistency at the plate, finished the season with a 74 OPS+ across 95 games. His tenure with the Twins ended after that season, and his big-league opportunities quickly faded. Morrison played just 34 more Major League games after leaving Minnesota. 2015: Jordan Schafer (CF) Schafer may be the easiest name on this list to forget. Minnesota claimed Schafer off waivers from Atlanta late in the 2014 season, and he actually provided a brief spark down the stretch. In 41 games, he posted a surprising 100 OPS+, which stood well above his career average. With Buxton still developing in the minor leagues, Schafer entered the 2015 season as the Twins' Opening Day center fielder. The opportunity did not last long. Schafer struggled early and often, appearing in just 27 games while producing a 42 OPS+. His overall performance dipped below replacement level, and the Twins released him in June. He never appeared in another Major League game. Reflecting on these lineups, their significance in the moment is undeniable. They reflect months of preparation but, as we’ve seen, offer only a snapshot before reality quickly reshapes a team’s fortunes. Players emerge unexpectedly, injuries reshape rosters, and prospects arrive to change a team's trajectory. As a result, some of the names that appear in that first lineup card fade quickly from memory. These five players are a reminder that even starting on Opening Day does not guarantee a lasting place in Twins history. Sometimes it simply reflects a brief moment in time before the long season unfolds. Which names had you forgotten about? Are there other recent Opening Day starters that were surprises? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Connor Prielipp entered the spring as one of the most intriguing arms in the Twins’ system, but the early results haven’t followed. So what’s actually behind Connor Prielipp’s slow start this spring? View the full article

In an exclusive interview with Talk Sox, 2025 10th-round pick Maximus Martin talks about how his first spring training has gone, his time in college, and his first moments as a professional baseball player. He also talks about how he played for multiple teams during his time in college. View the full article

On Sunday, after the Royals' 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City announced moves regarding three position-player prospects who were non-roster invitees. That included catchers Blake Mitchell and Ramon Ramirez, as well as outfielder Carson Roccaforte. Much like the pitching moves, these transactions do not come as a surprise. Mitchell, Ramirez, and Roccaforte were likely to begin the year in the Minor Leagues, and their experience this spring was more to get them experience with the big league club. With many of the Royals' stars in the World Baseball Classic, and Opening Day approaching, it made sense for the Royals to assign the three talented prospects to Minor League camp. All three had their share of struggles in Cactus League play, albeit in limited samples. In 10 plate appearances, Mitchell slashed .125/.300/.250 with a .550 OPS. While the Royals' No. 2 prospect had a 20% walk rate, he also had a 30% strikeout rate. The 2023 first-round pick still has potential, but he will need to cut down the strikeouts and improve in the power department in order to compete for playing time in Kansas City in 2027 or 2028. Mitchell could begin the year in High-A or Double-A, depending on the catching situation in Northwest Arkansas. Ramirez was an even bigger long shot to make the Royals squad, especially since he hasn't played beyond Low-A Columbia. In 9 at-bats, the 20-year-old slashed .111/.273/.111 with a .384 OPS. He did score two runs and had two hits in his short Cactus League stint. It is likely that Ramirez will begin the year in High-A Quad Cities. Lastly, Roccaforte had the best spring of the trio, slashing .200/.385/.300 with a .685 OPS in 10 at-bats. The 23-year-old showed strong plate discipline with three walks and two strikeouts. He also stole a base and hit a double. Roccaforte will likely make the move up to Triple-A Omaha, competing for playing time in the outfield with John Rave, Kameron Misner, Drew Waters, Tyler Gentry, and Gavin Cross, according to Roster Resource. View the full article

I'm not sure if the Twins will be strong in left field this year. I do feel confident they will be interesting. You've got Trevor Larnach trying to make his last stand, with his presence on the roster feeling almost obstructive at this point. You've got Austin Martin trying to build off his solid finish in 2025 and resurrect a career that's been veering off track. Minnesota invested heavily in acquiring and developing these two former first-rounders, and would surely love to see an eventual payoff. But the front office is already prepared to chart a new course if needed. They acquired Alan Roden in the controversial Louie Varland trade last year, and James Outman in the less controversial (but odd) Brock Stewart trade. Neither has any business going to Triple-A, and in fact Outman is out of options. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Rodriguez is dazzling everyone this spring with his exciting skill set, and left field appears to be his most viable entry point to the majors. Much like at first base, I have a hard time predicting exactly how the playing time share is going to shake out in left with all these moving parts. But below I'll do my best to touch on different scenarios while sizing up the good and bad. TWINS LEFT FIELDERS AT A GLANCE Starter: Trevor Larnach Backup: James Outman Depth: Alan Roden, Austin Martin, Luke Keaschall Prospects: Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Kala'i Rosario Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 6th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 20th out of 30 THE GOOD Larnach is a nice floor-setting bat. That's what the Twins value in him, and why they ponied up $4.5 million to keep him around via arbitration rather than non-tendering as some expected. He's a reliably good hitter against right-handed pitching, and has earned trust in that regard — no Twins player appeared more often in the top four lineup spots last year. He's not alone in this boat, but Larnach surely recognizes the