Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Another season of Atlanta Braves minor league baseball looms on the horizon, and following the release of our top 30 prospects list last week, this week we are taking a deeper look at some of the prospects on the list and how the changes on the list came to be. One of the most important aspects when evaluating prospects is looking beyond their performances and into their pure tools, and which of those can help them project to not only perform at the minor league level but produce in the big leagues. So-called “carrying tools” — elite attributes that become the calling card for a player in their evaluations (and often career) — are highly coveted, especially with the desirable traits like fastball velocity, defense, and power. To start we’ll be looking at the best tools among Braves pitching prospects, a crop of players that is deep and has a number of guys ready to potentially contribute next season.

Best Fastball – Jhancarlos Lara / Raudy Reyes

With only four voters it’s inevitable there may be a couple of ties when things are this close, but it’s fair to say that both Jhancarlos Lara and Raudy Reyes have a strong case for the best fastball in the Braves system. The now 17 year old Reyes would have been a high profile signing for his ridiculous fastball alone, with his velocity topping out over 100 mph as an amateur. His pure velocity is the best in the system and he adds in above average carry and spin, making it a potentially devastating pitch. Concerns are normal about health for a player who throws that hard at Reyes’s age, but his large frame gives him some potential to be a starter in the future, a claim Jhancarlos Lara can no longer make given he has been moved to the bullpen full time. Still, the separator that makes this a close battle is that Reyes is still in the stage of his career where his command is at the bottom of the 20-80 scale and pushing the limits on that. He produced whiffs at a dominant rate last season but also walked 23% of batters, a number that even at his age is already concerning. Jhancarlos Lara’s velocity is only fractions of a tick behind Reyes, but he is much better at controlling his fastball even if he is still well-below-average with command. Lara averaged 98.3 mph on his fastball in Triple-A last season and at times was overwhelming with the pitch, though once he was moved back into a starting roll to finish the season he started getting hit harder. Still, he both produces high swing-and-miss rates and very poor contact quality and his fastball is ready to play at the major league level. Reyes has a higher ceiling for his fastball by a margin, though Lara’s is a safer bet to contribute to success in Atlanta.

Best Changeup – Cam Caminiti

From first round pick to top prospect in the system, Cam Caminiti is living up to the hype in a big way early in his career. He features a well-rounded arsenal, but his changeup in particular was one of the keys to him being a top draft pick and it has been a strong offering for him early in his minor league career. Caminiti hasn’t been relying on the changeup often at the lower levels with the Braves focusing on him honing his fastball command switching over to a slider as his breaking ball of choice, but when it was deployed this season it was a weapon that wreaked havoc in Single-A and helped him to put up a dominant campaign despite some sporadic health issues. Caminiti’s changeup features all the hallmarks of a pitch that should succeed as he moves up the ladder, with good fading life, a release consistent with his fastball, and a solid separation in velocity. Many believe his athleticism will allow him to improve on his command, which was spotty at times in 2025 and gave him some issues landing his changeup consistently in the strike zone. With more repetition and a strong position in his arsenal his changeup is a pitch that will produce swing-and-miss at maturity and help round out an exciting pitch mix.

Best Slider – Jhancarlos Lara

It’s not common for a player with a 100 mph fastball to utilize anything else as his primary pitch, but Lara’s slider is so good that he used it more than his fastball in 2025 and it was outlandishly dominant. At the lower levels of the system Lara’s slider relied on being thrown hard and feeding off of the fastball, but over the past couple of seasons he has steadily refined the shape and improved the movement to where it now stands alone as a pitch that can have consistent success. He throws it in the upper 80’s and gives it a sharp two-plane tilt, and for most of 2025 he was able to throw it for strikes more often than his fastball. Thus, he settled in to utilizing his slider more than 50% of the time, and even with that high usage Triple-A hitters could not do anything with it. Lara threw 554 sliders in Gwinnett last season, and even with that sample size produced a staggering 51.4% whiff rate. His command is still not where it needs to be, yet his slider was so effective that even when he made mistakes hitters had a hard time taking advantage of it. Lara allowed only two barrels on the pitch. It’s rare to see a pitcher with two 70 grade offerings, but Lara’s slider is the best pitch in the entire system and gives him elite reliever potential.

