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When the World Baseball Classic rosters were unveiled, it appeared the Minnesota Twins would have a healthy presence on the international stage. Now, that presence may be nonexistent. Right-hander Taj Bradley has elected to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, opting to remain in Fort Myers and continue building toward what the organization hopes will be a breakout season. Bradley had been slated to pitch for Mexico, but after conversations with the coaching staff, he decided his focus belonged in Twins camp. “He just approached me and said that he would like to stay in camp and be with the club,” manager Derek Shelton said. “And I just listened to him because we committed to him playing, and he committed to playing, and let him express himself. And I think the biggest thing was he felt his priority should be in this camp. He stated, new manager, new staff to some extent, new catcher in terms of Victor Caratini, and he just felt that the best use of his workload during Spring Training was going to be to be in our camp. So we supported him in terms of his decision.” It is hard to argue with that reasoning. The Twins acquired Bradley from the Tampa Bay Rays at last year’s trade deadline in a deal that sent Griffin Jax the other way. Minnesota was buying into upside. Two years ago, Bradley was viewed as one of the most electric young arms in baseball, ranking as a consensus top-50 prospect entering the 2023 season. His initial run in Minnesota was uneven. Bradley posted a 6.61 ERA in six starts after the trade, struggling at times to command the zone and keep the ball in the yard. Still, there were flashes. The Twins believe there is another level to reach, and with club control through 2029, they are invested in helping him find it. At just 25 years old, Bradley already has 385 1/3 innings in the majors between the Rays and Twins. That experience matters, especially for a pitcher still working to harness premium stuff. He owns a 4.86 career ERA, largely inflated by a 1.49 HR/9 rate. The underlying numbers paint a more optimistic picture. Bradley carries a 25 K%, an 8.6 BB%, and a 41.1% ground ball rate. His 4.38 FIP suggests he has pitched better than the surface results indicate. By staying in camp, Bradley can continue building chemistry with Caratini and work closely with a pitching group that has undergone changes. For a pitcher expected to slot in as the third or fourth starter, those relationships and routines could prove more valuable than a handful of high-intensity innings in March. Minnesota’s Classic outlook has shifted dramatically. Pablo López underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery earlier this week, and Joe Ryan’s availability remains uncertain as he manages lower back inflammation. What once looked like a showcase of the Twins' arms on the global stage now looks like a spring devoted entirely to getting healthy and aligned. For Bradley, that alignment starts now. If the Twins are going to surprise people in 2026, they will need their rotation to outperform expectations. Choosing camp over Classic may not generate headlines in the same way, but it could pay dividends when the games start to count. View the full article

The injury bug has bitten Pablo Lopez and David Festa early on in spring training. Although it was deemed the best-case scenario, Joe Ryan is also dealing with lower-back inflammation and has yet to pitch in a game. Do the Minnesota Twins have the starting depth to survive the injuries? View the full article

Real, live MLB action is finally upon us once again. It feels so sweet after such a long (and cold) offseason — aptly named, spring training marks the unofficial end of winter and the even-less-official start of the season before summer. But while snow and blizzards continue to rampage the northeast, Florida and Arizona are unperturbed. The sunshine is unrelenting, and so too is the baseball that comes with it. All of that is to say: Welcome back to the funniest and most headache-inducing period of baseball discourse. If you've followed this sport for more than a season, you know the trap that is spring training. It's a time of year when unheralded non-roster invitees look like future MVPs all while the ace your team shelled out $150 million for looks like a washed-up scrub. Because baseball has been absent for so long, it's impossible not to draw conclusions from the evidence of our eyes and ears, but we must use precedent and history to remind ourselves that nothing happening during this exhibition slate actually matters. For every Nolan Arenado or Kris Bryant-style breakout — where a top prospect announces that they are truly, wholly ready for the big leagues — there's 100 players who ride unsustainable hot streaks in spring to undeserved roster spots or, at the very least, 15 minutes of fame. It's as inevitable as it is frustrating. Let's take the 2025 Red Sox as a case study. Last year, the team's spring training leader in OPS was Mikey Romero (2.048 OPS). Among players with at least 10 at-bats, though, the top five looked as such: Trayce Thompson (1.280), Alex Bregma (1.026), Nate Eaton (1.022), Marcelo Mayer (.982), and Abraham Toro (.951). Toro is perhaps a perfect microcosm of the biggest pitfall spring training presents: the sample size. Toro repeated his blistering spring in May (124 wRC+) before slumping to a .574 OPS in July. Anyone who gets invited to spring training is capable of getting hot, even against the best players in the world, because they are the best players in the world. They wouldn't be at spring training if they weren't able to hit against pro pitchers, or if their fastball sat at 75 mph. In a small-enough sample, anything can happen. Which is precisely why we can't trust what happens in February and March, especially since the average level of competition is lower than it is during the regular season. So, when Brayan Bello and Ranger Suarez are repping double-digit ERAs through their first appearances, or when Tyler McDonough and Andruw Monasterio are posting OPS figures above 1.000 through the end of February, remember that none of this guarantees anything when the games start to actually matter. Now, this whole conversation requires a caveat once every three years, including 2026: the World Baseball Classic. Unlike spring training, these games "matter" in a somewhat technical sense. Though nothing from the tournament carries over into the regular season, there's a lot of pride on the line. And as baseball's version of the World Cup grows more and more popular with each iteration, players take their performance — both from an individual and team perspective — more seriously. Winning championships and posting huge stat lines gets your name in the record books, something that not even the most legendary spring training performances have a claim to. When the WBC gets fired up next week, it'll be a little more difficult to discern which performances are worth reading into. Masataka Yoshida was the best player in the last edition of the tournament, setting a new WBC record for RBIs. He debuted with the Red Sox that year to the tune of a solid but unspectacular 111 wRC+. Could a similar dominant performance from one of the Red Sox's many representatives portend a 2026 breakout? It's hard to say with any degree of certainty. So, let yourself dream on that long-awaited Romero breakout and don't be discouraged by Bello's ugly stats. Just as the players are warming up their bodies for a long season ahead, we too must get our minds back in the habit of deciphering what's real and what isn't. View the full article

Drew Brees helped the San Diego Chargers score plenty of points during his time with the NFL team. Now, he is hoping to push a local bid to purchase MLB's San Diego Padres across the goal line. The quarterback, who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, has joined Vuori founder Joe Kudla, the CEO of the Carlsbad-based athletic leisure clothing company, in an attempt to buy the Padres, according to a report Thursday by The Athletic. Sources told The Athletic that the Kudla-Brees team is one of five groups that submitted initial bids by Wednesday's deadline. Also in contention are Joe Lacob, owner of the NBA's Golden State Warriors and WNBA's Golden State Valkyries, and Jose E. Feliciano, who is part of the group that owns Chelsea of the English Premier League. Feliciano's ClearLake Capital is based in Santa Monica. The names of the other two bidders were not explicitly mentioned in The Athletic report, although San Diego-born Daniel Friedkin, like Feliciano, an EPL owner (Everton), had previously been mentioned as a candidate. That leaves one mystery entity pursuing the Padres. The sources who spoke to The Athletic said the five bids were "strong." The Seidler family is seeking nearly $3 billion to sell the Padres, who were valued at $1.9 billion last year. Sportico has reported that the Padres' value has since increased to $2.31 billion. The record price for an MLB franchise was the $2.42 billion paid by Steve Cohen in 2020 for the New York Mets. Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler's group bout the Padres in 2012 for $800 million. The sale appears to be moving fast. While it wasn't known how many of the five groups would be advancing to the next stage, The Athletic said a sale agreement could be done by Opening Day, which is four weeks away. BDT and MSD Partners are the banks overseeing the sale. That is the same firm that helped handle the sale of the NBA's Boston Celtics for a record $6.1 billion. Any sale needs to be approved by MLB owners. The Seidler family announced in mid-November that it was seeking to sell the team, but there were still some legal issues among the family following the death of Peter Seidler on Nov. 23, 2024, that needed to be settled. John Seidler, the oldest of three brothers who took over as team chairman in February 2025, said last week that he was hoping for a local group to join the pursuit of the Padres. Kudla certainly fits that role. He graduated from the University of San Diego and founded Vuori in 2015. The company was valued more than a year ago at $5.5 billion. Kudla and Brees are friends and workout partners, with Brees occasionally still attending Padres games. The Seidler family owns less than 50% of the Padres, including 24% held by Peter Seidler's trust, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The trust's beneficiaries are Peter Seidler's widow, Sheel Seidler, and their three children. There are between 10 and 12 other entities that are minority owners. View the full article