personal stakes coming off a disappointing season that puts his future with the Twins in doubt. He might be making his case for other teams, given the crowding of the outfield as he enters his second-to-last year of team control, but he's making his case nonetheless. He'll be plenty motivated to leave it all on the field this year. Will he be actually playing in the field, though? That's a big unknown that makes it difficult to analyze this position. The Twins heavily preferred to use Larnach at designated hitter last year, both to preserve his health and limit the impact of his below-average defense. Derek Shelton might have the same preference this year, but Josh Bell and Victor Caratini will also demand DH at-bats so the path to getting Larnach a majority of starts there isn't quite as straightforward. If Larnach does end up at DH regularly, or he gets traded before Opening Day (still plausible), then one of Roden or Outman could step into the starting LF role against righties. Otherwise, those two are contending for a part-time, pseudo-bench role on a roster that already would have three lefty corner bats in Larnach, Matt Wallner and Kody Clemens. If elevated to a starting role, there are things to like about both of the 2026 deadline acquisitions. Roden has dominated at Triple-A and is on fire this spring. Outman brings outstanding athleticism and is (ostensibly) a true backup center fielder, which the Twins otherwise lack. Either one would offer a substantial defensive upgrade over Larnach in left. One thing's for sure: none of these three should be getting at-bats against left-handed pitching if the Twins can help it. That's where Martin comes in. He's the team's best bet for a righty-hitting platoon partner, and really the only good option at this point, which is the main reason he feels like a safe bet to make the roster. Martin batted .282 with a .374 OBP and 11 steals after his post-deadline call-up last year, and has the skills to claim more playing time in left field if he's bringing that same energy. Each of the short-term candidates has something to potentially offer, but the biggest cause for enthusiasm here is Rodriguez. The 23-year-old top prospect is on the doorstep of the majors, having spent most of last season in Triple-A, and he's been showcasing his game this spring: big home runs, stolen bases, slick plays in the outfield. Rodriguez would be a viable pick to sneak his way onto the Opening Day roster if not for the crowded state of the LF depth chart. Only a matter of time, though. THE BAD All of the aforementioned upside within the group of Larnach, Roden, Outman and Martin is really more theoretical than proven, and none of these guys are all that young anymore. Larnach, who just turned 29, has a 101 career OPS+ and has been a net-negative when playing the field regularly. Roden has been great this spring but he was great last spring too, and flopped in his major-league debut (.556 OPS in 156 PA). Martin's non-existent power will inherently cap his value at an offense-driven position. I struggle to summon any real optimism around Outman, who's been one of the worst hitters in the majors over the past two years and — to my eye at least — hasn't been impressive in the field. If the Twins keep him around it'll strike me as a move motivated by preserving depth and not exposing him to waivers. But maybe there's still a switch to be flipped for the 28-year-old. He was a really good player when he first came up in LA. There's reason to be bullish on these guys. But when you're talking about players who are 26, 27, 28 years old, it becomes less relevant to talk about what could be. If they are what they are, according to their MLB track records, then none are really starting-caliber left fielders. We'll have to wait for the system to produce one. THE BOTTOM LINE The Twins have given themselves a lot of options in left field, with newcomers brought in to challenge Larnach and Martin. Hopefully it'll be a healthy competition that yields fruitful results. Either way, it seems like the current group is only vying to keep the seat warm for a wave of prospects that includes Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez. Even Walker Jenkins could use LF as an entry point alongside Byron Buxton. I'm not the most confident about left field from a short-term perspective, but I feel very good about its outlook in the big picture. The Twins just need to work their way through this current logjam and figure out what to do with Larnach. 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 View the full article

#3 Jett Williams (Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Syracuse Mets) Williams joined the Brewers organization in the Freddy Peralta trade with the Mets, and immediately stands out because of his unique profile. The organization is more than willing to look past a player’s height, and Williams is the latest example of that. He had a very strong 2025 in the Mets organization, between Double-A and Triple-A. PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 572 127 34 7 17 .828 136 .375 22.9% 13.3% 9.9% 25.0% 45.0% 23.2% 31.8% 25.6% 31.8% 42.5% 33.8% 34 9 79% What to Like Despite standing just 5-foot-7, Jett Williams generates more power than his size might suggest. He combines average or better raw power (his 103.4 MPH 90th-percentile exit velocity is close to the league average) with a swing built to lift the ball to the pull side, giving him the ability to drive the ball in the air consistently. That combination of strength and swing path gives him legitimate long-term power potential, with the tools to produce 20 home run seasons at the major-league level at his peak. His offensive profile also includes a playable hit tool. While evaluations vary, the underlying data and game action suggest a hitter capable of making enough contact to support his power and speed. There is some swing-and-miss in his game, but not at a level that should significantly limit his overall production. The combination of contact ability, pull-side power, and bat speed gives him a solid offensive foundation. Speed is another major part of Williams’s profile. He possesses plus-plus speed that impacts the game in multiple ways. His quickness allows him to pressure defenses on