Best Curveball – Briggs McKenzie

Despite not playing a professional game yet, McKenzie already ranks as the system’s best curveball with the potential for the pitch to be a plus offering. There is a bit of a caveat with this rating, as the Braves tend to have their pitchers throw sliders, and those that do throw curveballs (like Caminiti as an amateur) typically get pushed towards sliders. This could be the result for McKenzie as a professional, but if there is one thing McKenzie’s curveball shows it’s that he is able to spin a breaking ball. Yet even in a system with more pitchers offering curveballs, McKenzie’s would stand out. He spins the pitch as high as 3000 rpm, and his curveball has the potential to be even better if he adds power to his arsenal. Right now it sits in the upper 70’s and is a power breaker for him at just 10-15 mph below his fastball. The Braves will work to add more power and if he can add a few ticks without losing his ability to spin the pitch he could avoid the pitfalls of a player like Adam Maier and have a pitch that gets on hitters too quickly for them to adjust to the spin. Because of his high release point his curve doesn’t have a hump in it, riding straight down out of his hand with big depth and the ability to be buried below the strike zone. It has swing-and-miss potential and will be a key part of his arsenal, though it is also a point of emphasis for the beginning of the next season to see how much the Braves modify the pitch or if they switch him over to a slider.

Best Cutter – Blake Burkhalter

Blake Burkhalter is likely to see big league action in 2026, and it all revolves around his ability to throw his cutter and dominate hitters. Burkhalter utilizes his fastball and cutter combination more than 2/3 of the time, a number which may grow as he moves into the bullpen, and his ability to locate the cutter on the glove side half of the plate has made it a dangerous offering. His whiffs dropped off at the end of 2026 and he seemed to have some fatigue which cut into his velocity and command down the stretch, but at his peak he was able to miss bats with the cutter and produce poor contact quality. Triple-A hitters struggled to make solid contact with his cutter, and it was his most effective pitch through that more mediocre stretch of play for him. At his best, especially in short bursts, his cutter can sit in the low 90’s, though in his starting role it was more in the high 80’s. It has a sharp glove side movement that is just enough to run it off of a hitter’s barrel, and is feel for locating the pitch just off the plate when he needs to is superb. With a future in the bullpen the pitch will play up and projects as a 65 grade offering and the best pitch in his arsenal.

Best Control – Lucas Braun

2025 was a setback for Lucas Braun, who never quite reached the heights of his 2024 campaign as his slider backed up and he didn’t produce as many whiffs as he had. He worked to add pitches to his arsenal, and one thing held true for him — he can throw anything for a strike. Braun is the pitcher in the system who is most able to work ahead in counts and keep hitters on their back foot, though at times in 2025 he wasn’t able to hit the finer edges with his fastball. Still, he makes a concerted effort to hit the strike zone and relies on a deep arsenal and the ability to move his pitches around to get outs. This was a bit of a limitation for him as he got to Triple-A and didn’t really have a pitch to get consistent swing-and-miss, and he is likely to see himself limited to a back end starting role or to being a guy who moves up and down between Triple-A and the major leagues. However, if he can get a bit finer with his fastball like he was in 2024 and get better at keeping his slider off of the edges he could slightly improve his projections and lock down a more solid role at the major league level.

Best Command – Didier Fuentes / Ian Mejia

We had another grading tie in command, and two pitchers who are in vastly different places in their careers. The Braves are doing everything they can to find a way to deploy Ian Mejia’s pitch mix, as he features an above-average slider and the ability to spot his pitches at will. These two traits have found him success at Double-A, but his poor fastball velocity has thus far just been too much to overcome. Mejia can hit the edges of the strike zone with his fastball seemingly at will, but even when he does he just doesn’t have the power or movement to miss bats. The Braves messed around with moving him to a sinker which had some positive results in the second half of 2025, and though he doesn’t have the fastball to carve out a long-term starting role in Atlanta, his command and slider could give him a long-relief/spot-start future if he can find a way to miss barrels. Didier Fuentes is slipping in the eyes of evaluators after a rough first dip into the major leagues, but at 20 years old still has all of the potential in the world. His fastball not only has plus velocity and movement but he has shown the potential to spot it at the top of the zone consistently thanks to his athleticism and his ability to repeat his delivery. His slider was a bit more hit-or-miss in the second half of the season in 2025, though at his best he can sling it across the zone and put it off of the plate to get hitters to miss. He should only get better with his command as he gets more seasoning, and with a decent ending to last season he has momentum moving into his age-21 season and plenty of time to carve out a long-term future even if he is still stuck with a two-pitch mix.