As the Twins payroll has decreased, the players not in the starting lineup every day will need to be increasingly valuable. Backup catchers, utility infielders, and corner outfielders will be given crucial at-bats throughout the season due to rest, injuries, or certain pitching matchups. Attempting to predict who will be best off the bench in 2026 is a fun exercise in determining the Opening Day roster of the Twins. Below you will find a list of players likely competing for a bench role with the 2026 Twins. This list will only include players currently on the 40-man roster. Victor Caratini (Out of Options) Caratini signed a two year, 14-million-dollar contract with the Twins near the end of January and is FanGraphs’ pick to have the most WAR off the bench. The 32-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Astros, and this past year he hit .259/.324/.404 with 12 home runs in 114 games with Houston. His Expected Batting Average (XBA) was lower than what he finished at by a few points, but his Expected Slugging (xSLG) was higher than he ended the season with at .425. Defensively, Caratini is a solid blocker. His blocking run value was 4 in 2026 which was good for 15th in the league. However, Caratini’s throwing and framing were below average. He ranked 34th in the league with -2 catcher framing runs and 80th among catchers in average pop time to second base at 2.05 seconds. The switch-hitter will contribute a league average to slightly below league average bat as the backup to Ryan Jeffers along with some additional DH/first base opportunities, but don’t expect him to throw many people out. Kody Clemens (Out of Options) Clemens returns to Minnesota after contributing a slash line of .216/.284/.442 in 112 games after being acquired by the Twins in late April. Clemens hit 19 home runs and appeared at first base, second, and all three outfield spots. His advanced stats backed his play as well. Clemens’ xSLG up at .465 on the year and his average exit velocity was in the 84th percentile of MLB at 91.5 mph. Don’t expect Clemens to hit much against lefties, as he hit .192/.264/.218 off them in 2025, but expect him contribute at several positions in 2026 whether someone needs a rest day or a righty is on the mound. Austin Martin (one option remaining) Martin would be my pick to contribute the most from the bench in 2026. In very limited MLB time, he slashed .282/.374/.365 for the Twins last year with 11 stolen bases as well. The former first round pick won’t contribute much to the power department, as he only has two home runs in 143 games played in MLB, but his xSLG finished higher last season at .403. Martin can play left field and center field and could play second base in a pinch as well. While he may not be in the Opening Day lineup, Martin should contribute this year as a late inning defensive outfielder/baserunner and will be in the lineup against lefties, who he hit .346/.404/.481 against in 2025. Alan Roden (two options remaining) The former Creighton Bluejay played in 12 games for the Twins after being acquired from Toronto in the Louis Varland trade last year because of a broken bone in his hand. In the small sample size, he hit .158/.200/.263. Roden is a good defender, finishing with a fielding run value of 3 in 2025 with an above average arm in the 80th percentile of MLB. Roden’s path for playing time is currently blocked by Trevor Larnach, but if he is moved Roden will have to compete with Martin, Clemens, and James Outman for playing time at the corner outfield spots. James Outman (Out of Options) Similar to Roden, Outman was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Brock Stewart trade. He hit .147/.221/.337 in 37 games after being recalled to Minnesota and appeared at all three outfield spots. Outman has the most centerfield experience of this group, giving him an inside track to one of the last bench spots, but he will need to earn it with his bat. Similarly to Roden, his roster spot and playing time are certainly affected by Trevor Larnach. Tristan Gray (one option remaining) Acquired in a February trade with the Red Sox, Gray has only compiled 122 plate appearances at the major league level since his debut in 2023, with most of them coming last season in Tampa Bay. He hit .231/.282/.410, with his better numbers coming against left-handed pitchers. Given that Tampa Bay played their games at Steinbrenner Field last year and that Gray had better numbers there, it would be smart to be cautious to view him as a serious contributor this year. However, advanced hitting measures back up his play. Gray’s xSLG was significantly higher than where he finished at .473 along with his xBA at .257. His average exit velocity and bat speed would be above average as well if he had a qualified number of at bats. While his defense isn’t great with -1 OAA in 2025, Gray has played all four infield spots during his brief MLB career, which would provide helpful versatility from a bench spot. Eric Wagaman (three options remaining) Wagaman was acquired on January 2nd from Miami after playing 140 games for the Fish last year. He hit .250/.296/.378 with nine home runs. His xSLG and xBA were both higher than his actual numbers, and his average exit velocity and squared-up percentage were both above average as well, in the 72nd and 81st percentiles, respectively. Defensively, Wagaman appeared primarily at first base, while also seeing time at third base and the corner outfield spots. Given the depth in front of him at first base, he is most likely behind Martin for now in terms of being a right-handed bench bat, but only the Opening Day roster will tell. Ryan Kreidler (one option remaining) Derek Shelton said Saturday that Kreidler “could do both of those and be both of those” when asked about the backup shortstop and centerfield positions on the roster. Kreidler may be a bit of an unknown name, as he was claimed off waivers from the Pirates in the middle of October. Kreidler’s defensive versatility is his calling card; he’s played second, third, short, left, and centerfield at the major league level before. The bat leaves a lot to be desired, as he has a career .138/.208/.176 in 89 games. Kreidler could make the Opening Day roster, but more as a defensive substitution or pinch runner (seven career stolen bases) than a pinch hitter. Besides these names, other bench options could be veteran non-roster invitees such as Orlando Arcia and Gio Urshela. Hypothetically some of the top prospects in the farm system could make the Opening Day roster as well, like Walker Jenkins (NRI), Kaelen Culpepper (NRI), and Emmanuel Rodriguez (40-man roster, one option remaining), but they will most likely open the year in St. Paul. Regardless, the bench will need to provide meaningful at bats, speed, and solid defense for the Twins to win consistently. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs added veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on a minor-league deal on Monday, and made it official Thursday, after Conforto passed a physical. On the surface, it’s the kind of move that barely nudges the offseason needle. Dig a little deeper, though, and you can see the outline of something more useful than a random spring invite. The timing matters. Moisés Ballesteros only reported to camp Sunday, after visa issues delayed his arrival. Tyler Austin is shelved for months with a knee injury. The outfield group is deep, but it’s not entirely safe from an injury-driven crisis. For a veteran with Conforto’s résumé, that opens a door. He’ll have to earn it, but a strong spring could make this interesting in a hurry. Better Than the Numbers? Last year with the Dodgers, Conforto posted an 83 wRC+ across 486 plate appearances. That’s below average, especially for a player with limited defensive value. His .199/.305/.333 line and 12 home runs didn’t exactly scream impact bat. Under the hood, however, he still demonstrated serious talent. He finished with a .287 wOBA, but his expected wOBA was .330. That -.043 gap was the second-largest in baseball among hitters who had significant playing time, trailing only Salvador Perez. In plain English: the quality of contact and the plate discipline suggested a hitter who deserved far better than what the box scores showed. It’s like hitting rockets all night in batting practice, and somehow, every one of them finds a glove once the lights come on. Over time, that usually evens out. Conforto was, by the underlying metrics, one of the unluckiest hitters in 2025. Since we're talking about a hitter with a career 115 wRC+, there's certainly a chance for a bounce-back campaign. Bat Speed Remains He’s not the rookie who stormed onto the postseason stage in 2015. He’s not the middle-of-the-order force who mashed 88 home runs between 2017 and 2019. That version of Conforto lives in highlight reels now. But this isn’t a player running on fumes, either. His average bat speed checked in at 74 mph last season, good for the 77th percentile. For someone who has dealt with his share of injuries, that’s significant. Bat speed is often one of the first things to fade. Conforto’s hasn’t. There’s still more thunder in there than the 12 homers suggest. He also continues to control the strike zone well. He rarely chases pitches off the plate and draws plenty of walks. For a Cubs lineup already stocked with patient, disciplined hitters, that profile fits. He doesn’t need to swing out of his shoes. He just needs to stack quality at-bats, lengthen innings, and make pitchers work. Professional. Competitive. Annoying to face. The Defense, Though... If there’s a real concern, it’s the defense. In 1,010 innings in left field last season, Conforto posted -5 Defensive Runs Saved. That’s not a blip. That’s a step back. He’s no longer the steady corner defender you pencil in without thinking. Can he bounce back a bit? Perhaps. Players don’t usually fall off a defensive cliff overnight, without some contributing factors. But at this stage, he’s more playable than reliable in the field—and even that might be mitigated, if he continues a multi-year pattern of dealing with hamstring strains. The good news for Chicago is that he wouldn’t be asked to play the field much, even if he makes the roster. He’d be insurance. If something happens to Ian Happ, Ballesteros, or Seiya Suzuki, Conforto gives them a left-handed bat with experience and composure. That matters over a long season. The Cubs don’t need Conforto to carry anything. That’s what Pete Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, Happ, Alex Bregman, and Michael Busch are there for. The heavy lifting is already assigned. Because Ballesteros, Austin and Jonathon Long have been set back by various issues, though, the aging slugger does have a potential role to play on a championship-hungry Cubs squad. It’s still February. There’s time for timing to return, for the swing to sync up, for the numbers to start matching the contact. If the expected metrics tell the truth this time around, the Cubs may have quietly added more than just another jersey in the clubhouse. View the full article