the bases and gives him the potential to steal at least 20 bases annually in a regular role. That speed also increases his defensive value. Defensively, Williams offers versatility. His glove is playable at shortstop, and he has the athleticism to handle several positions around the field. If he remains in the infield long term, second base would seem to be the most natural fit, where his range and athleticism could play well, but he could handle third base as well, and that might be his best chance at a big-league role in 2026. His physical tools also create the possibility of transitioning to the outfield. With continued improvement in his reads and jumps, his speed could allow him to handle center field, adding another path to regular playing time. What to Work On The biggest question in Williams’s profile is the consistency of his hit tool. While he has the ability to make solid contact and produce power, his offensive approach does still include some swing-and-miss. Continued improvement in pitch recognition and overall swing decisions will be important to ensure his contact ability supports his power production at higher levels. Defensively, while he has some versatility, Williams does not yet have a clear long-term position. While he can handle shortstop, his overall fit there may depend on continued defensive development. Refining his defensive actions and improving consistency will help determine whether he remains in the infield or ultimately shifts to the outfield. If he transitions to the outfield, further development will be required, particularly in his reads and routes. His speed gives him the physical ability to cover ground, but additional experience will be necessary for him to become a reliable defender in center field. Determining his best defensive home will be an important step in deciding his long-term role. What’s Next Williams could compete for a spot on the major-league roster in the near future, especially following the Caleb Durbin trade. However, he is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Nashville, where the focus will be on refining his defensive skills and establishing consistency at whichever position the Brewers view as his best long-term fit. With strong performance and continued development, he could position himself for a call-up early in the season. What are your thoughts on Williams? What are you hoping to see from him in 2026? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

We continue our look at the Chicago Cubs' top 20 prospects today, with our eighth-ranked prospect, outfielder Kane Kepley. For a quick refresher, make sure you check out our other articles in the series: Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos Prospect #9 - Josiah Hartshorn #8 - Kane Kepley (University of North Carolina) The Cubs selected the North Carolina native and former Tar Heel with the 52nd overall pick of the 2025 draft. The 22-year-old signed for $1.4 million and became the second outfielder the Cubs selected in as many rounds. The left-handed outfielder was viewed as a high-floor, defensive-minded player with plus speed. Standing at only 5-foot-8 and weighing 180 pounds, Kepley will not be among the Cubs’ power-hitting prospects, but is one of their best at putting the ball in play. He ranked as the 84th-best prospect in the draft, per mlb.com. What to Like The first aspect of Kepley’s game to highlight is the hit tool. As mentioned earlier, he's probably never going to be much of a home run threat, but he excels at making contact and getting on base. Originally a walk-on at Liberty, Kepley hit .310 with a .457 OBP as a freshman, then .330 with a .482 OBP as a sophomore. Upon transferring to UNC, Kepley slashed an impressive .291/.451/.444 against superior competition in the ACC. He has an excellent eye, and rarely swings and misses. Throughout his college career, he drew 136 walks with only 71 strikeouts. Last season with Low-A Myrtle Beach, he hit .299 with a .914 OPS in 131 plate appearances. He walked 25 times with only 15 strikeouts. According to mlb.com, Kepley is the only player in the pipeline except top prospect Moisés Ballesteros with a 60-grade hit tool. Competition will get much tougher as he works his way through the minors, but the bat has worked at every level for him so far. Kepley’s defense is another strength. He is a natural center fielder with great instincts. Although he doesn’t have the strongest arm, his plus speed allows him to track down difficult fly balls. His speed also translates to the bases as well. His 45 stolen bases in 2025 were good for fourth in all of Division I ball. Once he arrived in A ball, he swiped 16 bags in only 25 games. He should be able to use his contact ability plus his speed to beat out ground balls for infield hits and turn bloops into extra bases. He could fit the “table-setter” description perfectly. What to Work On The 5-foot-6 Jose Altuve has 255 career home runs, and has hit at least 30 twice in his career. We shouldn't, then, blame Kepley's lack of power entirely on his size. He has a flat swing and can hit the ball to all fields, but in 2025, he lifted the ball a bit more than a player without power should. Per FanGraphs, he had a 38.3% fly-ball rate, which is above the major-league average of 35%. For comparison's sake, let's take the fly-ball percentage of two very different hitters: Shohei Ohtani and Luis Arraez. Ohtani has a career fly-ball rate of 37.9%, while Arraez’s is 30.4%. Arraez has been the best high-contact, low-power player in baseball over the last half-decade, and is the type of hitter Kepley should strive to be. He will need to work on his launch angle to produce more line drives, though, and perhaps fewer unproductive, routine flies. What’s Next Kepley is currently with the Cubs in Arizona. In parts of eight games, he’s collected three hits in 12 at bats, walking twice. Last week against the Dodgers, he put his speed on display, legging out this triple on a well-hit ball in the gap. He will surely be sent to minor-league camp in the next week or so, and will continue to develop. He proved himself last season in Low A, though, and could find himself in High A or even Double A to begin the 2026 campaign. According to mlb.com, his major-league ETA is in 2028, which