The upcoming World Baseball Classic will have 15 active players scattered across all the tournament’s rosters. But let’s go deeper than that and take a look at everyone in the tournament who has ever worn red pinstripes or spent time in the organization. There are a lot of fun names below, along with probably some you may don’t remember.

Pool A

Team Canada:

• Phillippe Aumont (RP)
• Noah Skirrow (SP)

It’s an absolute crime that Topper can’t coach this team, but alas we have some rooting interest! Yes, that is 37 year old Aumont pitching baseball professionally for the first time since 2019. If you don’t recall, Aumont was the “big get” in the now infamous Cliff Lee trade to Seattle. Aumont certainly had “stuff”, but he could never locate it and wound up with a career ERA of 6.80 in 43.2 innings across 4 seasons. Noah Skirrow never made it to the majors, but was an undrafted free agent who was in the system from 2021-2024. The 27 year old pitched last season for Lancaster in the independent Atlantic League.

Team Colombia:

• Nabil Crismatt (SP)
• Jorge Alfaro (C)

The jolly Crismatt spent part of 2025 in AAA with the Phillies where he pitched fairly well to the tune of a 4.04 ERA in 100.1 innings. Never getting promoted to the majors, he wound up leaving for and finishing the season in Arizona. Jorge Alfaro was a physical specimen when he came over in the Cole Hamels trade. He was ranked significantly high in national rankings and showed promising tools both behind and at the plate. Sadly those tools never materialized, but held enough value still to help land JT Realmuto in a trade that sent Sixto Sanchez and himself to Miami. He’s bounced around the league, last playing in 14 games with Washington in 2025.

Team Cuba:

No Cubans for Phillies. Some notable Cuban players from Phillies past include Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Jose Contreras, Tony Gonzalez and Tony Perez. Also, new addition OF Adolis Garcia hails from the Caribbean island.

Team Panama:

• Jonathan Arauz (INF)
• Johan Camargo (INF)
• Edmundo Sosa (INF)
• Ruben Tejada (INF)

Edmundo Sosa being the only active Phillie on this squad and he is always a delight to root for. Jonathan Arauz was a top prospect for the Phillies at one time, though was eventually packaged with Ken Giles to the Houston Astros for Harold Arauz (no relation), Mark Appel, Tom Eshelman, Brett Oberholtzer and Vinny “Philly” Velasquez. Arauz played in Mexico in 2025. Johan Camargo spent 2022 with the Phillies in a utility role, in which he as absolutely dreadful (.613 OPS). He also played in Mexico in 2025. Lastly, Ruben Tejada (yes, THAT guy) hasn’t played in the bigs since 2019 (wow, he also spent 2025 in Mexico). When he wasn’t rudely running into Chase Utley’s cleats and crying about it, he spent 2021 in AAA Lehigh Valley for 72 games.

Puerto Rico:

• Yacksel Rios (RP)

An international signing for the Phillies back in 2011, Rios was in the Phillies system from 2011 through 2019. He made his big-league debut with the Phillies in 2017 before getting DFA’d by the Phils in 2019. He’s spent time in the Puerto Rican Winter League and the Mets since 2024.

Pool B

Team Brazil:

• Gabriel Barbosa (RP)

A 24 year old actually hailing from Brazil, Barbosa came to the Phillies in 2025 after spending time in the Colorado and Yankees organizations. He pitched 87 innings across three levels before finally finishing in AA where he was lit up in 23.2innings.

Team Great Britain:

• Tyler Viza (SP)
• Vance Worley (SP)
• Albert Cartwright (Asst. Coach)

The now 31 year old Tyler Viza gets to take the stage for GB. Viza has been pitching professionally in China and Mexico since 2022. He was a 32 round 2013 draft pick for the Phillies and was in the org from 2013 through 2019. Vance “The Vanimal” Worley, was quite good for the Phillies from 2010 to 2012. Worley was traded with Baby Ace Trevor May to the Twins for Ben Revere in 2012 and is currently 38 years old. Albert Cartwright was a career minor leaguer who spent time in the Phillies org from 2012 to 2014.