Rejoice! There's live baseball for us to (over)react to again, and with the first week of spring training games nearly complete, I've compiled some tidbits on what we've seen from various Blue Jays so far. At this time of year, the results are of little interest to the coaching staff and front office, so the focus shouldn't be on box scores as much as key indicators of underlying process. While the Opening Day roster is far from a sure thing, there are those with a virtually guaranteed role on this club. Spring training, especially the start, is a time more urgent for those on the bubble, including top prospects looking to make an impression. The content below will focus largely on some of the newest Blue Jays, as well as those whose initial assignment for 2026 is currently in flux. Most importantly: It's still early days. Beware of the small sample size before jumping to any conclusions about the players below. There's still plenty of preseason to go! Cody Ponce Cody Ponce's first outing of the spring went swimmingly, as he retired Parker Meadows, Kevin McGonigle, and Jahmai Jones in order in his only inning of work on Wednesday against the Tigers. The biggest story of the day was his four-seam fastball, which translated better than originally anticipated from a shape perspective. It sat 96 MPH with 17" of carry and 9" of arm-side movement, so he relied on it heavily (42% usage). More notes on Ponce: We also saw a healthy dose of his kick changeup (89 MPH, 5" IVB, 8" arm-side, 40% zone), which was responsible for one of Ponce's two strikeouts, as well as his cutter (92 MPH, 11" IVB, 1" arm-side, 20% zone). Around the big leagues, the cutter is often an early-count weapon to steal a strike, especially for those who have another fastball they throw more often. Ponce, however, was keen to turn to it with two strikes, which I think partially explains the low zone rate. He only threw two breaking balls that afternoon, unsurprising since he faced only one righty batter. 12" of separation in vertical movement between the four-seamer and the changeup is a great sign early on. Being able to space those two pitch types out in space is key to generating swing-and-miss on both. That difference would've placed in the ~70th percentile MLB last year, similar to Drew Rasmussen, Michael King, and Aaron Nola. When those guys are right, they boast some of the best fastball-changeup combos in the game. José Berríos José Berríos was one of the first regulars from last year's pitching staff to get a start. Concerningly, the velocity on his four-seam and his sinker sat in the 91-92 MPH range, down a full tick from last year's average, and he was only in the zone 42.5% of the time. In fairness to Berríos, it was an unseasonably cold afternoon in Dunedin during his start, and it's generally unrealistic to expect every pitcher to be up to speed this early on. More notes on Berríos: Interestingly, the vertical carry on both his fastballs was up considerably compared to last year. Maybe that'll be his MO to make sure they still play at the big league level despite lacking velocity? He was also toying with his release point. His vertical release point was higher, while his horizontal release point was closer to third base, which shouldn't change his arm angle too much from the 39° it was last year, but it'll be a different look than the one hitters have gotten used to recently. An Eric Lauer trade would improve Berríos's outlook for the coming year, but the Max Scherzer signing adds another name to the starting pitcher carousel. There is much left yet to prove for Berríos this spring. Eloy Jiménez Eloy Jiménez is proving his stellar season in the Dominican Winter League was no joke. He's 3-for-5 with a homer so far, and the early returns have sparked a modest debate as to whether he could crack the Opening Day roster. If that happens, it'll likely come at the expense of either Davis Schneider or Nathan Lukes, as the Jays would be carrying two DH-only types in Jiménez and George Springer, further necessitating the need for Myles Straw as defensive depth. Of course, we're a long way from that actually coming to pass, but his average exit velocity is 98 MPH, and two of his three batted balls so far have been barrels. He has yet to swing and miss on a pitch in the zone, and his chase rate is a manageable 30%. Yariel Rodríguez Yariel Rodríguez was somewhat surprisingly designated for assignment earlier in the offseason as the Blue Jays polished their bullpen, but it was made clear at the time that he'd get a shot to win his job back in spring training. His first crack didn't go well, as he imploded in the middle innings against the Red Sox on Sunday. His fastball velocity was down nearly 3 MPH from last year; again, not entirely unexpected at this time of year, but he was only in the zone with it 29% of the time, inducing seven swings on just 26 pitches. With Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles holding the upper hand as Rule 5 draft picks, the chances of Rodríguez getting reinstated to the 40-man and added to the MLB bullpen out of the gate appear slim to none at this point, even with the news that Yimi García won't be ready to start the regular season. Position Player Prospects of Interest SS/3B Josh Kasevich is 3-for-6 with a homer. He has missed on just one of his 13 swings and recorded three hard hits (two barrels) on six batted balls. OF RJ Schreck is 2-for-6 with just one miss on nine swings. He has struck out three times but does have four hard hits (two barrels) and is elevating frequently with an average launch angle of 22°. LF/RF Yohendrick Pinango is 1-for-6 with two walks. His 76.2% contact rate doesn't jump off the page, but two of his three batted balls were hard-hit, and his average launch angle is 23°. Pitching Prospects of Interest Left-handed RP Adam Macko has been leaning a ton on his four-seam fastball (95 MPH, 16.1" IVB from a below-average release height). Its deceptive carry has led to a 30% whiff rate on the pitch in the early going. Right-handed SP Chad Dallas is healthy again after Tommy John surgery and has gotten off to a blistering start with a 46.1% whiff rate. He is a true unicorn with some of the wildest movement profiles in the organization; his four-seamer sits just 93 MPH with only 13" of IVB but 1" of arm-side movement, making it decidedly Sonny Gray-esque thanks to its cutting action. The sweeper is downright devastating, averaging 17" of glove-side action so far this spring. Meanwhile, his low-90s cutter gets 7" of glove-side coupled with 10" of carry. He has a rare talent for spinning the ball and figures to start the year in Buffalo, but would fit right in amongst the big league staff and its growing number of strange pitch shapes. All stats entering Thursday, February 26. View the full article

