Melbourne recently released a membership video that leaned into the cliches and the disappointment – one of the better executed and coherent offerings from the club in recent years. They were eight wins off finals last year. But they beat Brisbane at the Gabba, nearly beat Collingwood twice and ran top-placed Adelaide close. They lost half a dozen games by eight points or less.
Clippers vs Warriors best bet: Clippers moneyline (-125)
The Los Angeles Clippers are right on the Golden State Warriors’ heels in the West, sitting in ninth with a 28-31 record. The Clips pulled out a thrilling 103-102 victory over their Pacific Division rivals on January 5.
Ty Lue’s squad got back on track on Sunday with a huge victory over the Pelicans, and the Clippers have won three of their last five road games, beating a few good teams during that span, like the Timberwolves, Rockets, and Nuggets.
Golden State is still without Steph Curry, and it's 4-6 in its last 10, losing three of its previous four contests at home.
Clippers vs Warriors same-game parlay
Kawhi Leonard has turned back the clock, averaging 27.9 points per game. He’s stayed healthy, and it’s paid off.
The veteran has cashed the Over in points in two of his last three appearances, posting 30+ in both of those games.
Brook Lopez is one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA, averaging 1.5 makes on 4.2 attempts for a 35.2% clip. Lopez just drained 4 of 7 threes on Sunday against New Orleans, and he was also 2-for-7 last week against the Timberwolves.
Clippers vs Warriors SGP
Clippers moneyline
Kawhi Leonard Over 27.5 points
Brook Lopez Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Jones Keeps Up
Derrick Jones Jr. has cashed the Over in points in five of his last six appearances.
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By the second half of 2025, Brooks Baldwin had established a truly impressive launch angle at bat. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
I really hate to keep beating the same drum, but I’m going to continue to be on the record as believing that the make-or-break aspect of the next would-be competitive era of White Sox baseball — the aspect that Rick Hahn and friends utterly failed at from 2017-19 — is going to be whether they can find at least a couple All-Stars or solid starters out of the scrap heap. In other words, unexpected help that picks up the slack when all of the prospects aren’t magically good at the same time the moment they hit the big leagues — a concept that Rick Hahn always seemed a little bit challenged by.
As I’ve blabbed about a million times before, the Cubs don’t win in 2016 without Jake Arrieta. In Houston José Altuve was barely a Top 100 prospect, Dallas Keuchel never came close to sniffing a prospect list, and Marwin González was a critical cog in their championship roster. The Orioles may have blown their shot, but they wouldn’t have even had one if they hadn’t gotten more than 500 extra-base hits from the previously-anonymous Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins over a five-year stretch.
Things look more promising for the Sox this time around. When the decision was made to tear down the core that brought home the 2021 AL Central crown, nobody knew that Shane Smith was going to be in the plans as a Top 3 starter, and I can’t think of another Sox prospect who’s ever rebounded from “seems like a bust” to “possibly a superstar” like Colson Montgomery.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be identifying and breaking down five players on the Sox roster who could potentially be those unexpected building blocks — and what it means for the team if it ever comes to fruition.
Let’s get straight to the point here. I want you to look at an assortment of hand-picked stats from three young Sox players, measured from July 3-onward last year.
Player A, as you’ve probably gathered from the massive slugging number and perhaps conspicuous cutoff date, is Colson Montgomery. Player B probably isn’t hard to pin down as Kyle Teel, who’s probably second to Montgomery in terms of excitement generated for future Sox teams, and whose numbers are particularly exciting for a solid receiver behind the plate.
Player C, though? That’s Brooks Baldwin, who was called back up to the majors on July 1 last season and proceeded to hold his own with the best of the Sox young talent the rest of the way (albeit with a bit less playing time). It’s not an exaggeration to say that he came as close to matching Montgomery’s absurd second-half output as anybody else on the Sox, especially when you look at the batted-ball metrics.
Interesting! Very Interesting!
Let’s turn this into a quick deep-ish dive on what exactly happened between his initial demotion in May and final recall to Chicago in July. I found a real short answer: He figured out how to hit fastballs in the air instead of on the ground.
In fact, I wrote this entire article before I realized video existed of the kid going oppo-taco on a Spencer Strider fastball. The same Spencer Strider whose entire shtick is, hey, you can’t hit me because I consistently throw a four-seamer up in the zone faster than you can blink.
Baldwin’s bat speed isn’t elite, but it’s not unplayable either. Even when he’s struggled, he’s made solid contact, posting above-average exit velocities at every measured level. When he came back from Charlotte at the beginning of July, all of that hard contact suddenly started going places where it could do actual damage. His overall fly ball percentage jumped from 30% to 48% after that call-up!
I’m pretty embarrassed I didn’t notice it before. It didn’t take a lot more diving to locate the specific place of improvement, either.
The game is largely moving away from traditional fastballs, but pitchers are always going to have to throw them. The key for Baldwin is to avoid getting himself out on breaking stuff. There are a solid number of solid big-leaguers who make a living off of hammering fastballs. It’s plenty conceivable that Baldwin could become one of them.
The flip side is that Baldwin’s tendency to chase is still worrisome. Even after he started being awesome against heaters (I specifically love how he took his average launch angle against sinkers from a virtually flat one degree all the way up to 16, solidly in line drive territory) he still offered at pitches out of the zone at a rate near the bottom of the league. Damage against fastballs doesn’t matter if pitchers can spam breaking balls and offspeed pitches and get away with it most of the time.