tracks for a college draftee who hasn't played even 30 professional games. By the time Kepley arrives, the outfield could look a lot different. Both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are free agents after this season. Randy Arozarena looks like he will be the top free-agent outfielder in the 2027 class, at 32 years old. Kevin Alcántara and 2025 first-rounder Ethan Conrad will get chances to prove themselves before Kepley, but the point is, there will be room in this outfield for Kepley by the time he's ready—although center field is spoken for. It's not uncommon for hitters with three years of college experience to reach the majors quicker than they're projected to, when they first enter the pros. Should Kepley continue to hit for a high average and draw walks as he progresses through the minors, we could see him end up in Triple-A by the end of this season, potentially setting him up for a 2027 debut. There is some skepticism regarding Kepley's MLB future, mainly because of his size and lack of power, but even if he doesn't become a starter, his defensive prowess and speed would be a great asset off the bench. View the full article

We continue our look at the Chicago Cubs' top 20 prospects today, with our eighth-ranked prospect, outfielder Kane Kepley. For a quick refresher, make sure you check out our other articles in the series: Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos Prospect #9 - Josiah Hartshorn #8 - Kane Kepley (University of North Carolina) The Cubs selected the North Carolina native and former Tar Heel with the 52nd overall pick of the 2025 draft. The 22-year-old signed for $1.4 million and became the second outfielder the Cubs selected in as many rounds. The left-handed outfielder was viewed as a high-floor, defensive-minded player with plus speed. Standing at only 5-foot-8 and weighing 180 pounds, Kepley will not be among the Cubs’ power-hitting prospects, but is one of their best at putting the ball in play. He ranked as the 84th-best prospect in the draft, per mlb.com. What to Like The first aspect of Kepley’s game to highlight is the hit tool. As mentioned earlier, he's probably never going to be much of a home run threat, but he excels at making contact and getting on base. Originally a walk-on at Liberty, Kepley hit .310 with a .457 OBP as a freshman, then .330 with a .482 OBP as a sophomore. Upon transferring to UNC, Kepley slashed an impressive .291/.451/.444 against superior competition in the ACC. He has an excellent eye, and rarely swings and misses. Throughout his college career, he drew 136 walks with only 71 strikeouts. Last season with Low-A Myrtle Beach, he hit .299 with a .914 OPS in 131 plate appearances. He walked 25 times with only 15 strikeouts. According to mlb.com, Kepley is the only player in the pipeline except top prospect Moisés Ballesteros with a 60-grade hit tool. Competition will get much tougher as he works his way through the minors, but the bat has worked at every level for him so far. Kepley’s defense is another strength. He is a natural center fielder with great instincts. Although he doesn’t have the strongest arm, his plus speed allows him to track down difficult fly balls. His speed also translates to the bases as well. His 45 stolen bases in 2025 were good for fourth in all of Division I ball. Once he arrived in A ball, he swiped 16 bags in only 25 games. He should be able to use his contact ability plus his speed to beat out ground balls for infield hits and turn bloops into extra bases. He could fit the “table-setter” description perfectly. What to Work On The 5-foot-6 Jose Altuve has 255 career home runs, and has hit at least 30 twice in his career. We shouldn't, then, blame Kepley's lack of power entirely on his size. He has a flat swing and can hit the ball to all fields, but in 2025, he lifted the ball a bit more than a player without power should. Per FanGraphs, he had a 38.3% fly-ball rate, which is above the major-league average of 35%. For comparison's sake, let's take the fly-ball percentage of two very different hitters: Shohei Ohtani and Luis Arraez. Ohtani has a career fly-ball rate of 37.9%, while Arraez’s is 30.4%. Arraez has been the best high-contact, low-power player in baseball over the last half-decade, and is the type of hitter Kepley should strive to be. He will need to work on his launch angle to produce more line drives, though, and perhaps fewer unproductive, routine flies. What’s Next Kepley is currently with the Cubs in Arizona. In parts of eight games, he’s collected three hits in 12 at bats, walking twice. Last week against the Dodgers, he put his speed on display, legging out this triple on a well-hit ball in the gap. He will surely be sent to minor-league camp in the next week or so, and will continue to develop. He proved himself last season in Low A, though, and could find himself in High A or even Double A to begin the 2026 campaign. According to mlb.com, his major-league ETA is in 2028, which tracks for a college draftee who hasn't played even 30 professional games. By the time Kepley arrives, the outfield could look a lot different. Both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are free agents after this season. Randy Arozarena looks like he will be the top free-agent outfielder in the 2027 class, at 32 years old. Kevin Alcántara and 2025 first-rounder Ethan Conrad will get chances to prove themselves before Kepley, but the point is, there will be room in this outfield for Kepley by the time he's ready—although center field is spoken for. It's not uncommon for hitters with three years of college experience to reach the majors quicker than they're projected to, when they first enter the pros. Should Kepley continue to hit for a high average and draw walks as he progresses through the minors, we could see him end up in Triple-A by the end of this season, potentially setting him up for a 2027 debut. There is some skepticism regarding Kepley's MLB future, mainly because of his size and lack of power, but even if he doesn't become a starter, his defensive prowess and speed would be a great asset off the bench. View the full article

