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The American League East should be baseball's finest pennant race this season, with three to five teams battling for a title that ended last year with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees each landing on 94 wins.

And now a most unlikely character has emerged to stir the pot.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa played for the Yankees from 2022-23, joined the Blue Jays at the 2025 trade deadline and played a key role in their run to the World Series. Now, he's a Boston Red Sox, and did not hold back in propping up his new team and tweaking the Yankees.

The Blue Jays won the division over the Yankees on a tiebreaker, then awaited the winner of a Boston-New York wild-card series in the ALDS. And Kiner-Falefa didn't hesitate to say who the Blue Jays preferred to play in the ALDS.

"We definitely felt (Boston) was a tougher matchup for us," Kiner-Falefa told reporters upon arriving Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the Red Sox's spring training camp in Fort Myers, Fla. "Once we saw the other team, we were a lot happier.

"It was definitely a topic.”

The whiplash from the surprise of the Justin Verlander signing, to the images of the franchise’s greatest pitcher working out in his old haunts alongside Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Framber Valdez on Wednesday, made from some fine visual storytelling. Pitchers and catchers reported to the Detroit Tigers complex in Lakeland to kick off spring training on Wednesday. Along with the traditional first injury report, which held a few minor surprises, we got our first look at the refurbished 2026 starting rotation.

There were a few features, as Framber Valdez had his press conference alongside Scott Harris and GM Jeff Greenberg. There was an interesting note as his full group of rotation mates, Tarik Skubal, Justin Verlander, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize all walked in as the presser was starting to support their teammate. You like to see them working on that unity within the group from the start.

A.J. Hinch talked to reporters about recruiting Framber Valdez, whose nickname is La Grasa. It literally refers to grease, but can be taken as something like “Slick” and comes from his former catcher Martin Maldonado teasing Valdez about his cologne and hair products rather than his pitching motion.

Hinch also announced the Skubal will be the Opening Day starter. It’s a pretty good bet that Verlander will be lined up for the April 3 home opener against the Cardinals. It’s also a pretty good bet that the crowd is going to be downright ravenous even compared to most home openers.

We also got the first injury report of the spring, which always holds some surprises. Jackson Jobe and Jake Miller were throwing from 60 feet, which is particularly positive in Jobe’s case as he’s still only about eight months out from his Tommy John surgery. On the most optimistic timetable, he’ll be ready for a rehab assignment in July. Miller, in my eyes the Tigers top pitching prospect right now, is recovering from hip labrum surgery and may require a little extended spring training time before returning to Double or Triple-A to begin his season.

The only thing to really give any pause was the note that Dillon Dingler had his second elbow arthroscopy in two years. The procedure is generally very minor, used to clean up any scar tissue or bone spurs around the UCL. Still, while he’s expected to be fully on schedule for Opening Day, it’s worth keeping in mind. LHP Bailey Horn and RHP Troy Watson, both expected to provide minor league depth to the bullpen and rotation, also had the procedure but are on track. Beyond that it’s the usual litany of minor injuries.

Scott Harris was on hand, and spoke to reporters about how the Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez deals came together.

Finally, Parker Meadows wasn’t checking his phone over the past 24 hours and got a surprise when he arrived to find Justin Verlander in the clubhouse.

For best tools when it comes to pitchers, click here.

Best Hitter – John Gil

It was quite the first full season for John Gil, as he was the catalyst at the top of a young and exciting Augusta GreenJackets lineup and showed advanced ability at the plate at just 19 years old. Early in the season he showed struggles despite high contact rates, hitting the ball into the ground far too often and struggling to produce any sort of pop, but throughout the season swing and approach adjustments paid major dividends. He began hitting the ball harder with more line drives but without sacrificing walks or ever going through a stretch where he had swing-and-miss issues. These adjustments combined with his advanced feel for the strike zone and recognition of spin made him a contact beast and allowed him to post a 132 wRC+ and more walks than strikeouts over his final 300 plate appearances. Gil has all of the tools to be a plus major league hitter, though he is going to go through the same struggles many young hitters do. To make a recent comparison to a Braves prospect, Gil has similar issues with consistently lifting the ball to his pull side and keeping the ball off of the ground as Nacho Alvarez did coming through, and though his barrel feel is behind Alvarez at the same level Gil was younger and has a bit more upside at the plate. Gil has a looser, more explosive swing and gets to better top end exit velocities, meaning there are much fewer mechanical adjustments needed for him to tap into pull side power. He also has better bat speed and isn’t going to be beat by velocity, giving him a relatively high contact floor for a player his age. His barrel rates need to improve for him to get to a starter outcome, but he is in a phenomenal place at the moment and has shown the ability to adjust and improve rapidly. 