Still, there’s still a much wider range of outcomes with Baldwin than many of us are giving him credit for. Defensive metrics have panned his work pretty much across the board, but he’s plenty fleet of foot, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Baseball Savant’s sprint speed metric. It also thinks he has a solid enough arm, one that will play all across the diamond even if it’s nothing special. Contrasted with someone like Lenyn Sosa, whose lack of lateral speed and overall athleticism put a hard cap on his defensive ceiling, Baldwin still has room for improvement. This is not the guy who has the tools of a negative defender.
Now, to zoom out of the nitty-gritty. Let’s assume July-August-September Baldwin is what we actually get this season. Pencil in a 120 wRC+ switch hitter who isn’t better-than-average at any position, but can give any of your regulars a breather on any given day. He’s going to walk and strike out at rates around league average, and he’s got enough speed to do some damage on the basepaths. Project it out over 500-odd trips to the plate, and you get a guy who might push 20-20 without even locking down a regular position.
In what world were the 2026 White Sox supposed to have a guy like that that we didn’t already know about?
Did I just accidentally describe peak Ben Zobrist when trying to come up with a comp for Brooks Baldwin? Maybe I did! So sue me. This is the thought experiment right here, guys. Does anyone expect every single one of the farm system’s ranked prospects to hit their ceilings any more than they did the last time? I’m sure one of these years, we’ll finally witness long-awaited glory from a rotation topped by Jon Rauch, Matt Ginter, and Dan Wright.
If the 2027 or 2028 White Sox are going to be competitive, it’s not going to be because of Teel, Edgar Quero, the Montgomerys, and Roch Cholowsky.
(Pause for dramatic effect)
That’s a lie! Of course it’s going to be because of them. A better way of putting that might be to say that if the 2027 or 2028 Sox want a shot at being 100-win juggernaut instead of a 92-win question mark or 84-win flop, it’s not going be because the top prospects clicked; it’s going to be because someone like Brooks Baldwin turned into a poor-but-not-necessarily-crazy-poor man’s Ben Zobrist, and nobody saw it coming. Nobody but us, of course.
It could just as easily be that Baldwin reverts to the 60 wRC+ hitter he was for the first 80-odd games of his big league career. It’s almost famously common knowledge by now that September stats have, broadly speaking, no real correlation with performance the following season. But hey, tell that to Lenyn Sosa in September 2024.
If Baldwin does anything in 2026 akin to how Sosa followed up on that scorching-hot September, there’s no telling how the calculus on this team’s roster might be changed seven months from now.
Rockets vs Wizards best bet: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points (-120)
Kevin Durant has been a beast since the All-Star break, cashing the Over in points in four of six games.
The Houston Rockets superstar just torched the Magic for 40 last week, and then he went off for another 32 points on Saturday night against the Heat. Durant is averaging 28 PPG on the road this season, which is just above his season average of 26.2 points.
A homecoming for Durant will always provide some extra motivation, and he did score 23 against the Washington Wizards earlier in the campaign.
Rockets vs Wizards same-game parlay
Alperen Sengun is averaging 6.3 assists per game, and he’s cashed the Over in dimes in four of his last six games since the break. Sengun already dished out six assists against the Wizards earlier in the campaign, and Washington allows the second-most dimes in the Association.
Tari Eason isn’t a household name, but he’s proven to be a key piece for the Rockets lately, hitting the Over in four of his last five outings.
The 24-year-old had 11 rebounds on Saturday, and another eight last Thursday against the Magic.
Rockets vs Wizards SGP
Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 5.5 assists
Tari Eason Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Everybody Beats the Wiz
Houston has won six in a row against Washington, and they’ve covered the 15.5-point spread in back-to-back meetings.
Over/Under: Over 224.5 (-110) | Under 224.5 (-110)
Rockets vs Wizards betting trend to know
The Houston Rockets have hit the Game Total Under in 25 of their last 35 games (+14.00 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Wizards.
How to watch Rockets vs Wizards
Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, MNMT
Rockets vs Wizards latest injuries
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While much of the attention through the first few weeks of Spring Training has been on the Braves pitching staff, the Braves offense has been the source of much success so far. Power has been on full display from just about everyone, from newcomers such as Mike Yastrzemski to emerging prospects like John Gil. Of course, the mainstays are also getting in on the fun, including Austin Riley. Riley went deep for the second time on Sunday, and has looked locked in so far this Spring. If Riley can return to his 2022-2023 form, the Braves offense can be among the best in baseball once again.
Braves made their first round of cuts, including reliever Hunter Stratton and utilityman Nacho Alvarez. Most of the cuts were to free players up to join their respective WBC clubs.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”
Consider this a bonus daily question to answer in the comments below: What cap should Freeman wear when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Start your Monday off by seeing the reception Shohei Ohtani received when arrived in Osaka for Japan’s final two tuneups before the World Baseball Classic, from Theo DeRosa at MLB.com.
Speaking of World Baseball Classic news, old friend Ryan Yarbrough was added to the United States roster for pool play, replacing Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. Yarbrough pitched for the Dodgers in parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and is currently with the Yankees.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Blaze Alexander #23 of the Baltimore Orioles throws the ball during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A month ago, most Orioles fans probably had no idea who Blaze Alexander was. After all, how many of us pay close attention to the utility players on the 4th-place team in the NL West? Most Orioles fans’ interest in the Diamondbacks likely ended last season just after former friend Corbin Burnes tore his UCL in early June. And yet, the newly-acquired utility man is set to play a big role with the O’s in 2026.