Team Italy:

• Sam Aldegheri (SP)
• Michael Lorenzen (SP)
• Aaron Nola (SP)
• Dante Nori (OF)
• Sal Fasano (Bullpen Coach)

Sam Aldegheri is one of only a handful of players on this team actually born in Italy. He was shipped off with George Klassen in the maligned (mostly by me) Carlos Estevez trade with the Angels. Michael Lorenzen will hope to replicate his surprisingly average pitching, though I doubt he pitches a no-hitter in this tournament. Aaron Nola will get tested early as he will face the juggernaut of USA hitting, who are all quite familiar with him. Rounding out the players we have current Phillies prospect Dante Nori. He had an excellent second half to the 2025 season and his a former 1st round pick. Sal’s Pals can assemble once more for Team Italy games. Fasano had his own fanclub at CBP during the 2006 season.

Team Mexico:

• Taijuan Walker (SP)
• Joey Meneses (OF)

Taijuan Walker once again playing for Team Mexico. Good luck bud. Joey Meneses got some serious MLB playing time 2022-2024 and last season spent 2025 in AAA for the Mets. Meneses had the best season of his professional career in his one season with the Phillies when he slashed .311/.360/.510 with 23 HR in 2018 with the IronPigs.

Team USA:

• Brad Keller (RP)
• Bryce Harper (1B)
• Kyle Schwarber (DH)
• Michael Young (Bench Coach)

Recent addition Brad Keller is the lone US pitching representative for the Phillies. Not a surprise given Wheeler’s road to recovery. Bryce Harper once again representing Team USA and will likely be their starting first baseman. Kyle Schwarber will occupy the DH spot after his new deal with the Phillies this offseason. Old friend Michael Young, the professional hitter old heads love, will be second in command in the dugout. Young spent 2013 as the Phillies starting third baseman.

Pool C

Team Australia:

• Mitch Neunborn (SP)
• Lachlan Wells (SP)
• Robbie Glendinning (INF)
• Curtis Mead (INF)
• Rixon Wingrove (1B)
• Chris Burke (UTL)
• Tim Kennelly (OF)

Phillies are desperate to make Australia their thing. The list above only represents a fraction of their Aussie signings in the last 10 years. Mitch Neunborn is the only active Phillie on the roster. The 28 year old SP (though perhaps a RP going forward) has been in the org since 2023. Lachlan Wells spent the 2024 season with the Phillies. Reading was Robbie Glendinning’s last stateside stop in 2023 and has since hopped round Australia and Mexico before landing in a KC independent league. Curtis Mead was famously traded away to the Rays for Cristopher Sanchez; a trade almost everyone hated at the time. Flashforward to 2026 and I can say Phillies fans are most happy for that outcome. Rixon Wingrove was a masher in the system from 2018 to 2023 before leaving to spend time in the Twins org. He spent all 2025 in the Australian league. Chris Burke was in the Phillies org in 2021. Lastly, Tim Kennelly is now 38 years old and has played for Perth in the Australian league since 2013. He was with the Phillies from 2005 to 2012.

Team Chinese-Tapei:

• Hao-Yu Lee (INF)

Speaking of Michael Lorenzen, he will get to face the guy he was traded for in Hao-Yu Lee. The Lorenzen trade didn’t wind up making a difference for the Phils (though the no-hitter was fun!) and Lee has done quite well for himself in the Detroit system. It would not be shocking if he sees time in the big leagues soon.

Team Japan:

The in-roads to Japan remain ever elusive to he organization who has had only two Japanese-born players put on red pinstripes, those being So Taguchi and Tadahito Iguchi.

Team Korea:

Much like Japan, Korea has been another tough nut to crack for the Phils. The only two Korean-born Phillies players have been Chan Ho Park and Hyun-Soo Kim.