Brendon Little had an up-and-down 2025 season. Before August, among relievers with at least 20 innings, his xERA and K-BB% percentile rankings were 85th and 82nd, respectively. However, for the balance of the regular season, Little’s xERA and K-BB% percentile rankings slipped to 32nd and 7th, respectively. During Toronto’s postseason run, manager John Schneider used Little in only six of the Blue Jays’ 18 playoff games, including just once in the World Series. In those six outings, Little posted an 11.89 FIP, 3.00 WHIP and -0.84 WPA. Clearly, Little was much better before the calendar turned to August. So, which Little should we expect to witness in 2026? To answer that question, let’s dig into what happened in 2025. The table below is a good starting point. For the 2025 regular season, Little’s 72nd percentile xERA ranking was good, and his FIP (86th) was even better. And there are a few other points of interest. First, throughout 2025, Little’s BB% was near the worst among MLB relievers. As a result, his WHIP percentile ranking was negatively affected by the high walk rate. Second, Little’s K% percentile ranking was elite before August, but slipped to 37th after July. Games xERA FIP xFIP K% BB% K-BB% WHIP Before August 1 95th 85th 90th 94th 96th 2nd 82nd 39th After July 31 98th 32nd 57th 35th 37th 3rd 7th 3rd 2025 (1) 99th 72nd 86th 81st 90th 2nd 59th 29th (1) Before August 1, relievers with at least 20 innings (249 relievers); after July 31, relievers with at least 10 innings (261); and, for the season, relievers with at least 30 innings (244). Regular season only. Source: FanGraphs Let’s drill down to pitch type for a better understanding of Little’s performance. The table below has the details. His arsenal before August was a knuckle curve (48%), sinker (46%), cutter (5%), and a four-seam fastball (1%). After July, there was a noteworthy change: knuckle curve (39%), sinker (45%), cutter (15%), and four-seamer (1%). From a throwing-strikes perspective, it is understandable why Little reduced his use of the knuckle curve in favour of the cutter. After July, Little’s knuckle curve found the strike zone just 24% of the time, which was surpassed by the in-zone percentage of his cutter (60%). Furthermore, in the post-July period, Little’s cutter had the highest chase rate of his three main pitches, and the knuckle curve’s chase rate fell from 39% before August to 25% after July. Pitch Mix% Whiff% Zone% Swing% In-Zone O-Zone In-Zone O-Zone Knuckle Curve Before August 1 48 56 25 75 69 39 After July 31 39 55 24 76 76 25 Sinker Before August 1 46 36 48 52 49 23 After July 31 45 21 45 55 63 18 Cutter Before August 1 5 32 24 76 64 35 After July 31 15 28 60 40 61 29 2025 MLB 25 51 49 67 28 Source: Baseball Savant Concerning the metrics of his three most-used pitches, the next table shows, from a K% perspective, that only Little’s knuckle curve was elite throughout 2025. Regarding BB%, his knuckle curve’s walk rate spiked to 17.1% after July, and the sinker produced higher-than-average walk rates. An interesting stat is that Little’s post-July sinker K% was zero, despite his throwing it nine times (11% of pitches in two-strike counts). Overall, Little’s sinker was ineffective, mainly because that offering had a minus-9.5 K-BB%, compared to the average reliever's positive 13.5 K-BB%. On a positive note, all three pitches generated lower-than-average barrel/PA rates. K% BB% xwOBA Barrel /PA% K% BB% xwOBA Barrel /PA% Knuckle Curve Cutter Before August 1 55.7 6.6 0.181 3.8 Before August 1 8.3 16.7 0.336 0.0 After July 31 45.7 17.1 0.288 2.9 After July 31 27.3 9.1 0.292 0.0 2025 53.2 9.2 0.207 3.5 2025 17.4 13.0 0.315 0.0 Sinker Before August 1 14.3 20.2 0.373 4.8 After July 31 0.0 16.7 0.354 2.4 2025 9.5 19.0 0.367 4.0 MLB Reliever 22.8 9.3 0.311 5.3 Source: Baseball Savant One last table showing some of Little’s in-zone and out-of-zone metrics. The highlights from this table are as follows: Both in-zone and out-of-zone, batters did not hit for power against Little (better than average xISO numbers). Little’s in-zone K% was near the MLB average. However, while his pre-August 55.0% out-of-zone K% was elite, it was below average after July. Furthermore, Little’s post-July out-of-zone BB% soared to 50.0%. The change in out-of-zone K% and BB% numbers was consistent with the decline in batter chase rates from pre-August (33%) to post-July (22%). Despite Little’s better-than-average xISO, the elevated post-July .403 out-of-zone xwOBA is explained by the K% decline and BB% increase. An interesting factoid is that before August, Little had two walks called despite the pitch being located in the strike zone. xwOBA xISO K% BB% In-Zone O-Zone In-Zone O-Zone In-Zone O-Zone In-Zone O-Zone Before August 1 0.314 0.226 0.167 0.043 16.7 55.0 2.0 24.0 After July 31 0.283 0.403 0.065 0.003 16.9 30.0 0.0 50.0 2025 0.304 0.280 0.137 0.031 16.8 47.5 1.4 31.9 MLB 0.325 0.297 0.208 0.051 16.6 34.2 0.8 23.6 Source: Baseball Savant So far, I have identified three factors that contributed to Little’s performance slip after July. The struggle to locate his pitches in the strike zone. Batters chased Little’s pitches at a lower rate than before August. These two factors contributed to Little’s K-BB% falling from its pre-August heights of 20.4% to a mere 4.5% after July. Continued heavy usage of his sinker, an ineffective pitch (.367 xwOBA). The fourth and last factor that added to Little’s poor post-July performance woes appears to be fatigue. For the 2024 and 2025 regular seasons, including the 16 outings he had in Buffalo in 2024, Little had the fifth-most outings (144) and threw the sixth-most pitches (2,281) among relievers. Furthermore, John Schneider used Little a lot on short rest. For example, Houston’s Steven Okert posted a 2.63 xERA in 68 reliever outings in 2025. Of those outings, 72% (49) occurred on zero to two days' rest, and 49% (33) on less than two days' rest. On the other hand, of Little’s 79 outings, 90% happened on zero to two days' rest (71), and 59% on less than two days' rest (47). Little was a tired lad by the end of the 2025 regular season. Given the four noted factors that contributed to Little’s post-July underperformance, why should one expect Little to return to his pre-August self? Clearly, Little needs to make some changes, which Mitch Bannon of The Athletic discussed with the lefty (and covered in his February 14, 2026, article, Blue