Of all the trades Mike Elias & Co. pulled off in the offseason, the one for Alexander seemingly caught the fanbase most offguard. Trades for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz filled obvious needs. The trade for Alexander, however, saw the Baltimore weaken an already shaky bullpen by dealing middle reliever Kade Strowd (and minor leaguers Wellington Aracena and José Mejia) to Arizona. The fanbase started to warm to the idea of Alexander as we collectively realized that he’s a plus defender who can cover 2B, 3B, SS and CF.
Then the injuries in the infield started to pile up. Ten days after the Orioles acquired Alexander, it was announced that Jackson Holliday would likely start the season on the IL after breaking the hamate bone in his right hand. Nine days after that, Elias announced that Jordan Westburg will miss at least the first month of the season with a partial UCL tear—which would sideline him for the whole season if it requires Tommy John surgery. And so, in the span of three weeks, the newest Oriole infielder went from nice depth piece to likely Opening Day starter.
In his brief big league career, Alexander has been more about potential than actual production. In just under 400 career ABs, the 26-year-old has a triple slash of .237/.32232/.366 with 50 runs, 19 doubles, 10 HRs and 50 RBIs. His numbers at the plate mirror his power-over-hit profile as a prospect, as he had a 40-grade hit tool in the minors compared to a 50-grade power tool. His best tools, however, were his 55-grade speed and 70-grade throwing arm. We’ve seen both of those tools play at the big-league level, though the plus speed hasn’t translated into many stolen bases (seven in 14 attempts).
Once Holliday is healthy in April, Alexander’s long-term role will largely depend on two things: how well he hits left-handed pitching and how well Coby Mayo adapts to playing 3B. In 145 career ABs against LHPs, Alexander holds a .269 average and .800 OPS. His positional versatility means he could spell Holliday at 2B or Colton Cowser in CF against southpaws, depending on which of the Orioles regular starters struggles more against lefties.
Mayo’s ability to stick at 3B (assuming Westburg can’t avoid surgery) will ultimately determine if Alexander is a regular starter for the majority of 2026. The South Florida native Mayo undoubtedly has higher offensive upside than his fellow Floridian Alexander. Mayo finished last season hitting .301 with a .941 OPS in September, and has carried that hot streak into this Spring Training by hitting .500 with a 1.095 in Grapefruit League play.
The question that will ultimately decide Alexander’s playing time is whether the coaching staff is comfortable with Mayo’s defense at third. New skipper Craig Albernaz has used Mayo almost exclusively at 3B this Spring. And while the 24-year-old seems to be getting a little more comfortable at the hot corner as we get closer to Opening Day, his defense is still noticeably worse than what Westburg and Alexander offer. If Mayo continues to provide passable defense, Alexander returns to the super utility role he was originally intended to play. If not, Alexander could find himself as the regular starting 3B going forward.
FanGraphs and Baseball Reference both project Alexander to set career highs in games played and plate appearances with the O’s this season. Last year with the Diamondbacks, the 26-year-0ld played in 74 games and registered 266 PAs. FanGraphs projects Alexander to play in 117 games with 459 PAs. Baseball Reference is slightly less aggressive with its projections, projecting Alexander to compile 352 PAs in 2026—a number more in line with what we’ve seen from Ramón Urías the last two seasons. The full projections are as follows
The Orioles don’t need Alexander to become a completely different player than what he showed in Arizona. They acquired him to be a more defensively versatile Jorge Mateo and provide the O’s much-needed infield depth. If he can do that while providing some offensive value against LHPs, he’ll more than earn his spot on the roster. In fact, Baltimore would probably prefer that Alexander not be forced to assume a bigger role, because that’d mean either Mayo made a significant leap defensively or Westburg avoided surgery.
And yet, we can also hold out hope that Alexander will become the unexpected, unsung hero of the 2026 Orioles. We’ve seen players like Mateo, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano all take advantage of unexpected playing time to carve out bigger roles on Orioles teams of yesteryears. There’s no reason Alexander can’t be that player for this year’s Orioles.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Kevin McGonigle #85 of the Detroit Tigers hits a triple during the first inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on February 28, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy March, everyone! It might seem like Spring Training just got underway, but we’re also already in the same month where MLB games will return to our lives after the long drought of winter. Plus, we’re officially in World Baseball Classic week, as the games will get going this Thursday. We look forward to seeing a lot of Tigers players compete for their countries, and hopefully not make enemies of their own Detroit teammates along the way.
We’ve got some fun tidbits today, including a look at the team’s hottest prospect, and also a seasoned veteran who is relying on his teammates to give him feedback and get him season ready. Plus a look at which team (and which player) might be benefitting the most from the ABS system.
The No. 2 prospect in baseball has raked everywhere in the minors, only slowed by injuries in the two years since the Tigers took him with their second pick in the 2023 draft. He isn’t blocked by a real shortstop in Detroit — the Javier Báez comeback didn’t last, as he hit .223/.230/.318 in the second half with one (1) walk and 46 strikeouts in 153 PA. McGonigle’s not a great shortstop defensively, but he’ll be passable for now, and his bat should more than make up for his lack of plus range.
Verlander is putting in the reps to get ready for the season.