We are still in small-sample size territory with the San Diego Padres, and, with these being spring training games, you can never truly tell what the results mean. Coaching pointers are still taking effect, and players might be trying something different as Cactus League games are the perfect time to experiment. The Friars' coaching staff knows what everything means, as it has better information than the average fan. Radar guns and exit velocities mean little at this point. 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 Padres went 2-2 since our initial update and are now 3-4 in the Cactus League, though wins and losses mean nothing. The Friars beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 on Monday, lost to the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Tuesday, beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Wednesday, and lost to the Cincinnati Reds 11-10 on Thursday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Michael King: In his spring debut, the right-hander sparkled. King went a surprising 2⅔ innings against the Angels, throwing 37 pitches, including 26 strikes. He struck out four and walked none, allowing two hits and one run while facing a lineup filled with Angels regulars. It was an efficient outing for the pitcher coming off a season marred by shoulder and knee injuries, limiting him to 15 starts. Manny Machado: You know, Machado will be just fine when it comes to Opening Day. But before he leaves for the World Baseball Classic, where he is the captain of the Dominican Republic team, he gave the Friar Faithful a dose of what he hopes is not just a huge spring, but a big 2026 as well. The Padres' third baseman launched a pair of home runs against the Reds, hitting a two-run shot in the third inning off left-hander Nick Sando and then hitting a game-tying grand slam in the sixth off right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Those were Machado's first two hits of the spring, entering the game 0-for-5. He added a walk for good measure. Romeo Sanabria: In his second trip to spring training, the first baseman made the most of his limited work, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and five RBIs in three games. He drove in a run in each of his appearances as a backup first baseman (twice) or pinch-hitter, highlighted by a three-run double against the Brewers. Sanabria doesn't likely have a place on this year's roster with the sudden logjam of first basemen, but he will go to Triple-A El Paso in hopes of being ready in case he is needed. Who's Not? 🧊 JP Sears: Sure, it was just his first Cactus League game, but for someone who needs every impression this spring to be good, this was not that. The left-hander, hoping to claim one of the last two rotation spots, was torched for four runs in two-thirds of an inning by the Brewers. All four hits Sears gave up were hit hard, with three exit velocities over 100 mph and the other at 97.3, all coming against MLB regulars. Even the first out had an EV of 101.1. Sears threw a lot of strikes, with 21 of 30 pitches swung at or in the zone. One piece of good news was that he didn't issue a walk, although he did hit a batter. Will Wagner: Vying for a backup infield spot, Wagner is off to a rough start this spring. He went 0-for-7 in three games and is 0-for-9 after the first week. He made a start at second, then came in as a replacement at third base and first base, showing his positional versatility. He has eight appearances in the minors at shortstop. The son of Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner has a really good slash line in the minors at .294/.394/.439, but that has yet to translate at the MLB level, with a .256/.329/.346 mark in 79 games, including 15 with the Padres after coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline. Marco Gonzales: This is a bit unfair considering the left-hander didn't pitch at all in 2025 after having flexor tendon surgery and an internal brace procedure in 2024. So his start vs. the Cubs was his first game action in quite some time, regardless of the circumstances. Gonzales allowed three runs on five hits in 1⅔ innings, striking out two and walking none. He faced 12 batters and threw 26 of his 38 pitches for strikes. Gonzales, in camp on a minor-league deal, was pushed down in the battle for a starting rotation job with the additions of German Marquez, Griffin Canning, and Walker Buehler. View the full article

As impressive an age-17 season as you will see from a pitching prospect, Kendry Chourio climbed three levels in 2025 and has himself in position to be one of the most exciting lower-level arms in 2026. View the full article

After an impressive MLB debut, Logan Henderson looks like a rotation piece for the Brewers, but he needs to refine his secondaries to reach his ceiling. View the full article

Arjun Nimmala turned in a below-average offensive season as a 19-year-old in High-A, but he still showcased intriguing tools across the board that give him a well-rounded outlook at shortstop. View the full article

Arjun Nimmala turned in a below-average offensive season as a 19-year-old in High-A, but he still showcased intriguing tools across the board that give him a well-rounded outlook at shortstop. View the full article

The guys react to Brandon Woodruff's slow build-up and analyze some early standouts from the Brewers' first few spring training games. Also discussed are Logan Henderson, Coleman Crow, Jesus Made, Luis Rengifo, and others. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

With 60% of their projected starting rotation either out for the year or questionable for Opening Day, the one acknowledged strength of the 2026 Minnesota Twins is now in question. Twins Daily is fortunate to have access once again to The Injury Gods, Jontu of the Poison Wind and Cnathol the Endless. They sat down with us to discuss their approach to this year’s squad and the exquisite ache of a long-suffering fanbase. TWINS DAILY: When did you know you were going to turn your attention to the rotation? JONTU: That’s a great question, mortal. Honestly, we’ve taken a hands-off approach to your unloved franchise. They’ve been doing the work for us! What is one ACL when your ownership refuses to spend money and reneges on selling the team? We can only remove our thorny, awful crowns in admiration. CNATHOL: That kind of wickedness is special. It’s special. JONTU: But then they got to spring training and talked about how they expected the rotation to carry them. In a division like the AL Central, I’m sorry to say that made a lot of sense. CNATHOL: We saw how confident they were in the starting pitching. That’s when we got to work. TWINS DAILY: Did you always know you were going to start with Pablo Lopez (out for the season after UCL surgery)? CNATHOL: (chuckling, emitting a faint hint of sulfur) Yes, yes. JONTU: The timing, Cnathol. The timing! CNATHOL: Tom Pohlad had given his little inspirational speech to the team before the first Lopez appearance. They may as well have put his UCL on a tee. TWINS DAILY: Was Joe Ryan’s back issue supposed to be minor, or was that a misstep by the Gods? JONTU: THE GODS DO NOT PLAY DICE, MORTAL. YOU’D DO WELL TO REMEMBER YOUR PLACE. TWINS DAILY: I apologize. CNATHOL: WE’LL HAVE YOU WRITING FOR ROCKIES DAILY IN THE BLINK OF MY LIDLESS EYE. TWINS DAILY: Very well. Allow me to rephrase: Was it your intention to give Joe Ryan what looks like a minor injury? JONTU: Yes. A little panic for the suffering masses. CNATHOL: Then they think they dodged a bullet, and we drop (David) Festa’s shoulder impingement on them. Boom! (Actual thunder rolls in the background) JONTU: (giggling) It feels good to laugh again, you know? TWINS DAILY: Are you considering lending your dreadful touch to the bullpen? CNATHOL: What kind of gotcha journalism is this? JONTU: Even your puny mortal mind knows that this team hasn’t a bullpen. TWINS DAILY: Forgive me, yes. What about the rest of the team. There are some promising young players in the pipeline. JONTU: Walker Jenkins, correct? TWINS DAILY: Yes, he appears to be the jewel of the system, should be in the majors this season. JONTU: We haven’t really explored the “injuries that ooze” space of late. It feels like we could really stretch ourselves, as well as Jenkins’ tender, yielding flesh. CNATHOL: Those Fanatics jerseys are already horrible, imagine them soaked through with pus. JONTU: Did we design those? CNATHOL: I think Zyzmoz, The One Who Waits did a consult. TWINS DAILY: Any final thoughts to share with Twins Territory? CNATHOL: That ache you feel right now? You’ll wish for it come June. JONTU: Consider getting into MMA. We just let those goons pound each other. View the full article