Best Power – Diego Tornes

Tornes is a name that is going to catch a lot of attention around the league for his raw tool set, and his power potential is the attribute that should most excite Braves fans. While there are other players in the system who are in the debate with Tornes for raw power (such as Juan Espinal), Tornes is the one who has been able to consistently put the bat on the ball and produce the coveted high exit velocities of a premium power hitter. That’s not to say there is no question about his hit tool, as he certainly has as much need for growth as any teenager, but of the players in the Braves system who can boast plus or better raw power he is the only one who currently projects to have the hit tool necessary to tap into it. Tornes has explosive hands, especially from the left side of the plate, and has the power to fit into the middle of a major league lineup with the ceiling of a player who can reach 25+ home runs consistently. Tornes still needs to prove himself against quality competition, but it says a lot even in a system weak on hitters that a player who is 17 years old and hasn’t even matriculated to the United States yet gets our highest regard for his power. There is significant hype within the Braves organization surrounding Tornes’s future, and his power puts him in elite company and makes him a top five player in the system. 

Best Speed – John Gil

John Gil has elite footspeed to go along with his contact ability, turning in 80 grade times down the first base line and showing the ability to consistently beat out grounders on the infield. Anything hit slowly to the left side typically gave the defenders no chance on Gil, and he has recently done better about making use of that speed on the defensive end. Gil has the range to be an elite shortstop, but at times his footwork and instincts held him back from making every play on that side of the ball. 2025 saw him steadily improve and get better with his first step and positioning, and he has matured from a guy with some questions about whether he would stick to one who seems like a solid fit for the shortstop position long term. If he is pushed off of the dirt due to the competition in the system his speed could make him a plus center fielder, as his top end speed would allow him to track down balls in the gap with the best of them. It’s his best defensive attribute, but he does need to do a bit better job on the bases. Gil did put pressure on defenses with 54 stolen bases last season, and he did so with above average efficiency but not the elite efficiency or volume that his raw foot speed would suggest. His speed makes him an above average baserunner, but if he can improve his jumps or timing he could reach the next level and add even more value to his game. 

Best Arm – Conor Essenburg

There aren’t many players in Atlanta’s system with standout arms at the moment, and Essenburg is a pretty clear top guy here given his pitching background and how much value his arm could add to his profile. Essenburg doesn’t have the athleticism to stick up the middle, but his plus arm strength makes him a fit in right field which will slightly ease the burden on his bat compared to if he had to play left or first base. He is a plus thrower who should produce significant excess value with his arm out in right field.

Best Infield Defense – Ambioris Tavarez

For a stretch in 2024 Ambioris Tavarez seemed to be making strides to turn his career around, but after a broken hand he struggled down the stretch and then had a disappointing season in 2025. With that, the emergence of Gil, and the two shortstops Atlanta added in the draft he seems unlikely to ever carve out any sort of significant role in the Braves system, but his claim to the best glove in the system still goes unchallenged. Tavarez has just average speed, but every one of his other traits is above average or better and it leads to a profile of a player whose defensive acumen should give him some sort of professional role as long as he wants it, even if that’s just as minor league depth. He has an elite first step and is always in the right position to make plays, and he has smooth glove work and great hands allowing him to avoid errors. He had a tough time with his footwork and throwing in 2023, but after significant work (and getting further away from his TOS surgery) he always has a solid base and can make throws from multiple angles with ease. 

Best Outfield Defense – Isaiah Drake

2025 was a massive year for Isaiah Drake, as he re-established himself as a legitimate prospect in the Braves system and at times was the best of a solid outfield in Augusta. Defensively the Braves have a number of talented outfielders in the system – notably Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., Luis Guanipa, Patrick Clohisy, and Owen Carey – but Drake’s combination of top end speed and first step quickness gives him a unique ceiling among that group. He isn’t quite as efficient with his route-taking as Kilpatrick Jr. is, but with double-plus speed, the ability to get up to top speed quickly, and solid routes he can make just about any play look easy. Drake has improved his reads and angles year-over-year since joining the system, and it’s important to remember he is still in the early stages of playing baseball full time. He has the potential to be a 65 defender in center fielder and could make a huge impact with his glove, and so far he hasn’t had to sacrifice any speed as he has added strength to his frame to help him on the offensive end. 

Highest Ceiling – Diego Tornes

The Braves have had a run of their high value, high ceiling position players failing to live up to expectations, but as mentioned above Diego Tornes seems to be the real deal. His defensive potential is lower than players like Tate Southisene, Isaiah Drake, or Luis Guanipa given the near certainty he is going to end up in a corner, with a real chance that corner is left field. Thus it should make it clear how bullish we are on his offensive projections given that we still see him as a step above that group. Tornes has the chance to be a true impact bat in the middle of a lineup, something the Braves have struggled to produce in the Alex Anthopoulos era. Tornes has commonly gotten Anthony Santander comps – high praise for a player that young – and with elite bat speed there is still a ceiling to reach for his hit tool. Tornes has all star talent and the early returns back up a measure of confidence.