Justin Verlander threw two innings of live batting practice, and through the work, he repeatedly questioned hitters Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling about how they were seeing his stuff, and asked the staff about his velocity, which started at 91 mph and reached 94-95 mph range… pic.twitter.com/kNsCgMP7u7
Sure looks like the secret to being good at ABS challenges is… just to be PJ Higgins.
Already atop the catcher leaderboards in Spring Training after being head-and-shoulders ahead of everyone else in Triple-A last year. pic.twitter.com/WGiCtXLSnq
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 28, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It was really good and performed really well to both sides, lefties and righties,” Ragans said. “I could take it in the zone, out of the zone. It was firm. It was exactly what I wanted.”
In ‘24, the pitch was more inconsistent for Ragans, but he made do with what he had and still got fairly good results with it. He tweaked the grip heading into last year, and it was back to getting swing and miss and some chase in Ragans’ limited time on the mound – but the movement wasn’t what Ragans wanted.
“It got super depthy and was almost a baby curveball,” Ragans said. “… It was bigger and inconsistent. And just depthy, just straight down. I got some chase with it, some swing and miss with it, but it’s more so about putting it in the zone. I could never throw an 0-0 slider last year. In the grand scheme of things, I didn’t do well with that. And it’s something I do want to do.”
Add up the instances and what Jac Caglianone did to that baseball on Thursday has happened just 27 times in the regular season since 2008.
Sure, it’s spring training, but Jac Caglianone hit a baseball 120.2 mph! It was 120.2 mph!!! That moment, that destruction, is why the Royals are going to put him in the lineup pretty much every single day. Oh, and the fences at The K are coming in. What I’m saying is that when it comes to Cags, keep the faith. This could be quite fun.
I think Bergert is the clear six right now, fighting with Noah Cameron to make the Opening Day rotation and ready if any of the others get hurt during spring. The seven now is either Luinder Avila, who Matt Quatraro continues to rave about, Mason Black, who has been outstanding this spring, or Bailey Falter, who is said to look great. I mentioned Kudrna had a tough day yesterday, well, he’s had a tough spring overall with eight runs on nine hits allowed in 3.1 innings with three walks. He’s…out. Steven Zobac is the other starter who could enter the fray, but I think he’s more of a midseason depth add.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using a tilt-shift lens) A general view of the stadium as Cody Bolton #67 of the Houston Astros during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros are reportedly signing right-handed pitcher Danel Reyes, according to Francys Romero on X. Reyes is an 18-year-old arm out of Cuba with intriguing upside.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander is viewed as an athletic pitcher with a fastball that already reaches 93 MPH. He first emerged as a notable prospect while pitching for Cuba’s 2022 U-15 World Cup team and has continued to draw attention for his projectable frame and arm strength. The deal is currently pending a physical.
Reyes has been battling to sign since 2023 and appears he will have a deal with Houston. Reyes adds another high-upside, projectable arm to the Astros’ system and will further bolster an international signing class that has already featured several notable additions.
Happy March, everyone! It feels like Spring Training only just got started, but we’re already at World Baseball Classic week as the games get underway on Thursday March 5th. It’s crazy to think that we were just complaining how it felt like winter would never end, and now we’re in the same month that will se MLB games return at last!
We’ve got some fun tidbits to get your week started, as Aaron Judge shares his committment to bringing a WBC victory home for Team USA, while Shohei Ohtani was busy dazzling Japanese fans with his batting practice as he prepared for the big event.
Plus, a little look at the likely lineups for Opening Day (never too soon to get excited), and the Cardinals have decided to stick with Oliver Marmol for at least another two years.
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Jake Bauers (9) celebrates his two run home run with catcher William Contreras (24) and first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Brewers ended last season with a prominent figure in their first base rotation that no one saw coming, who wasn’t even in the organization at the beginning of last season. But Andrew Vaughn, who seized the job after Rhys Hoskins (who has now departed the club) was injured and the Brewers traded Aaron Civale for him, figures to play a big part in 2026 as well. Vaughn presents one of the team’s biggest questions for this season: Can he come anywhere close to repeating his production from last season?
There are a couple of other players who figure to man first base for the Brewers at some point this season, one of whom may be hoping to get a significant — and probably final — opportunity with the major league club. Let’s check out the names in play for games at first base this season, and take a brief glance toward the future.
Andrew Vaughn
We’re all familiar with Vaughn’s story by now. No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft. A top 20 overall prospect. Debuted two years later at 23. Topped 15 homers in each of his first four seasons. But his progress stagnated fairly quickly, and as an offensive player, Vaughn appeared to have peaked early — his best OPS+ to date was in 2022, his second year, when he hit .271/.321/.429 with 17 homers in 134 games. Add to it that Vaughn was first used in the outfield by the White Sox — where he should absolutely not have been playing — and was then moved to first base, where he didn’t grade out particularly well defensively. His start in 2025 was so bad that Chicago demoted him to the minors, and then took the opportunity to send him to Milwaukee for Civale.
At the time of the trade, Vaughn didn’t figure to play into the Brewers’ plans. Hoskins was healthy, and Vaughn had given no reason to play him. He was only 27, but it looked like his career was in jeopardy. But getting out of Chicago turned out to be a very good thing for Vaughn: he showed some life at Triple-A Nashville, and when Hoskins got hurt just after the Fourth of July, Vaughn got his opportunity and did not disappoint.