With a full week of Cactus League games now under their belt, Milwaukee Brewers players are starting to settle into routines. The fake games can beget unrealistic enthusiasm, as starters play a few innings, then give way to the minor-leaguers trying to see if they can hang. The Brewers finally allowed a pitcher to go more than one inning, but they continue to take it slow to begin the exhibition season. 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 news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. For the Brewers as a whole, they won three of the four games to improve to 3-4. They fell to 0-4 after dropping a 7-5 decision to the Padres on Monday, before bouncing back by beating the A's 10-0 Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants 13-12 Wednesday and the Texas Rangers 5-1 Thursday. Who's Hot? ? Brandon Lockridge: Could he be making a push to start Opening Day in center field? If he continues to hit this way, you have to consider it. Lockridge went 4-for-8 while starting three games in center and right. He homered, doubled, was hit by a pitch and scored four times. Lockridge figured to be a lock as a backup outfielder, but depending on how Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins do, he could have a bigger role come Opening Day. Tyler Black: I like to distribute the kudos evenly whenever possible, but when you have two games like Black did, it is impossible to set him aside. Black went 3-for-3 with a double, a homer, a stolen base and six RBIs vs. the A's, then followed that up two days later by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and two more RBIs. That made him 8-for-12 this spring, a sizzling .667. He started at first base in both games. Black's homer came off A's right-hander Mason Barnett, who has five games of MLB experience. Black, who does have a minor-league option remaining, is competing for a bench spot and is a younger version of Jake Bauers, a left-handed hitter able to play first base and left field. Craig Yoho: After being a cult figure as a prospect, Yoho lost a little luster with one really bad inning in his debut season, in which he made eight appearances in four call-ups. But after two Cactus League appearances, the changeup specialist is off to a good beginning to his spring. He faced the minimum three hitters in a perfect inning against the Giants, throwing 12 pitches (nine strikes), then facing five batters against the Rangers, allowing a single and a walk on 16 pitches (seven strikes). Who's Not? ? Jackson Chourio: This is actually a mixed result. Chourio went 0-for-5 in two games to drop his spring performance to 2-for-12 (.167). But Chourio, who famously hasn't shown enough patience to draw walks, earned three free passes in those two games, all against pitchers with MLB experience, two of whom are veterans. Pat Murphy was "excited" about one of those walks, a 10-pitch grind that showed real engagement. Chourio is set to depart for the World Baseball Classic to play for Venezuela, so his bat is likely to get going while representing his country. David Hamilton: It's impossible to know the upheaval a player goes through when traded during spring training. But Hamilton, expected to be the top backup infielder after coming over from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin deal, has yet to find his groove. He went 1-for-9 in three games, getting a double, driving in a run and scoring once, while walking twice and striking out just once. He started twice at third base and once more at short, positions he figures to see a lot of time at this season. Hamilton, who is now 2-for-12 this spring, is known more for his defense anyway, so no reason to hit panic here. Peter Strzelecki: You never can make a judgment on one outing, and I am not doing that here. Just chalk this one up to a bad game. Strzelecki, who has made 66 of his 77 MLB appearances out of the Crew's bullpen, is back after bouncing between three teams last season, all spent in the minors. He was the second pitcher in the Giants game and allowed two runs in his one inning. He hit the first batter he faced, struck out the next, then got Harrison Bader to pop out in foul territory before his second four-seam fastball to top Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge was drilled for a homer. He gave up a single to Jung Hoo Lee before striking out former Brewers catcher Eric Haase to end the third inning. View the full article

The Twins could be choosing between Justin Lebron, Drew Burress, Grady Emerson, Carson Boleman, and Jacob Lombard Jr. this July — and each one represents a different draft strategy. Do they go with a fast-moving college bat or bet on the sky-high upside of a prep star? This pick could shape the next era of Twins baseball. View the full article

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Chicago Cubs are once again battling the injury bug. Earlier this week, news broke from the club's spring training home in Mesa, Arizona, that the squad's newly acquired backup first baseman, Tyler Austin, suffered an injury to his knee. The injury will require the veteran to undergo surgery, and forecasts have him set for a return no earlier than late May. With this setback, the Cubs encountered their first real speed bump on the road to what they hope is a division title and a long playoff run. Depth at first is quite sparse for the North Siders at the moment, and as such, the club is getting looks at several options, including catchers Christian Bethancourt and Miguel Amaya. Bethancourt last spent time with the squad in 2024, when he held his own as a bench option at catcher with a .301 OBP. Changes to his swing mechanics seemingly changed what Amaya can bring to this ball club. Before injury curtailed his 2025 season, Amaya had 27 hits in 96 at-bats and an OPS+ of 131. He's quietly becoming a fan favorite, and his abilities at the plate and his potential to fill in at first base could help his club make noise—if he, himself, can stay on the field better this season. Rather than counting on Bethancourt or Amaya at first, though, Chicago will leave no stone unturned at forming a contingency plan for every position on the diamond. Certainly, bringing on former Dodger Michael Conforto on a minor-league deal is evidence of this. It should make one feel a stronger sense of security in the team's outlook; they've tried to create the depth needed to survive this kind of injury. There are times when it feels as though sports fans in the modern age get more enjoyment from overreacting than from the actual play on the field. This is no time for overreactions. At a minimum, the actions of the franchise this past offseason have demonstrated that when they break camp in late March, each individual who makes the final cut will be ready. Austin's loss poses some challenges, but Counsell is one of the highest-paid managers ever for a reason, and the team has enough fallback plans to survive without one piece of their would-be bench corps. View the full article

Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez made his 2026 Cactus League debut on Tuesday, February 24th, against the Reds in Goodyear. Safe to say, it didn't go swimmingly. In one inning of work, Estevez allowed two runs on two hits, back-to-back home runs by Reds sluggers Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suarez. He did minimize the damage after those two home runs, retiring Spencer Steer, Will Benson, and Tyler Stephenson in order. However, the 33-year-old Royals reliever allowed four hard-hit balls and an average exit velocity of 99 MPH on batted balls in his lone Spring Training outing thus far. To make matters worse, MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers pointed out that Estevez saw a massive drop in his velocity from a season ago (though she said he also showed a similar drop last season). Of course, Royals fans are solely focusing on every little thing players do right now in Arizona, both good and bad. Hence, some are panicking, thinking that Estevez may be falling off a cliff in 2026 after making the All-Star team and leading Major League Baseball in saves a season ago. Are fans valid in their feelings that the Royals should be concerned about Estevez's ability to repeat his sensational 2025 campaign? Or is that just an example of Estevez getting warmed up and treating Spring Training in a similar way to how a veteran offensive lineman treats NFL Summer Camp? Here are three takeaways from Estevez's first outing of Spring Training and why Royals fans should keep their heads cool for now. Estevez May Have Been Working On A Particular Pitch (i.e., his changeup) When looking at his TJ Stats pitch plot data, his TJ Stuff+ doesn't look great. All three of his pitches registered TJ Stuff+ marks below 95. That is not an encouraging sign, especially considering his limited repertoire. His four-seamer, which he threw only once, received the highest grade, 42. Conversely, his two most thrown pitches, the changeup (55% usage) and slider (41% usage), registered grades of 30 and 32, respectively. Those aren't good trends, especially considering what Estevez's stuff looked like last season, according to TJ Stats pitch plot data. Estevez only threw the changeup 16% of the time last year, and it was a below-average pitch, according to the data. His main offspeed offering sported a 96 TJ Stuff+ and 49 grade, with limited spin at 1,616 RPM. Still, his TJ Stuff+ was 13 points lower on Tuesday than his overall mark in 2025. That said, it's entirely plausible that Estevez was trying something new with the changeup in this Spring Training outing, and the TJ Stuff+ metrics were a casualty. Here are some key differences in his changeup against the Reds and what it looked like a season ago. Last season, his changeup had an iVB of 9.8. On Tuesday, it had an iVB of 11. Thus, it may be that Estevez was trying to get more vertical movement on the pitch, and the quality was inconsistent as he toyed with this difference. A sign of that experimentation could be found in his changeup trends, as shown in both his pitch movement plot and velocity linear chart. The former, which can be seen in the Spring Training plot above, showed three pitches that are WAY off from the previous group, illustrating "gross mistake" pitches (i.e., super-waste ones). The sheer difference in movement profile from the main group of changeup pitches demonstrates that he tried something different, and it didn't work out (or he couldn't quite get a grip and lost command of it). In the latter, the changeup shows major dips at a few points in the velocity chart, as shown below. Those illustrate to baseball fans that Estevez messed up with his control against Cincinnati while trying something different on his changeup. Estevez had three changeups that hovered around 80 MPH or slightly below. That is a far cry from the rest of his changeup pitches, which were around the upper 80's. The Dominican-born pitcher, who will be pitching for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming WBC, is a veteran who doesn't need to earn his spot in Spring Training. Thus, Estevez trying to tweak his mix mid-game is something a pitcher of his status can afford to do, even if it produces lackluster results. He's not going to lose his closer job after one rough Cactus League game. Estevez May Be a Slow Starter The right-hander may just be a slow starter, whether it's in Spring Training or the start of the season. Therefore, this may be something Royals fans just have to get used to with him, or at least pay attention to, in his appearances in Arizona. Since 2021, Estevez has posted ERA marks in the double digits twice: 2021 with the Rockies (12.38 ERA) and 2023 with the Angels (10.57 ERA). While that looks bad, it's Spring Training, and the sample sizes are so small. One bad outing can sink a player's Cactus League campaign. Vice versa, a good Spring Training outing can correct itself in March/April with more innings and against better competition. This is what happened to Estevez last year in his first year in Kansas City. After posting a 1.80 ERA in five IP in the Cactus League, he struggled out of the gate, recovering from a minor back injury. He had a 2.77 ERA in 13 IP in April, but his WHIP was slightly higher than expected at 1.23, and he had eight walks to only 11 strikeouts. He struggled to get strikeouts, and his lackluster fastball velocity in the first two months (April and May) was likely a reason. Here's what his four-seam velocity looked like by month last season, and notice how in July, he looked like his best self, velocity-wise. Obviously, there's a desire for more with Estevez, especially with him signed in free agency last season and making slightly over $11 million this season in the last year of the two-year deal he signed prior to the 2025 MLB season. However, given his size and age, this may just be a sign that things are taking longer for Estevez to get ready for the upcoming season. A positive difference in this Spring Training, compared to a year ago, is that Estevez is healthy. A healthy Spring Training could help him avoid a slow start in the regular season, especially in April, as was the case in Estevez's first season in Kansas City. Could Normal Regression Be Happening? Estevez has become a fan favorite, especially for his Dragon Ball Z-inspired celebration after each and every save. It's becoming a popular trend for Royals fans to follow (and Royals broadcasters to revel in) after a Kansas City victory. However, while Estevez impressed last season with a 2.45 ERA, his FIP was 3.67, xERA 3.69, and xFIP 4.95. Furthermore, his strikeout rate dropped from 23.6% in 2024 to 20.1% in 2025, and his K-BB% declined from 17.9% to 11.9% over the same period. Hence, it's not a surprise that Estevez had only a 1.1 fWAR last year, which was the same amount he produced in 2024 with the Angels and Phillies, but in 11 fewer innings. The TJ Stats summary from last year also illustrates a closer with good stuff, but struggles to generate chase and whiffs on a regular basis. Estevez had a TJ Stuff+ of 103 overall, with pitch grades of 57 (slider) and 60 (four-seamer). That said, his chase was only 23%, his whiff was only 19%, and his xwOBACON was .386. All of those were below-average marks for Estevez last year, with his whiff rate rating especially low. ATC is projecting 32 saves in 65 IP for Estevez in 2026, according to Fangraphs. That also includes a 4.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, a 21.4% K rate, and 13.1% K-BB%. There are some improvements from last season expected for Estevez in those projections, especially in terms of K-BB% (his mark last season was his lowest mark in a single season since 2017, his second year in the Majors). Conversely, every other category in ATC's projection of him is a regression, suggesting that Estevez is unlikely to be the 42-save, sub-3.00 ERA reliever he was a year ago. The struggles this Spring Training may show that some regression is due to Estevez in this upcoming year. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean that Royals fans should automatically give up, especially after one bad outing. Even with a slightly down season, Estevez could still be a 3 to 3.50 ERA pitcher and collect 30+ saves in 2026. That's how good the stuff is (even if the chase and swing-and-miss aren't as good). This bad performance from Estevez isn't something for the Royals to freak out about just yet. Instead, it should be eye-opening and a sign that he may regress and look more mortal (i.e., less lucky) in 2026. However, he isn't going to fall off a cliff statistically for the Royals. Rather, he will just need to receive more help from other pitchers in the bullpen. With newcomers Matt Strahm, Alex Lange, and Nick Mears, as well as returners Lucas Erceg, John Schreiber, and Daniel Lynch IV, the Royals have the help Estevez may need more often than a year ago. View the full article