Oh man, first I had to brush up on my low level catchers. Now, I have to research a guy that, prior to this prospecting season, I hadn’t really heard much of.

Romeli Espinosa – 56
Zach McCambley – 31
Jean Cabrera – 28
Keaton Anthony – 13
Griffin Burkholder – 12
Carson DeMartini – 9
Yoniel Curet – 7
Mavis Graves – 6
Seth Johnson – 3
Alex McFarlane – 3
Cody Bowker – 1

Well, Matt Winkelman seems to like him. From his own scouting reports:

It isn’t hard to see the highlights and frame and dream he is a future impact player with plus tools everywhere, but he has an enormous distance to go and there are a lot of pitfalls he hasn’t faced yet.

Listen, it’s always fun to dream on a prospect when he really, really young and Espinosa will likely make us do that. Choosing a young player and following his progress as he moves up the chain is a time honored tradition of many fans, so get used to hearing Espinosa’s name a lot as time moves on.

2025 stats (in the Dominican Summer League)

168 PA, .282/.363/.430, 28 R, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 SB, 6.0 BB%, 20.2 K%, 113 wRC+

Fangraphs scouting report

This is an aggressive evaluation of Espinosa meant to illustrate his ceiling. He presents a rare combination of present contact feel and long-term power projection for an up-the-middle prospect. Espinosa’s build comps to Elly De La Cruz at the same age: endless limbs on a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4 frame, with the room to add big strength while remaining sufficiently lithe and agile for shortstop. The 2025 DSL season began a few days before Espinosa’s 17th birthday, and he managed to slash .282/.363/.430 there while posting a 77% contact rate (a shade better than the big league average). That’s a very positive contact-hitting origin point for a shortstop prospect built like this, as long-levered hitters like Espinosa are often still uncoordinated at this age… [l]et’s see how his chase rate trends in year two. He’s one of the more exciting and tumultuous prospects in all of rookie ball.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

Walt Weiss gave the press some more injury news today. To no Braves fan’s surprise, it’s not good news.

Oy. It’s the song that never ends. Jimenez, already having lost the 2025 season with a left articular cartilage injury and further surgery in November, may be out for 2026. The Braves, after placing Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day Injured List yesterday, have lost two pitchers in as many days. Standard disclaimer that I’m not a doctor. But this doesn’t look good. How he would return in 2027 after two years out would be a challenge as well.

Coming into this year’s Spring Training, I assumed that we all might see Joe Jimenez for the majority of the season. The Braves looked set in the bullpen, and adding another reliever would have made it obvious that Joe would not be back. They have 44 days until Opening Day if they choose to add.

Good luck, Joe. Get well soon. We want you to get well.

Though there was a brief detour through free agency this offseason, Evan Phillips is back with the Dodgers for a sixth season. The veteran right-hander re-signed with Los Angeles on Wednesday on a one-year, $6.5 million contract, the team announced.

Phillips is recovering from Tommy John surgery last June 4, which is expected to sideline him until after the All-Star break in 2026. He was non-tendered by the Dodgers on November 21, making Phillips a free agent, rather than go through the salary arbitration process one more time. After earning $6.1 million in 2025, Phillips was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn the $6.1 million next season through arbitration, while Cot’s Baseball Contracts predicted the same $6.1 million salary.

After beginning the 2025 season on the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain stemming from the 2024 postseason, Phillips pitched in only seven games last season, with six strikeouts and two walks in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in April and May.

After getting non-tendered, the Dodgers expressed interest in bringing Phillips back, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times:

“We had a number of back and forth discussions with Evan and his agent,” Friedman said via text. “It is challenging with him coming off surgery, so he is going to take some time and look to sign after he throws off the mound when his rehab allows. Evan has been a big part of our past success and we will continue the conversation about bringing him back. We respect that he is taking this time to decide what is best for him and his family.”

Since joining the Dodgers on a waiver claim from the Rays in 2021, Phillips has been one of the best relievers in baseball, with a 2.22 ERA and 2.87 xERA in 201 games, with 221 strikeouts and 52 walks in 195 innings, and 45 saves. The right-hander is 31 years old.

To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment. Rortvedt was just re-claimed off waivers on Friday from the Reds, after the Dodgers lost him on waivers in November. This move was expected at some point, considering Rortvedt is out of options and behind Will Smith and Dalton Rushing on the depth chart. Rortvedt didn’t get through waivers the last time the Dodgers tried this in November, but if he clears waivers this time they can keep Rortvedt around for depth, but just off the 40-man roster.