In his first 33 games with Milwaukee, Vaughn hit .325/.394/.600, hit six doubles and nine homers, and knocked in a remarkable 35 runs. He showed a knack for getting the big hit, and “King Vaughn” quickly became a cult hero of sorts. While he cooled off a little in the last month-and-a-half of the season, Vaughn still posted a 142 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR in just 64 games as a Brewer.
The question now is whether those 64 games were a blip or whether Vaughn is a good offensive player who needed to get out of a bad situation in Chicago. He has shown an ability to hit over his career, but in four-plus years with the White Sox, he had an OPS+ under 100 (97). That’s a long track record, and the major reason to be skeptical of his one-third-of-a-season in Milwaukee. That skepticism is apparent in Vaughn’s projections; for example, ZiPS projects Vaughn for a 100 wRC+ (20 homers, but just a .244/.305/.413 batting line) and 0.5 WAR. Others are similar.
But the optimistic take is that the wake-up call of getting sent to the minors, plus a better coaching staff in Milwaukee, has unlocked Vaughn’s significant bat-to-ball skills. One way this is apparent is in Vaughn’s walk rate, which jumped from 3.6% to 9.4% between his time in Chicago and Milwaukee last season; the 9.4% walk rate he posted in Milwaukee would have been a career high over a full season. Vaughn also wasn’t, apparently, a beneficiary of good luck last season: he really was scalding the ball. There’s a ton of red on his 2025 Statcast page, and maybe he was just on a heater, but he wasn’t getting bloop singles or benefitting from bad defense.
That’s the biggest reason for optimism here, and he’s off to a good start this spring: he is hitting .429/.529/.643 through five games.
Jake Bauers
Another player who needs to prove that late-season improvements were for real is Vaughn’s backup/platoon mate, Jake Bauers.
Bauers was another highly regarded prospect — he was in the top 50 in Baseball America’s 2018 rankings — but he was never able to come through on his promise after debuting in 2018 and has bounced around the league ever since. The Brewers, with whom he landed in 2024, are his fifth major league team.
Pat Murphy seemed to take a liking to Bauers in 2024; he had a good, reliable glove at first base and had enough pop that he could run into a ball, making him a good option off the bench. But the overall numbers still weren’t great: despite 12 homers in only 346 plate appearances, Bauers hit just .199, had an 84 OPS+, and had -0.4 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
But he stuck around in 2025, and his overall numbers improved in 2025, and much of those improvements came after a stint on the IL that caused him to miss about a month between late July and late August. After returning, though, Bauers smoked the ball: he hit .321/.433/.500 with four doubles, two homers, and 10 RBIs in 67 plate appearances between his return on August 23 and the end of the season. That carried into the postseason; he was 4-for-13 (.308) with a double and a homer in five postseason games.
Were his late-season adjustments real? Bauers looked like a real threat in the postseason when hardly anyone else on the team was hitting. He has the tools to be a solid offensive player if he’s figured something out: he has a solid .179 isolated power number over the last three seasons, and should be a source of homers for the club, even in limited duty.
Bauers also offers the Brewers flexibility in one other respect: while he is by no means a good outfielder, he is capable of playing there, and indeed appears to be a preferred defensive option in left field to the aging Christian Yelich at this point.
For now, Bauers and Vaughn are likely platoon at first. Bauers posted a .769 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2025 (and was given only 17 plate appearances against lefties) while Vaughn crushed lefties, with an .859 OPS (and just .661 against right-handers).
Tyler Black
Tyler Black is doing everything he can to get a job this spring, but it’s very possible that it won’t be entirely up to him. Strong minor league seasons in 2022 and 2023 got Black into top 100 prospect lists heading into 2024, but a lack of opportunities and an offensive step back at Triple-A Nashville have hurt his stock. And while he did get a brief major league debut in 2024, Black has appeared in just 23 games over the past two seasons. Now he’s 25, and it feels like if the Brewers don’t see something from him in a sustained way at the major league level, he might be on his way out of the organization.
Black’s superpower is a fantastic batter’s eye. He’s got a 15.7% walk percentage in five minor league seasons, and that’s translated to the majors (in an admittedly tiny sample size), where he’s walked 12 times in 70 plate appearances (17.1% rate). But Black doesn’t boast the kind of power you’d like from a major league first baseman: while he’s a good contact hitter, he has just average power, with 42 homers in 386 minor league games (and a career high of 18). He hit just five home runs in 2025, one of which came while he was rehabbing at the Arizona Complex League.
But back to this spring: it’s only been four games, but he’s 8-for-12 with four extra-base hits (two doubles, a triple, a homer) in 13 plate appearances. Of course, all of those at-bats came in February, when pitchers aren’t exactly locked in, but it seems like Black is making a statement: “Please don’t forget about me.”
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to see where Black figures into the Brewers’ plans, barring an injury to Bauers. He has played third base in the minors, but if he were a viable defensive option there, the Brewers would likely not have signed Luis Rengifo. All accounts are that his defense at third is not a viable major league option; his future is likely at first base or in one of the outfield corners.
If a Brewer regular does get injured, Black is likely to be one of the primary alternatives: he might get the first call with an injury to an outfielder, a first baseman, or to designated hitter Christian Yelich. Obviously, we hope no one gets injured, but Black is still intriguing enough that many fans — myself included — would like to see him get an extended run in the majors to see what he can do. Whether it happens this season or not is a major question, but as Black approaches his 26th birthday in late July, he may be running out of time with the Brewer organization.