#9 Bishop Letson (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Biloxi Shuckers) Bishop Letson brings one of the highest-upside pitching profiles in the Brewers’ system, and showed why during his limited time on the mound in 2025. The 11th-round pick from the 2023 draft, signed by area scout Ginger Poulson, delivered dominant results when healthy, showcasing a rare blend of swing-and-miss ability, ground-ball induction, and overall stuff. Although shoulder fatigue limited him to just 41 1/3 innings, his performance during that stretch was extremely impressive. ERA FIP xFIP IP G GS CG ShO K% BB% K-BB% HR/9 SwStr% Whiff% WHIP BABIP LOB% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% HR/FB 2.40 2.59 2.70 41.1 11 9 0 0 30.8% 7.5% 23.3% 0.44 12.6% 28.0% 1.04 0.305 72.8% 14.7% 52.6% 32.6% 9.7% 6.5% What to Like Letson ranked in the 90th percentile across Minor League Baseball in both strikeout rate and ground-ball rate. This combination highlights both his ability to overpower hitters and generate weak contact. His fastball serves as the foundation of the arsenal. While the average velocity sits around 94 MPH, the pitch plays well above its radar gun reading due to elite extension and release characteristics. Letson generates approximately 7.5 feet of extension, helping the fastball to get on hitters quickly and giving it additional perceived velocity. That level of extension compares favorably to some of the most dominant power arms in the game, and it allows the pitch to miss bats consistently while also setting up the rest of his repertoire. The sweeper stands out as another potential plus offering and serves as a key secondary weapon. The pitch averages around 16 inches of glove-side movement and shows consistent shape and command against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. Letson demonstrates confidence in using the pitch in multiple counts and situations, making it a reliable swing-and-miss option, especially against righties. Beyond those two primary pitches, Letson features a deep, well-rounded mix. His sinker and changeup both project as above-average offerings. The sinker generates roughly 17 inches of arm-side run, producing significant movement and helping generate ground-ball contact. The changeup shows similar horizontal movement with roughly 18 inches of run, but adds additional vertical depth, giving it strong deception and effectiveness against opposite-handed hitters. While further separation in movement profiles between the two pitches could enhance their effectiveness, both offerings already provide value within his arsenal. During a stint on the injured list in 2025, Letson also developed a cutter that sits around 90 MPH. The pitch currently grades as average but shows encouraging traits, and given how new it is, it could also develop into an above-average offering. The presence of five usable pitches gives Letson multiple ways to attack hitters and supports a long-term starting profile. In addition to the quality of the arsenal, Letson’s delivery and overall mechanics add to his appeal. He features a fluid, repeatable motion that allows him to generate that big extension and consistent movement profiles across his pitches. What to Work On Health and durability remain the most significant areas to monitor moving forward. Shoulder fatigue limited Letson’s workload in 2025, and building the ability to handle a full-season starter’s workload will be an important step in his development. Establishing consistent availability and maintaining his stuff over longer outings will be key to reaching his ceiling. Command and overall pitch consistency also remain developmental priorities. While his walk numbers were strong in 2025, the underlying command is still developing and may face greater challenges against more advanced hitters. Continued refinement of his control within the strike zone would maximize the effectiveness of his arsenal and improve his ability to work through lineups more than two times. Separating the shape of his sinker and changeup further could also enhance the overall effectiveness of his pitch mix. While both pitches feature strong arm-side movement, adding more vertical differential between them could make each offering more difficult for hitters to recognize. Continued development of his cutter will also be important, as turning that pitch into a reliably average offering would strengthen an already deep arsenal and make him more platoon-proof. What’s Next Letson’s development in 2026 will largely center on health. If he remains healthy, can throw more innings, and builds on the dominance he showed in 2025, while beginning the year in Double-A, he has the potential to jump much higher on not only this list, but also the Top 100 lists nationally. The long-term profile points toward significant upside in a major-league rotation. With a five-pitch mix that includes multiple potential plus offerings and a delivery that features elite extension, the ingredients are present for a high-impact starter if things continue to go well—and if he’s consistently on the mound. What are your thoughts on Letson? What are you hoping to see from him in 2026? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Part one: #16-20 15. Marco Raya, RHP Age: 23 2025 Stats (AAA): 98.2 IP, 6.02 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 5.2 BB/9 During his rise through the minors, Raya has been a consistent fixture in our rankings despite several things working against him: workload restrictions, shaky control, and results that never quite matched up to the quality of his stuff. But any observer could see that quality on display — hard, high-spin breaking balls that gave older and more experienced hitters fits. Last year, Raya's momentum came to a halt in Triple-A. For the first time in his pro career, he was the one looking overwhelmed as walks, wild pitches and laborious outings piled up. It's a stumble we can excuse, given that Raya arrived in Triple-A as a 22-year-old who was promoted aggressively through the Twins' system. But now he has to rebound and prove his brutal 2025 was merely a bump in the road. He'll be aiming to do so in the bullpen. Given how little interest the Twins have shown in building up his stamina for a starting workload, this has long appeared to be the plan, but now his conversion to a reliever is all but official. That's a spot in which Raya has a very good chance to thrive, and perhaps blossom in a late-inning role — as long as he can throw strikes. For what it's worth, he's looked excellent in early spring action. 14. Quentin Young, SS Age: 18 2025 Stats (A): 22 PA, .118/.227/.118, 0 HR, 3 RBI The Twins were thinking big — literally and figuratively — when they used their second-round pick, 54th overall, to select Young in last year's draft. Turning 19 in a few days, the former prep star is already a massive specimen at 6-foot-6 and 225 lbs. His throwing and swinging strength are immense, casting the potential for a star slugger at third base or an outfield corner. (There's no way he's sticking at shortstop, even if it's technically his current position.) The question with Young is simple: Will he make enough contact to produce? That was the universal knock on him entering the draft. Baseball America describes his swing as "long, with a pronounced hitch," and such issues are not always easily solved for a guy his size. Young struck out nine times in 22 plate appearances during a brief debut at Low-A Fort Myers last year, but it says something about the team's belief in him that they sent him there directly. He will be a fun one to follow this year. 13. Brandon Winokur, SS/CF Age: 21 2025 Stats (A+): 529 PA, .226/.304/.388, 17 HR, 68 RBI It's fitting that Winokur is right next to Young in these rankings because his story and traits are remarkably similar. He's a huge right-handed hitter (6-foot-6, 210) drafted highly out of high school (third round in 2023) on the basis of his tantalizing raw tools. Like Young, Winokur shows uncommon defensive ability for a player his size, and spent a majority of his time at shortstop or center field in Cedar Rapids last year, though he did start to break in more at third. Winokur hardly dominated in his first exposure to High-A, posting a sub-.700 OPS in 122 games, but staying healthy and holding his own against more advanced competition was a win in its own right. His 17 homers and 26 steals (on 30 attempts) demonstrate what his athleticism makes possible, and his 24.7% strikeout rate — while still on the high side — was a solid improvement over 2024 (28%). 12. Andrew Morris, RHP Age: 24 2025 Stats (AAA): 94.2 IP, 4.09 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 A fourth-round draft pick out of Texas Tech in 2022, Morris enjoyed moderate success in his first full season before experiencing a full-on breakthrough in 2024. He started in High-A and finished with an effective seven-start stint at Triple-A, posting a 2.37 ERA across three levels and positioning himself for a potentially imminent big-league call-up. The 2025 season didn't quite go as planned. He got off to a pretty good start with the Saints, but in late May he started getting hit noticeably harder, and in June he went on the injured list with a forearm strain. That can be an ominous development for pitchers, but Morris came back healthy after six weeks in pitched well down the stretch, with a 3.45 ERA and 29-to-4 K/BB ratio in 31 ⅓ innings. Boasting a six-pitch mix with a mid-90s fastball, Morris doesn't get tons of whiffs and projects as more of a mid-rotation option than future ace. There's an argument for eventually having him follow Raya into a relief role, but for now Morris is an important piece of starting pitching depth for the Twins. 11. Riley Quick, RHP Age: 21 2025 Stats: DNP Quick is the third player among the five highlighted here who's listed at 6-foot-6, but the first who takes that size advantage to the pitching mound. Minnesota selected the big righty out of Alabama with their supplemental first-round pick last year, 36th overall, after he struck out 72 hitters in 60 innings with a 3.95 ERA for the Tide in his return from Tommy John surgery. He didn't make any official appearances upon joining Twins system last year, but figures to be unleashed in Single-A this year and it'll be interesting to see how he fares. No one would be surprised to see the hulking hard-thrower blow away young hitters with a fastball that reaches the upper-90s and some legit secondary offerings. Quick may be one of the best-kept secrets in the minors ... but not for long. View the full article