Jays bullpen bites: Brendon Little’s lessons, Tyler Rogers to WBC and more). The highlights from the conversation are as follows: Because Little was primarily a two-pitch pitcher, his catchers and opposing hitters knew that he tended to throw the knuckle curve when he was ahead in the count and the sinker when behind. The data support Little’s contention. When he was ahead, Little threw the knuckle curve 81% of the time (he used the sinker and cutter at 13% and 6% rates, respectively). When he was behind in the count, Little used the sinker 66% of the time (he threw the knuckle curve and cutter at 24% and 10% rates, respectively). Accordingly, Little told Bannon that he was adding a four-seam fastball and slider to his arsenal. In two outings this spring training, Little’s pitch mix (52 pitches) has comprised the knuckle curve (28.8%), four-seamer (21.2%), sinker (30.8%), and cutter (19.2%). It is noteworthy that, according to Baseball Savant, Little has not thrown a slider thus far. Hence, if Little can offer more competitive pitches in all count situations, the likelihood of better performance should increase. Furthermore, Little opined that the four-seam fastball and slider are easier to command, which should lower last season’s 15.3% BB%. To address the fatigue issue, Little noted that last season he often threw too many pitches in his pre-game or warmed up too quickly in the bullpen. He plans to conserve energy this season. Also, with Toronto’s addition of Tyler Rogers, and with a full season from Louis Varland, Schneider will have more reliever options, thereby reducing Little’s number of outings and giving him more rest between appearances. The Last Word Little has above-average stuff, which is what makes him so attractive as a pitcher. In 2025, the overall Stuff+ mark was 117, but his Location+ was only 81. If Pete Walker can work his magic, as he did with Robbie Ray, then through the addition of two easier-to-command pitches (four-seamer and slider), Little can hopefully improve his Location+. Nevertheless, one should expect Little to have a relatively high walk rate, but he can lower it to a more competitive level, which, combined with his high K%, should generate a well-above-average K-BB% score. Furthermore, Little has superior barrel/PA numbers, which will lead to a top-tier xERA (all things being equal). Lastly, a less fatigued Little in 2026 should perform better this season. Regarding the question of whether Little can replicate the best part of his 2025 season, the answer is yes. Will he? We will have to see! View the full article

Ceddanne Rafaela had an impressive 2025 that was filled with ups and downs, as the phenomenal defender won his first of what should be many Gold Gloves in center field. However, there were times that let fans rather upset with his inconsistency at the plate. With the loss of Alex Bregman, Rafaela is expected to pick up some of the offense slack as he looks to build off of his 2025 season. Just how much should the fanbase look towards him for anything more than sterling defense? There is no denying that Rafaela is a very streaky hitter when it comes to his offensive capabilities, an effect of his sometimes overly aggressive approach at the plate. While able to cut back on the strikeouts from his rookie season into his sophomore year, Rafaela also managed to increase his walks, even if it was only from 15 to 28 total free passes. Rafaela is one of the freest swingers in all of baseball, putting up a chase rate of 42.2% last season, putting him in the second percentile league-wide. If Rafaela wants to swing, he’s going to. In some at-bats, it will frustrate fans as he’ll sometimes put himself into a hole he can't climb out of. But that streakiness comes with some upside too. Rafaela was one of the best hitters for Boston in June and July as he had 12 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 29 RBIs across 49 games. The offensive spark helped keep the offense afloat as they dealt with an injury to Alex Bregman and the surprise Father’s Day trade of Rafael Devers. Unfortunately, this was the peak of his offensive season, as he appeared to tire down the stretch. In 28 games in August, he hit just .208/.266/.317 with eight doubles, one home run and seven RBIs. Realistically, it might not be best to expect the production Rafaela supplied in June and July for a full season. Last season, it was reported that during the season Rafaela was struggling to keep weight on which could have been a cause of his August drop-off. Should he be able to avoid a similar situation in 2026, the Red Sox centerfielder could possibly be in line for his first 20-20 season in his young career, which would be more than enough to supplement his brilliant glove work. Then again, that's probably a best-case scenario given his tendencies at the plate; while Rafaela could run into huge hot streaks, he has the odds of going on just as long cold spells as showcased across his first two seasons. Should he cut back on his chase rate and continue to improve his patience at the plate, perhaps those numbers could increase even more. Defensively, this is a different story. Fans should expect nothing less than Rafaela’s usual defensive capabilities. The outfielder is just entering his prime, as this will be his age-25 season after posting 22 Outs Above Average and a 22 Fielding Run Value last year, the former being in the 99th percentile. Everything about Rafaela is a positive when it comes to his glove, being near the top of the league in all defensive metrics. Fans should expect the same defensive highlights from him manning center field as his defense will help save games. Rafaela still has some growth and maturity to achieve, but right now he’s in a good situation of being able to bat near the bottom of the order and provide the team with a streaky yet serviceable bat. Fans should expect to see more of the same from Rafaela this time around, with the hope that he improves upon the marginal chase rate improvement (46.4% to 42.2%) he made in 2025. At the very least, there’s no denying that Rafaela is a clutch hitter, as he delivered key hits down the stretch for the Red Sox. Though he may never be an All-Star without a well-timed hot streak, Red Sox fans know a thing or two about the importance of having one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. Rafaela enters 2026 firmly in that camp. View the full article