Who might be coming next?
Beyond Black, the Brewers have several intriguing minor league hitters who are either already playing first base or may end up there. Very quickly:
Luke Adams was drafted in the 12th round in 2022 out of high school, and in his first three full seasons as a Brewer minor leaguer, he has shown off an incredible amount of patience: if Black’s 15.7% minor league walk percentage is impressive, what does that make Adams’ Soto-like 17.6% walk rate? Adams’ power needs to develop — he’s hit 11 home runs in each of the last three seasons, though he did that in significantly fewer games in 2025 than in the two seasons prior — but if he can develop into his considerable 6-foot-4 frame, he could be a major league player.
The only other two players I’m going to mention here are both considered third basemen at this point, but may or may not stick there. The first is last year’s first-round pick, Andrew Fischer. Fischer (who hit a bomb in Saturday’s spring training game) was one of the best college hitters in the country in 2025 and then hit .311/.402/.446 in his professional debut in 19 games at High-A Wisconsin. His offensive game is tantalizing, and he could progress quickly through the Brewers’ system. He figures to start at Double-A Biloxi this season. He might be able to stick at third base, but given how much middle-infield talent exists in the Brewers’ minor league system at this point, a move to first might be down the line.
Defensively, Brock Wilken is in the same boat. He’s been playing exclusively third base in the Brewers’ system, but while he’s viewed as capable there, it doesn’t figure to be one of his strengths. Wilken had an impressive season in 2025, after his 2024 season was derailed by a pitch to the face in April of that season. In 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, Wilken played only 79 games but hit 18 homers and 17 doubles in just 344 plate appearances; he also walked a whole bunch, and put together a .226/.387/.489 batting line. The Brewers started Wilken at first base in their spring training contest on Monday, so even though he’s played exclusively third in the minors, they’re obviously starting to think about him as a first baseman. He figures to start at Triple-A Nashville and could conceivably make a major league debut this season.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: T.J. Rumfield #64 of the Colorado Rockies greets Braxton Fulford #37 after hitting a two-RBI home run during the eighth inning of the spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First baseman T.J. Rumfield’s life took a turn on January 28, 2026, when he found himself traded to the Colorado Rockies:
The Rockies announced today they have acquired Minor League 1B T.J. Rumfield from the New York Yankees in exchange for RHP Angel Chivilli. pic.twitter.com/0NfWWaJIk5
Rumfield was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 and was traded to the New York Yankees in November of that year. He was successful in the Yankees farm system, even earning a Gold Glove in 2023, but between Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice, it was clear there was not place for him on the Yankees roster.
A Yankees surplus fit a Rockies area of need following their decision to DFA Michael Toglia last winter.
President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta sent RHP Angel Chivilli to the Bronx in return for Rumfield, who learned about the trade while preparing for spring training at their complex in Tampa, Florida.
“I got a call from our farm director, Kevin Reese, with the New York Yankees,” Rumfield said. “He asked me if I was at the field, and I told him ‘No,’ and he said, ‘Well, you’re gonna have a new address’ and that sort of thing. So that’s basically how that happened. And I basically picked myself up, moved from Tampa all the way out here to Arizona.”
Settling in with a new team
So far, Rumfield is fitting in with a rebuilding Rockies.
“It’s been going good,” he said. “I feel like all the guys are super welcoming, and everybody’s talking to each other in the game, communicating. I feel like it’s just been a really welcoming environment.”
And although he’s admittedly new, what he’s seen so far is encouraging.
“From what I’m getting so far, it’s been a really positive environment,” Rumfield said. “I feel like we’re heading in the right direction, and everybody seems to be getting along, and we have a shared vision and focus.”
He’s had a successful spring training — more on that in a moment — but for Rumfield, it marks years of hard work coming together.
“I think it’s just a culmination of hard work over the course of my career,” he said, “like playing with the Yankees for last five seasons, being drafted by the Phillies. It’s just all those years of hard work finally coming to like a fruition.”
Looking ahead, he just wants to be a positive force: “I think it’s just trying to impact the Rockies in a positive way, like trying to win games and do that sort of thing.”
Manager Warren Schaeffer is a fan.
“I like a lot,” Schaeffer said. “I love his ABs. I like his homers — I think we all like his homers — but we all like his walks, too. He plays solid defense, which we don’t have. He hasn’t got a ton of action out there, but you can tell that he moves around well over there. I love his confidence, love the way he interacts with people. TJ is doing a good job right now.”
Interesting fact: Both Schaeffer and Rumfield are Virginia Tech alumni, and Schaeffer was quick to make the connection. “I believe the first time I got here,” Rumfield said, “I went to his office to introduce myself, and I think one of the first things we said was ‘Go Hokies,’” adding, “it’s nice to have some sort of familiarity.”
The Battle for 1B
The Rockies have struggled to find a viable first baseman since CJ Cron was traded. This year, however, they look to address that problem.
Actually, let me take a step back.
In the past, the Rockies would be searching for a first-base specialist, like the iconic Todd Helton, but with this front office, there’s more interest in player versatility. Currently, four players are competing for that position: Rumfield, Charlie Condon, Blaine Crim, and Troy Johnston. (Let’s set aside the utility players who could play first base.)
Of those four players, Rumfield (L) and Crim (R) are the least versatile while Condon (R) and Johnston (L) can play multiple positions.