Spring training is never time for one's expectations to get too high or too low, and no group knows that better right now than the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays. Every team in Major League Baseball uses spring training to instill its "way" of playing. In the 1950s, Dodger executive Al Campanis famously penned the book The Dodger Way to Play Baseball that outlined the team's overall philosophy of being fundamentally sound and disciplined. To build on last year's success, the Jays will be looking to foster the attributes that made them successful in 2025: solid defence, consistent contact, aggressive baserunning and contributions from across the lineup. While these attributes aren't being described as the "Jays Way" just yet, they do align with the team's culture that continues to flourish. According to team sources, the Jays are preaching process and repetition as they gear up for the regular season, a mantra that has mattered even more following the emotional whiplash of their 2025 ride that ended two outs short of a championship. In Florida, the daily scoreboard is background noise. The foreground is footwork around the infield, the finish on a slider, the length of a secondary lead and the spring-long auditions that will inform decisions far more than any Grapefruit League standings ever could. Spring training is all about big scores and hard-to-follow box scores. Manager John Schneider has license to substitute everyone, roll innings, test matchups and even accept a tie if it keeps his arms on schedule. The results are less important than getting players reps and evaluating talent. With Sportsnet broadcasting nearly every spring training game on TV and radio, it is hard not to follow every box score and start making assumptions about how the regular season will unfold. The Jays themselves know better. Their schedule is all about workload and evaluation, not a set of mini-season verdicts. It is planned with intention, including everything from back-to-backs that test recovery to night games that simulate travel-day routines. Even split squads let the staff see twenty pitchers in the same seventy-two hours. The presence of a broadcast truck doesn’t change much for the coaching staff or front office. One front office employee recently told me that spring training is the only time during the season when the collective brain trust is all in one place at one time. They aren't just discussing what's happening that day or week, but looking into options across seasons. Following a busy offseason, spring training for the Jays is less about discovery and more about calibration. The infield is pretty well set, but after a handful of games, there might be more question marks in the outfield and pitching staff. The rotation conversations are a perfect example. Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage make up the top three of the rotation. What camp must sort out is the arrangement and approach beyond those three. Even starting Eric Lauer, fresh off his arbitration case, in spring game number one shouldn’t be overly analyzed. Cody Ponce, José Berríos and Shane Bieber are all part of the discussion, not to mention Ricky Tiedemann (depending on his health) and the recently signed Max Scherzer. The other preoccupation is the bullpen. Nearly all the new arms in camp, including Tyler Rogers, Chase Lee and Angel Bastardo have seen action in the first few games. Questions persist about Yimi García’s elbow timeline, which of the pitchers who aren’t in the starting rotation will get bumped to the bullpen and whether Jeff Hoffman’s role will change in 2026. Social media has had plenty of coverage of bullpen sessions with an arsenal of coaches standing behind the pitcher, fixated on strike percentages, groundball profiles and how quickly a reliever can repeat his delivery after a throw over. Beyond the expected configuration of the roster, the team is weighing its immediate goals and longer arcs. The club invited a meaningful cohort of non-roster players to camp, many of whom could impact the 2026 club directly or serve as credible depth by mid-summer. Arjun Nimmala is a good example. Only 20, he’s getting the at-bats and infield reps that the major league coaching staff needs to see to determine where he is in his development (and the trajectory the team will set for him). RJ Schreck, Charles McAdoo, Gage Stanifer, Chad Dallas and others populate the daily work groups, creating the kind of internal pressure that is supposed to make veterans lock in a little harder on everything from their swing to their defensive footwork. Spring is an ecosystem in which star names are the focus, but the subplots are almost more enticing. For the defending American League champions, there is an external impulse to treat spring as a referendum on whether the team is serious about a repeat performance. The Jays’ offseason won't end with a ring ceremony. It ended with the quiet building of a roster to prevent runs more efficiently up the middle, spread power throughout the order and lengthen a pitching staff whose postseason usage revealed both strengths and stress points. Camp is where the deepening of the outfield and internal improvements can be pressure-tested to see what works and what might still need to be upgraded or tweaked. Multiple studies have found that spring training results, whether at the team level or for individual hitters, rarely correlate with regular season outcomes. One analysis put the correlation between spring records and regular season win totals at roughly five percent. Even attempts to dig deeper, like looking at big spring slugging spikes to forecast power breakouts, seem to fizzle when tested rigorously. Scores and stats in the spring are somewhat irrelevant when it is all said and done. Take, for instance, the 2012 Blue Jays who posted the best record (24-7) in the Grapefruit League and finished 16 games under .500 that season. If this year’s edition starts 10–15 in camp or rips off 10 wins in two weeks, it has little to no impact on the 90 to 100 actual decisions they’ll win or lose following Opening Day. As a fan, you might want to take a closer look at how Davis Schneider or Addison Barger are controlling the zone and carrying high-quality contact regardless of who is on the mound. For Andrés Giménez, the conversation should not be about his March slash line but about his first-step reads to his right, the 90th-percentile throw on a backhand behind the bag, his communication with Clement on feeds they’ll repeat 400 times during the year. Spring is where those read-and-react patterns become muscle memory. In Kazuma Okamoto’s case, he’s looking to transfer his NPB success to MLB through timing, angles, and adjustments, so spring offers a lower-consequence lab for that process. Spring training is also where a clubhouse culture begins to take shape. And don’t forget that everyone needs to work out the kinks of the new automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system. One thing is for sure: Opening Day is right around the corner, and that’s when the results really matter. 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Enjoy new episodes of our Miami Marlins livestreams throughout 2026 spring training. Every week, Fish On First staffers answer your questions and provide in-depth analysis of the team leading up to Opening Day. Thursday's show was hosted by Jeremiah Geiger and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral. The following topics were covered: Braxton Garrett's first spring start and the projected starting rotation Liam Hicks thriving, Owen Caissie struggling early Injury updates on Janson Junk, Andrew Nardi, Graham Pauley and Anthony Bender Is there room for Josh White in the Opening Day bullpen? The Marlins have a 3-3 record so far in Grapefruit League play. They've used a total of 82 different players. Starting rotation candidates are getting built up for multi-inning appearances beginning with Robby Snelling on Friday. World Baseball Classic participants will be leaving this weekend to report to their respective country's training camp. Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic), Owen Caissie (Canada), Liam Hicks (Canada), Otto Lopez (Canada), Jakob Marsee (Canada) and Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic) are among the Marlins competing in the tournament. View the full article