Pool D

Team Dominican Republic:

• Seranthony Dominguez (RP)
• Gregory Soto (RP)
• Cristopher Sanchez (SP)
• Carlos Santana (INF/DH)
• Johan Rojas (OF)
• Placido Polanco (Bench Coach)

Cristopher Sanchez highlights the lone active big leaguer for the Phillies, but who is also arguably Team DR’s best starting pitcher. Seranthony Dominguez will have to hide his SteamDeck while playing FortNite, because Carlos Santana will be on Team DR once again at age 39 (he turns 40 April 9th). Santana spent an underrated season with the Phillies in 2018. The next season he would go back to Cleveland, double his bWAR, voted as an All-Star, get a Silver Slugger and finish 16th in MVP voting. (I’m not bitter) Gregory Soto is a reliever who pitched for the Phillies and I didn’t particularly liked when he did. Johan Rojas will be the cheerleader on the bench as he will have to find time in an outfield with Oneil Cruz, Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr.. If you needed any extra incentive to root for this squad, two-time Phillie Placido Polanco will be the First Mate on the bench.

Team Israel:

• Max Lazar (RP)
• Rob Kaminsky (RP)
• Garrett Stubbs (C and Vibes Coach)
• Harrison Bader (OF)

Current Phillies Stubbs and Lazar get the call, along with Rob Kaminsky who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2020. Kaminsky pitched 1 inning in the Phillies organization in 2021 for Lehigh Valley. Meanwhile “the one that got away”, Harrison Bader, will be Team Israel’s top outfielder.

Team Netherlands:

• Jaydenn Estanista (RP)
• Didi Gregorius (INF)

A 24 year old reliever from Curaco, Estanista has been with the Phillies since 2021. He reached as high as Reading last season and got an invite to the Arizona Fall League (don’t look at those stats). Our old pal Didi gets the nod for Netherlands. After a brief stop in Seattle’s AAA team, he has settled into the Mexican League the last 3 seasons.

Team Nicaragua:

• JC Ramirez (RP)
• Randall Simon (Hitting Coach)

JC Ramirez makes two of the three prospects traded for Cliff Lee (along with Aumont) playing in this tournament, which is likely the funniest stat you will read about the WBC. If you are telling me any of the current Team Canada outfielders can’t compete with Tyson Gillies out there, I’d be surprised. Randall Simon has a hitting coach is a little on the nose (actually watch out for your nose). Simon ended his big-league career with the Phillies in 2006.

Team Venezuela:

• Jose Alvarado (RP)
• Ranger Suarez (SP)

A game of “a guy I wish was still a Phillie” versus “a guy that I wish wasn’t a Phillie” for most fans. Alvarado will hopefully be getting a nice tune-up and show that last year’s PED suspension wasn’t a cause for concern and the Phillies didn’t make a mistake picking up his option. Ranger Suarez will be playing his first games not in the Phillies organization after signing a long-term contract with the Red Sox. We will miss Ranger deeply.

With the Super Bowl last night, baseball season has officially begun! Jeremy Zoll moved quickly to make his mark on the Twins after Derek Falvey left the organization. So far, Zoll has signed Matt Bowman, Eduardo Salazar, Jackson Kowar, David Bañuelos, and, just announced today, Gio Urshela. While none of them are on the 40-man roster, at least it’s something? Feel free to set your own over/unders on how many combined games these guys play with the Twins this season.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
• We had a busy night with the TwinkieTown Movie Night featuring The Rookie! We’ve got Moneyball coming up this Friday.
• Zach Koenig flashes back to 1996 in Twins history.
• Matt Monitto gives an inside look into the Twins front office’s hopes and dreams for a bullpen full of Rogers.
• We’re onto Round 15 of Zach Koenig’s Greatest Twins Moments and Performances list.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Dan Hayes at The Athletic provides the classic “now you tell us” look into the relationship between Falvey and the Twins
• Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage suggests three right-handed relievers the Twins could still sign this offseason.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com provides the five storylines that he’s watching at spring training.
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune found a fun connection between the Twins and the Super Bowl.

In the World of Baseball:

• The last few major dominoes fell in free agency last week:
  • Marcell Ozuna moves to Pittsburgh on a one-year, $12 million deal
  • Framber Valdez signs with Detroit for three years, $115 million.
• There were also a few trades that went down:
  • Brendon Donovan was traded to Seattle
  • Caleb Durbin was traded from Milwaukee to the Red Sox for a package that includes Kyle Harrison, who was previously acquired in the Rafael Devers trade.
• Buster Olney and Jeff Passan at ESPN reflect on the lessons they learned this offseason.
• Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case against the Tigers, setting a new record for a contract earned in arbitration at $32 million. According to Fangraphs, this means that the Tigers payroll will be at least double the Twins 2026 payroll.
• Andy McCollough at The Athletic remembers speedster Terrance Gore, who unfortunately passed away last weekend.