Now, let’s consider the numbers. I know: Spring training stats are worthless. But right now, they’re all we have to go with, so let’s see what’s there with all relevant caveats applying, including the fact that Crim has been unable to play due to an oblique injury though you can read his “Ranking the Rockies” review here.
Rumfield: 14 AB; .357/.500/.1000; 3 HR; 0 SB
Condon: 13 AB; .538/.625/1.231; 3 HR; 0 SB
Johnston: 18 AB; .222/.333/.278; 0 HR; 1 SB
Obviously, Rumfield and Condon are not going to stay this hot, and Johnston is better than his spring training numbers show. In 2025, he had 112 ABs and finished the season slashing .331/.420/.750 with four homers and two stolen bases. Similarly, last season in 54 ABs, Crim slashed .241/.295/.556 with five home runs and no stolen bases.
If I were a betting person (and you know I’m not), I would expect Condon and Crim to start the season in Triple-A Albuquerque with Rumfield breaking camp with the Rockies as their primary first baseman with switch-hitting Edouard Julien as the RH platoon bat. The Rockies, then, will have to decide what happens to Johnston. Can they use him in a utility role, or would they send him to ABQ as well?
In the meantime, the competition at Salt River Fields is collegial.
“I think we talk to each other about, in general, the game,” Rumfield said.
“Whether we’re on the field talking about fielding or in the batting cage talking about hitting, it’s just all about sharing ideas because you never know if you pick something up from one guy and you can use that in the game,” he said.
“So it’s just picking your teammates brain, just constantly having conversations.”
This week on the internet
Trevor May has a strategy for pitching at elevation:
“It’s a complete overturn,” Ezequiel Tovar said of the revamp[ing] Rockies. “You have new faces. You have a new front office. You have new players in the clubhouse — a complete overhaul and change, a new mentality. But at the end of the day, we have to find ways to win games. We’re trying to find different methods to win games.” In the near term, look for Tovar at short for Team Venezuela in the WBC.
Patrick Saunders spoke with Rockies hitting coach Brett Pill about the strategy to improve hitting.
MLB Network has been visiting all MLB teams at their spring training homes. I thought Paul DePodesta’s comments on “raising the floor” were worth sharing:
The Peoria Chiefs’ starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe (50) against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers during their home opener on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Peoria defeated Wisconsin 2-1. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
In something of an upset, considering where the voting was on the 14th vote, Cooper Hjerpe surprised me at least by narrowly winning the vote for the 15th best prospect. Hjerpe was in a distant 4th place for the 14th prospect which, if you’re wondering, was partially possible because either different people voted or people changed their votes. There was someone ahead of him on the 14th vote who received less votes on the 15th vote. Anyway, the injury-snake bitten high upside pitching prospect has landed on the list, dropping from 9th place last year. The current list:
JJ Wetherholt
Liam Doyle
Rainiel Rodriguez
Quinn Mathews
Jurrangelo Cjintje
Joshua Baez
Leonardo Bernal
Jimmy Crooks
Brandon Clarke
Tink Hence
Tekoah Roby
Tanner Franklin
Brycen Mautz
Nathan Church
Cooper Hjerpe
Comparable Player Poll
It seems somewhat likely we aren’t in danger of adding a reliever to the top 20, but nonetheless, I figure adding the best relief prospect, as determined by you, is doing my due diligence. I’m using my best judgment as to who could possibly be considered the best relief prospect. All of them are most likely going to spend significant time in Memphis or St. Louis.
Luis Gastelum has an extremely good and unusual changeup and not much else, but it’s so good that he struck out 35.4% of batters he faced and walked just 6.5% of batters. He even got groundballs. At the age of 24, he has not spent an inning in Memphis, but has already thrown two innings in spring training, so maybe he skips it altogether.
Sklyer Hales is a fastball/slider pitcher, recently acquired in a package for Phil Maton at the 2025 deadline. He struck out 30% of batters in AA with a good walk rate and a decent groundball rate, but struggled mightily upon promotion to AAA. He did finish the year strong. He is also 24 and has actually thrown in 3 games this spring training.
Austin Love is also a fastball/slider pitcher, but he’s been in the system a bit longer. Drafted 90th overall in the 2021 draft, he was once considered an actual starting pitching prospect, but an ill-timed Tommy John completely derailed his career. Voting for him is a belief that he was shaking off the rust and still managed to perform fairly well in 2025. He will be 27 and he too has pitched in 3 games in spring despite not having pitched in Memphis.
Matt Pushard bucks the trend by actually having four pitches: a fastball, slider, cutter, and change. He pitched the whole season in AAA for the Marlins and was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Cardinals. He will be 28. Oddly, he’s only actually pitched in one game so far this spring.
We’re starting to enter that region of the voting where it is a distinct possibility that whoever will be on the top 20 is already on the voting and the next five names I add probably do no matter. The comparable player polling has done its job: a lot of the candidates I would have considered have effectively been eliminated by losing those polls. One player who did emerge thanks to those polls, however, is recent trade acquisition Blaze Jordan. He defeated a player on last year’s top 20 (Chase Davis) who himself defeated a top 20 guy (Travis Honeyman). Jordan deserves to be in the voting.