Trades at the deadline can seem sudden. A contender needs pitching. A rebuilding team moves veterans. In hours, deals are done and players introduced. Yet, most conversations start months before. That was the case for the Twins and Blue Jays last summer. Long before the trade deadline approached, Toronto had already begun checking in with Minnesota about reliever Louis Varland. According to reporting from the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Blue Jays began making inquiries roughly three months before the deal was finalized. Minnesota’s front office was assertive in talks. The Twins set a high price, asking for young arms Trey Yesavage and Kendry Rojas. Yesavage, seen as a top Blue Jays pitching prospect, was not available. Still, those talks shaped the final package. At the deadline, Minnesota traded Varland and Ty France to Toronto for outfielder Alan Roden and left-hander Kendry Rojas. The deal is now shaping the Twins' roster decisions in camp. Alan Roden: Pushing for an Opportunity Roden joined as an advanced hitter known for his strike zone control. He quickly became a notable new position player after last year’s deadline and is now poised to make an immediate impact. During spring training, Roden has found himself in the mix for a starting job in the Twins outfield. In his first six spring games, he went 7-for-17 (.412 BA) with a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored. Minnesota's outfield remains unsettled, giving Roden a chance to break in. Even if he starts in the minors, the team sees him as a near-term contributor. Kendry Rojas: A Power Arm with Upside While Roden could help sooner, Rojas may ultimately carry the highest ceiling from the deal. The 23-year-old left-hander has been one of the more talked-about pitchers in Twins camp thanks to a fastball that can reach the upper 90s. The raw stuff has always been enticing, but his development will hinge on improving command. Last year showed more work lies ahead. Rojas struggled in 32 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2025, allowing too many baserunners and posting a 15.9 BB% after the trade. The Twins still see potential for him as a starter and plan to keep developing him there. At the same time, some evaluators see a future in which his power arsenal plays in high-leverage relief situations. If the Twins decide to bring him to the majors later this season, a bullpen role could offer a natural transition. It would allow Rojas to get his first taste of big league competition without completely closing the door on his long-term potential in the rotation. The Varland trade was the product of months of dialogue between two front offices. What started as early-season check-ins eventually turned into a deadline deal that sent a pair of intriguing young players to Minnesota. Spring training has already offered a glimpse of what the Twins might gain from that patience. Roden is fighting for a roster spot in the outfield, while Rojas is flashing the kind of velocity that turns heads around the back fields. Much like many deadline trades, the full impact of this deal may not be known for years. Still, the proactive conversations that began early last season are already shaping the Twins as they prepare for 2026. View the full article

You can never have too much starting pitching. The Brewers have experienced that adage firsthand in each of the last two seasons. Including openers and bullpen games, both the 2024 and 2025 Brewers used 17 different starters during the regular season. Last season, an immediate bout of injuries left them starting Elvin Rodríguez and Tyler Alexander in April. Given that history, the length of Milwaukee’s depth chart entering 2026 is no coincidence. The Brewers are poised to open the regular season with up to 14 capable starting candidates on their 40-man roster. Non-roster arms like Tate Kuehner, Drew Rom, and (eventually) a healthy Gerson Garabito bring the count to 17. Over the winter, the club traded away Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers and lost Jose Quintana to free agency, but it added nearly twice as many starters. Brandon Sproat came over in that Peralta trade, and the club traded its entire big-league depth chart at third base to the Boston Red Sox for southpaws Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. Meanwhile, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser worked their way back to full health, and Rom and Gerabito joined waiver claim Sammy Peralta as upper-minors depth. As spring training got underway, it seemed that the organization would have more starters than starts, both in the big leagues and in Triple-A. Matt Arnold welcomed that potential logjam, but did not expect it to arise. “We know we’re going to have injuries,” Arnold said after the Brewers acquired Harrison and Drohan. “You guys saw what we were dealing with at the start of last year, when not everybody’s 100%. That’s going to happen again, and we know that.” It’s not a Brewers-specific trend brought on by an unusual number of injuries. The modern starter works fewer innings, meaning teams need more starters to cover a season. In 2010, 273 pitchers started an MLB game, 74 made at least 30 starts, and 45 pitched at least 200 innings. Last season, there were 369 different starters; 53 made at least 30 starts, and three logged at least 200 innings. “The game today, it takes a lot,” Pat Murphy said last month. “200 innings? Unheard of. It takes a lot. 150 is a lot. So you need depth.” That means clubs must construct rotation mixes of more than six or seven pitchers. Seventeen starters may have seemed like aberrations in back-to-back seasons, but it’s more likely to become the new normal. The Brewers are planning accordingly. “It’s no longer a five-man rotation, all five guys are getting 30 starts,” Murphy said. “That didn’t happen anywhere [in 2025], I don’t think … I don’t think it’s being built to be that way. I think it’s more about, 'Hey, we’re going to use 20 pitchers, and all 20 are going to contribute.' That’s kind of how staffs are being built.” Murphy has also made a spring