The Tampa Bay Rays have added veteran starting pitcher Nick Martinez on a multi-year contract, with $13 million guaranteed overall. He’ll slot into a rotation that features Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot as guaranteed starters, a reliever looking to convert to starting in newcomer Steven Matz, and former All-Star Shane McClanahan, who is seeking a return to the mound for the first time since mid-2023.

Martinez shouldered 165 innings for the Reds last season, despite being seen as a swing-man in the industry, and is one year removed from a 3.10 ERA season (142.1 IP). He has a full arsenal and works off multiple fastballs that make his change up the star of the show.

If you’re waiting for the twist, I’m sorry to disappoint, but there isn’t any weird elite thing he does. Martinez’s profile is all about variety and location to get through lineups, but that’s also what you expect for a pitcher in this stage of his career, and there aren’t easy answers for why his ERA rocketed up to below-average last season.

Despite limiting hard contact in both 2024 and 2025, the results fell off a cliff last season. Was that a fluke, or a sign that father time comes for us all? On the peripherals it’s a bit of a mystery, as in both seasons he was sporting one of the lowest walk rates in baseball. The real delta is in the chase rate, but in both years he put up whiff- and K-rates well below expectations.

I’m interested to see what the Rays pitching lab thinks it can sort out with that profile, but he already has several secondary pitches at this disposal, and short of revamping his slider into something new, any adjustments will likely be small.

If you are more inclined to believe 2024 and 2025, this is a solid rotation addition from a team looking to field a respectable roster.

Many Cubs players are already in Mesa, Arizona working out, but the official pitcher and catcher report day is Wednesday, Feb. 11, and the first full-squad workout will be Monday, Feb. 16.

Today, the Cubs announced the names of 18 non-roster players who will join the 40-man roster in participating in spring camp at the Sloan Park complex. (Other minor leaguers not among those 58 will likely appear in some spring games, especially early.)

Here’s the full list of non-roster invitees to Cubs camp.

Eight pitchers: Interestingly enough, they are all right-handers. Jeff Brigham, Grant Kipp, Corbin Martin, Connor Noland, Connor Schultz, Collin Snider, Trent Thornton and Jaxon Wiggins.

Four infielders: Scott Kingery, Jonathon Long, B.J. Murray and Jefferson Rojas.

Three outfielders: Brett Bateman, Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick.

Three catchers: Ariel Armas, Christian Bethancourt and Casey Opitz.

The first Spring Training game will be a week from Friday, Feb. 20, at 2:05 p.m. CT as the Cubs host the White Sox at Sloan Park. Baseball is almost here!

Leo Jiménez is a 24-year-old (25 on May 17th), right-handed hitting infielder. He was born in Chitre, Panama. The Jays signed him in 2017 (seems like a long time ago) for $825,000 as an international free agent. I’m curious about how much of the money goes to the player and how much of it goes to various people who helped him get noticed by the major league team. We’ve been talking about him for so long, it is hard to believe he isn’t 25 year.

He ‘exceeded his rookie limits in 2024’, but only has 242 major league plate appearances.

Likely the most important bit of information about him is that he is out of options, so he makes the active roster or he could be lost on waivers. And I don’t really see a route to the active roster for him. If he has a terrific spring training, he will make for a difficult decision for the Jays.

As a hitter, he is very selective. Leo, compared to well almost all other hitters, swings at very few pitches. He’s not afraid to take strikes. It is a good skill, unless you fall behind in the count. We have seen the downside of that with Cavan Biggio, but Jiménez is also a good contact hitter, when he does swing, he rarely misses the ball.

That’s a really good combination.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much power there.

Defensively? Most things I’ve read say he is above average at shortstop and second. I haven’t seen enough of him to have an opinion.

Leo missed a lot of time due to injuries last year, which kind of derailed his career some. He played in just 44 games (counting the 18 he played in the majors). I think the chance of him having an everyday MLB job has pretty much disappeared (at least with the Jays), a utility role seems the best hope, and even that will take an injury or two to happen with the Jays. I’d imagine the Jays are likely shopping him around now, or at least will be as spring training progresses to see if they can get more than the waiver fee for him.