The very early indications are that Liam Hicks will be more of a power threat in 2026. Fish On First LIVE discusses what that could mean for his fit on the Marlins roster.View the full article

DUNEDIN—Back in November, the Miami Marlins began the annual revamp of their social media and marketing approach. While it might have been easy to miss the new fonts, designs, etc., to those who don't pay attention to those sorts of things—unlike some nerds out there— they have fully leaned into one particular phrase for the 2026 season: "Fightin' Fish." The term was popularized decades ago shortly after the team's inception, but it got real legs again a season ago when Kyle Stowers said it to a stadium full of Marlins faithful following his Opening Day walk-off. "Fightin' Fish" picked up more steam as the season rolled on. MLB's youngest roster was projected to finish near the 100-loss mark scratched, only to claw to a 79-83 record on the backs of absurd comeback wins and all-around team performances to take down giants across the league. As observed during Thursday afternoon's 8-7 win in Dunedin against the reigning AL champion Toronto Blue Jays, the mantra indeed carried over from 2025, and it doesn't stop at the big league level. Miami's starting nine combined for only six hits and two runs. The improbable, late-inning rally was fueled by spring training non-roster invitees and even minor league camp players. "The group that came in for the back half of that game for them to come out and play the way, it just shows a lot about not just what we saw a lot at the major league level last year, but also how guys go about it, I think just organizationally," said Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough postgame. "We have a lot of players that just love to compete and play the game the right way." In the top of the eighth inning, a couple of walks, a hit by pitch and a single set the table for Jesús Sánchez trade acquisition Chase Jaworsky, and the 21-year-old delivered with a bases-clearing triple. An inning later, a Bennett Hostetler single and Chris Arroyo RBI groundout put the Marlins on top, and for good, to clinch their third win of the spring. "Fightin' Fish," added McCullough with a smile. "Our guys are proud of the fact that what we get known for is that you just hang in there and you play, you play every game out all the way 'til the end, no matter what. That's your job. But, also it becomes you find yourself in some situations like today, where you do enough to find a way win games that didn't look so so great there towards the end." Brax is Back It would be common practice to assume that once you've done anything 65 times, you would be quite comfortable doing said action. Alas, when said task is stepping on a major league mound and going opposite the best players in the world for the first time in nearly two years, it's not that easy. "I was definitely a little nervous," said southpaw Braxton Garrett minutes after his first big league outing since June of 2024 and spring training appearance since 2023. "Adrenaline was going. I say nervous, but I'm really excited. It's been a long time pitching on the big league mounds, where I've dreamed of my whole life. It's been a long time, so I definitely felt some nerves getting back out there for the first time." The first-round pick from a decade ago enjoyed a sound 2023 campaign, making 31 starts while boasting a 3.66 ERA. Then the injury bug bit him repeatedly, just as he began to find his footing. Garrett didn't make a start in the spring of 2024 due to a shoulder impingement before being sidelined a few months later with what ended up turning into his second Tommy John surgery in December 2024. Although Garrett allowed two runs to pass due to shaky defense and back-to-back walks to kick off his start, there was much more gratitude than frustration once removed. The southpaw ended up going just one inning, allowing two hits and notching one strikeout looking. "It felt awesome. It was really cool," Garrett added. "Getting in front of the fans again, facing big league hitters. It's a lot of fun, a lot of adrenaline—stuff I haven't been used to in the last year. I was trying to get aggressive in the zone. I wasn't very successful with that early. I'm not happy about that, but trying to keep good perspective. It's been a long time since I've been out there. We got some stuff to work on, but we have a lot of time to do it." Notes and Quotes - Fish On First's #1 and #13 prospects in Thomas White and Karson Milbrandt, respectively, made their spring debuts following Garrett's departure. Like Garrett, White allowed two runs to score in contrast to Milbrandt's two-strikeout, one-hit frame. A visibly frustrated White told the media his "mechanics felt off" with his four-seam, but something that will be focused on and corrected. - Continuing a trend from a year ago, Liam Hicks produced with two outs and runners in scoring position in the third, plating Miami's first run of the afternoon. "He had a great offseason," said McCullough. "Right now, Liam just looks physically different, and we're seeing the great early signs with he is getting some balls, and the authority which he's hitting them to the full side is a great sign that's going to give us a chance to see Liam tap into some more power and some more slug to go along with already what is a really good ability to discern the strike zone and put the ball in play. And I think now he's just gaining more confidence." - Stowers recorded his first Grapefruit League hit of 2026, a single up the middle against two-time All-Star Kevin Gausman in the first. - Joe Mack picked up his third hit of the spring with a knock to right. The backstop is up to .429 with a grand slam in three games. - Thursday's matchup between Miami and Toronto was the first time the two have met in spring since 2009, and the first since at least 2003 that the Fish have traveled to TD Ballpark. Up Next The Fish wrap up their once-a-year west coast trip down the road in Clearwater on Friday afternoon against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. Robby Snelling is lined up to make his second start of the spring, coming off a 1-2-3 inning in game one against the New York Mets. First pitch from BayCare Ballpark is slated for 1:05. View the full article

While he was on a limited workload, LHP Dasan Hill impressed many over his first season in pro ball. He made it up to High-A Cedar Rapids to end 2025, but will he remain there for all of 2026 to improve his command of the strike zone? View the full article