mantra of reminding media that pitching injuries are seasonal, on which the data back him up. Here's a month-by-month three-year survey of injured list placements, for position players and pitchers, via Baseball Prospectus. The need for that many arms is already playing out as the Brewers anticipated, partially because they're being so cautious to combat the springtime pitching injury risk. Brandon Woodruff purposely slow buildup has him questionable for Opening Day, and Quinn Priester appears likely to begin the year on the injured list due to a nagging wrist injury that has muddied his outlook in camp. That means there could be at least two rotation spots up for grabs. Several of the Brewers’ younger and newer arms have initiated solid bids early in camp. Logan Henderson’s new curveball has looked like a legitimate breaking ball that could add needed balance to his arsenal. Sproat has flashed an extra tick of velocity and turned his short slider into a mid-90s cutter that he can throw in the strike zone as a secondary pitch. A new grip has given Harrison’s kick changeup outlier depth. Drohan induced whiffs on 38.3% of swings in his Cactus League debut. The Brewers didn’t just prepare an emergency plan for hits to their rotation depth; they expected those hits to come. They could quickly be rewarded for that planning. View the full article

With Opening Day quickly approaching, preseason coverage across the baseball media landscape is about tying up loose ends. Nearly every major national outlet has released its farm system rankings for the 2026 season. These offer a snapshot: Where does each organization stand in terms of long-term control over young talent? These lists always combine projection, preference, and philosophy. Some outlets emphasize high-end upside. Others value depth throughout the system. Health history and proximity to the major leagues can also shift how a system is viewed. So can a simple disagreement on a particularly important and high-variance player. All of these factors lead to wide-ranging opinions on the Minnesota Twins organization. Across six prominent outlets, Minnesota lands almost everywhere on the spectrum. Three publications rank the Twins in the top 10; two put them in the middle; and others place them near the bottom third. These differing opinions highlight both the upside and uncertainty that define the organization's prospect pipeline. Why the Twins Would Be Considered Top-10 Three outlets placed the Twins comfortably inside the top 10 systems in baseball. ESPN and Baseball Prospectus both ranked Minnesota eighth overall, while MLB Pipeline slotted the organization ninth. Some of that positive outlook stems from how Minnesota handled last summer’s trade deadline. With the club moving veterans and looking toward the future, the front office used the opportunity to inject new talent into the organization. Those moves brought in several prospects, with five of them now appearing on most of the Twins' Top 30 lists and strengthening the system’s overall depth. Eduardo Tait stands out as the biggest addition from those deals. The young catcher already earned top-100 prospect recognition and gives the organization another potential middle-of-the-lineup bat at a premium position. Kendry Rojas and Hendry Mendez also came over in those trades and now rank in the upper tiers of the system, adding more young position-player talent to the mix. Ryan Gallagher and Enrique Jiménez add depth, increasing the farm system’s value. Still, the system’s ultimate upside hinges on a pair of familiar names. Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez remain the most dynamic offensive prospects in the organization. If they can finally string together healthy seasons, both players have the kind of bat that could quickly anchor the next competitive Twins lineup. Why the Twins Would Be Considered Middle-of-the-Pack Not every outlet is quite as bullish. FanGraphs and Baseball America both landed on the same number for Minnesota, ranking the system 12th overall. That placement reflects a system with plenty of intriguing talent, but one that still carries a number of unanswered questions. Minnesota’s 2025 draft class has not had time to significantly influence the rankings. That group includes a low-floor but athletic shortstop in Marek Houston, along with one of the most fascinating upside bets in the entire class in Quentin Young. The Twins also selected Riley Quick, a college arm some evaluators believe has the highest ceiling among pitchers in the draft. Those players could eventually reshape the system. Now, however, they remain largely projections. The other factor keeping Minnesota closer to the middle tier is the health history of several top prospects. When your best players spend significant time on the injured list, evaluators tend to hesitate before pushing the entire system higher. Jenkins starting this season with another balky hamstring won't help matters. Why the Twins Would Be Considered in the Bottom Tier At the other end of the spectrum, The Athletic (in rankings compiled by Keith Law) places the Twins much lower. In those evaluations, Minnesota checks in as the 21st-ranked farm system in baseball. Again, the main concern is health. The Twins would likely rank higher if their top prospects could stay on the field. Two of the organization’s top three prospects have missed multiple seasons with injuries, creating hesitation among evaluators. Even so, the offensive potential remains difficult to ignore. Jenkins and Rodriguez still project as impact bats if they can put together full seasons. Their ceilings alone make it hard to completely write off the system’s upside. Beyond the top names, the Twins system leans toward position players. The second tier includes several pitchers. They offer intrigue, but none are fully established yet. If a few of those arms take a step forward, the system’s perception could change quickly. That outcome will depend on health. For now, the Twins' farm system exists somewhere between potential and proof. The next wave of prospects will determine which side of those rankings ultimately proves correct. How do you feel about Minnesota’s farm system entering the 2026 season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article