Steamer thinks he’ll get into 30 MLB games, hit .237/.320/.361 with 3 home runs.

One day before MLB teams start reporting to spring training, the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewershave completed a six-player trade with third baseman Caleb Durbin headlining the return for Boston.

The Red Sox acquired Durbin, the Brewers' starting third baseman last season, along with utilityman Andruw Monasterio and catcher/third baseman Anthony Siegler from Milwaukee in exchange for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, plus infielder David Hamilton. The Red Sox also received a 2026 competitive balance draft pick in the deal.

Durbin, 25, had a solid rookie season for the Brew Crew in 2025, slashing .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in October but should be ready for spring training.

After making the World Series in his first season with the New York Yankees in 2024 and joining the 30-30 club in 2025 despite missing an entire month with an oblique strain, it’s clear that Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s influence on the Bombers has been considerable, to say the least. Yes, the team prides itself on hitting home runs and taking walks, but Chisholm adds another profile to the offense, one that helps make it one of the best in baseball.

Chisholm’s athleticism, energy, and flair are necessary traits for a Yankees lineup that lacked them before acquiring him from the Marlins in July of 2024. Now, after a year and a half of top-notch production, it’s hard to imagine New York’s batting order without the 28-year-old mashing in the middle of it.

2025 statistics: 130 games, 531 plate appearances, .242/.332/.481, 31 HR, 80 RBI, 126 wRC+, 10.9 BB%, 27.9 K%, 2 Defensive Runs Saved, 8 Outs Above Average, 4.4 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs DC projections: 141 games, 189 plate appearances, .238/.319/.441, 29 HR, 87 RBI, 112 wRC+, 9.8 BB%, 25.9 K%, 3.1 fWAR

Last year was quite eventful for the dynamic infielder. He saw his season interrupted in late April with what was deemed at the time a pretty significant oblique strain, yet he returned in early June and hit like he never left. Chisholm needed just 130 games to post a career-high in home runs with 31, and also stole 30 bases to round out an amazing year in which his 126 wRC+ represented his best mark over a full season.

Defensively, he struggled in 238 innings at the hot corner, with -4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -3 Outs Above Average (OAA). Once he returned to his real defensive home in the middle of the infield, his fielding stats dramatically improved and the eye test confirmed as much. Basically, Chisholm was excellent in all facets of the game: batting, fielding, and running the bases.

What does he have in store for 2026? Well, given his age, experience, and recent performance, you could say he is right in the prime of his career. That means he may actually have an outside shot at joining the exclusive 40-40 club, something that just six major leaguers have done in the history of the game.

Of course, Chisholm will need to stay healthy if he’s going to have a shot at history. Throughout his career, he has experienced UCL, knee, oblique — multiple times — groin, and toe issues, and he hadn’t surpassed 125 games played in a season until 2024. The Yankees, to reach their collective goals, need Chisholm healthy. The last two years have been better on that front, but he has still missed 47 of 324 regular games between 2024 and 2025.

Chisholm, who is set to represent Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic next month, is playing under a $10.2 million salary in his third and final season of arbitration, which means he will be a free agent after the conclusion of the 2026 World Series if the Yankees don’t extend him.

At this point, an extension looks unlikely, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a long-term future in New York. Chisholm loves the city and the team, and barring something unforeseen, the Yankees have to be considered the favorites to re-sign him.

First, however, is the 2026 campaign, one in which Chisholm and the Bombers would love to end a long World Series drought. They came relatively close 15 months ago when they fell to the Dodgers in the Fall Classic — where Chisholm hit a home run and stole four bases in five games — and will want to return to the last series of the season with their current core.

Nobody knows what the future holds for Chisholm, but he is undoubtedly a key cog in the Yankees’ lineup and has developed into one of the best second basemen in the league. If he stays fully healthy this year, he should be a lock for a 115-130 wRC+ with 25 homers and steals at the very least, and the ceiling is much, much higher.

Red Sox roster projection 2.0: Lineup taking shape as spring training begins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Baseball season is here.

Many Boston Red Sox players showed up at JetBlue Park on Monday, a day before pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report for spring training. Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, and Payton Tolle were among those getting work in early.

The Red Sox also solidified their infield on Monday, acquiring Caleb Durbin in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. They sent infielder David Hamilton to Milwaukee alongside left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan.