Scouting (FG): 30/45 Hit, 35/50 Game Power, 50/55 Raw Power, 40/40 Speed, 40/45 Fielding
Good performance at a young age, will presumably be in Springfield next season. On the downside, I think he’s technically a shortstop prospect but nobody thinks he’ll stick at SS. And there are some reported attitude concerns of which I hesitate to even share because it’s kind of like sharing rumors, but most of you have seen what Keith Law wrote, it’s not exactly a secret anyway. I do remind people of his age though, you tend to be immature at that age.
I’m pointing out this point for Fajardo, but it could be just about any pitching prospect. The scouting I give you is from one source. Go to a different source, someone will be higher or lower from a scouting perspective. For example, Baseball Prospectus, definitely higher on this dude than Fangraphs, shared that he added a kick change last season and that it immediately flashed above average. That tells me it disagrees with the characterization of 50 potential scouting that Fangraphs gives it. Fangraphs happens to be easy access and actually has easy scouting to post, so that’s why I use it.
Okay it’s here where I feel like his injury hurt him in the voting. I haven’t been totally sure yet that he’s been hurt by the injury news, but he’s kind of been stuck as the guy who has almost been selected for a few votes now. He was in 2nd for the 14th vote and stayed 2nd. Like I’ve mentioned before, I wish we could have completed the voting before spring training injuries start affecting the vote, but that’s kind of the trade-off; earlier and all the trades would have thrown a wrench in the plans too. I’m otherwise happy with when I started.
Scouting: 40/50 Hit, 40/50 Game Power, 60/60 Raw Power, 30/30 Speed, 40/45 Fielding
There is a bright side to Jordan’s struggles in AAA – it probably saved the Cardinals from having to add him to the 40 man roster. It’s pretty clear that his main issue in Memphis was BABIP – give him a .300 BABIP, he might actually have been added to the 40 man. Unfortunately, it’s always hard to know how deserved a BABIP is in the minor leagues. Ironically, I wonder if he’d have a better shot of being selected if he stayed crushing in AA all year. He was only 22.
Scouting: 30/35 Hit, 40/50 Game Power, 55/55 Raw Power, 50/40 Speed, 50/50 Fielding
You might be mistaken for double checking his stats and scouting numbers, because they don’t exactly line up. It makes more sense if you include his 2024 into the equation. He had actual power in High A, but struck out quite a bit. Actually his 2024 season lines up pretty well with the scouting. It doesn’t mean the scouting is outdated, because the effort to strike out less by Ledbetter seemingly led to a big drop in power. The power may not exist without the bad hit tool. Of course if he manages to maintain the K rate and add power, well then we may have something here.
You can count Lin among the many pitching prospects the Cardinals seem to have who had injury troubles, and whose pitch profile point to a very good reliever if the starting thing doesn’t work out. Lin is considered a potential starting pitching prospect, because he is 6’7 and if you can believe the scouting, has the potential for two elite pitches. The fastball might already be there.
Ryan Mitchell, 19 – OF
No stats
Scouting: 25/55 Hit, 25/50 Game Power, 40/55 Raw Power, 60/60 Speed, 25/50 Fielding
Mitchell seems to be the wrong kind of prospect for this group. That’s because he hasn’t played a single inning in professional ball. There might be one or two examples of this group selecting a prospect who has yet to play an inning, but it was certainly in a weaker system than this and it definitely fits on one hand. It tends to affect the pitching prospects moreso (hello Cade Crossland), but we haven’t really had a chance to vote for a legitimate prospect who was a position player because those guys tend to be college-age and thus we have some stats to use.
Those stats come via Baseball Savant, the only source that I think has his scouting. I listed them them that way to indicate that the scouting numbers are potential and I’m fairly certain they are potential and not current. If you look at the scouting of all the players above, well it seems fairly clear these can’t be current grades or he’d be MLB ready right now.
Scouting: 25/55 Hit, 20/55 Game Power, 40/60 Raw Power, 50/40 Speed, 30/40 Field
An example of the scouting maybe being different elsewhere is that I would be surprised if other outlets thought Padilla’s potential fielding grade was a 40. Because that would make him not a shortstop prospect really. He’d be in the same boat as a Jesus Baez really. On the positive side though, the potential suggested by his offensive scouting indicates he doesn’t need to be at shortstop.
Scouting: 20/30 Hit, 30/50 Game Power, 50/60 Raw Power, 60/60 Speed, 45/55 Fielding
That pesky hit tool is getting in the way of a really glowing scouting report. But the 30% K rate and 30 grade hit tool are not great, to be honest. On the positive side, he’s being scouted while being an 19-year-old playing against High A competition. I’d venture to say most 19-year-olds will look like they don’t have a good contact tool in that context. If he played the next two seasons in High A, and then got promoted to AA the following season, he’d still be kind of young for AA. There’s some context.
Williams team principal on pre-season trevails, why McLaren are an inspiration and closing the gap to the top
“I didn’t realise it until I saw the notice,” James Vowles says of last month’s third anniversary of his arrival at Williams as their team principal. On a rainy afternoon he smiles wryly in his London office. “I probably should have allowed myself a moment to reflect but you are too caught up in the work. That reality defines Formula One.”
Vowles is one of the most interesting men in F1 and not just because, as the director of strategy, he helped two of his past teams win nine constructors’ championships, including eight drivers’ titles. He will soon reveal a reflective side to his character and touch on the adversity he overcame at the outset of his career. His relish for a challenge in pure racing terms is already obvious because in 2022 he left Mercedes, who had finished second in the championship, for Williams, after they ended that season in 10th and last place.