There may still be moves to be made, but Durbin’s arrival fills the most glaring void on Boston’s roster. The 25-year-old will either take over for Alex Bregman at third base or move to second while Marcelo Mayer plays at the hot corner.

The Red Sox’ roster is beginning to take shape, but there will be a handful of position battles worth monitoring in spring training. Here’s our updated roster projection heading into spring workouts:

Starting rotation

1. Garrett Crochet, LHP
2. Ranger Suarez, LHP
3. Sonny Gray, RHP
4. Brayan Bello, RHP
5. Johan Oviedo, RHP

Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

No surprises here, though there should be a fun competition for that No. 5 spot in spring training. Oviedo is the frontrunner after the Red Sox acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the offseason. Still, he’ll have to hold off top prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, right-hander Kutter Crawford, and lefty Patrick Sandoval. Both Crawford and Sandoval are returning from injury.

Bullpen

1. Aroldis Chapman, LHP
2. Garrett Whitlock, RHP
3. Justin Slaten, RHP
4. Jovani Moran, LHP
5. Greg Weissert, RHP
6. Zack Kelly, RHP
7. Ryan Watson, RHP
8. Kutter Crawford, RHP

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jordan Hicks is no longer in the equation as he was traded to the Chicago White Sox earlier this month. Ryan Watson was acquired from the Athletics during the Rule 5 draft, so he’ll be required to stick on the active roster throughout the 2025 season.

Boston remains short on left-handed relievers after parting ways with Justin Wilson, Brennan Bernardino, and Steven Matz this offseason.

Lineup

1. Roman Anthony, LF
2. Trevor Story, SS
3. Jarren Duran, DH
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Wilyer Abreu, RF
6. Carlos Narvaez, C
7. Marcelo Mayer, 2B
8. Caleb Durbin, 3B
9. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It’s unclear at this point whether Durbin will play primarily at third or second base for Boston. Regardless, he established himself as an everyday player with the Brewers last season and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year race.

While Durbin boasts above-average bat-to-ball skills, he doesn’t offer much power. The Red Sox are banking on Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Willson Contreras, and Wilyer Abreu carrying the load offensively. They also need Trevor Story to replicate his 2025 production.

At this point, it doesn’t look like the Red Sox will move Duran or Abreu to resolve their outfield logjam. As a result, we’ll probably see a combination of Duran and Anthony in the DH spot this season, but there’s another DH on the roster who still doesn’t have a path to consistent playing time…

Bench

1. Masataka Yoshida, DH/OF
2. Connor Wong, C
3. Romy Gonzalez, UTIL
4. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, UTIL

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Yoshida remains in limbo heading into the 2026 season. As long as the outfield logjam exists, he has no path to consistent playing time with Duran and perhaps Anthony also spending time at DH. The problem is he still has two years and roughly $37 million left on his contract, making him virtually untradable.

The lefty-mashing Gonzalez will reprise his role as a platoon bat, likely splitting time with Mayer at second base. Mayer struggled against left-handed pitching last season.

Boston signed Kiner-Falefa to a one-year, $6 million contract last week. The 30-year-old veteran is a solid, versatile defender who brings next to zero value with his bat, but has earned a reputation as a clubhouse leader.

Injured list

1. Triston Casas, 1B
2. Patrick Sandoval, LHP
3. Tanner Houck, RHP

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Casas will likely begin the 2026 season in Triple-A as he works his way back from a ruptured patellar tendon.

Sandoval’s status is up in the air as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss all of 2025.

Houck is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season as he recovers from Tommy John.

We are now less than a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and two weeks away from having actual games to watch on our televisions, or in person.

So before things settle in, let’s think about Dodgers predictions for this season. And not necessarily how many wins they will amass, or how their postseason will go (I’m sure we’ll ask about this later).

I’m thinking here of specific calls you want to make, like Ronan Kopp will make his major league debut on July 6 against the Colorado Rockies, or Andy Pages will have three hits in Anaheim on May 17.

Or maybe you want to get a little more into the weeds, like the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will play 13 innings on August 8 in Phoenix, or Tyler Glasnow will throw exactly 93 pitches on June 17 against the Rays at Dodger Stadium.

Whatever floats your boat, now is the time to call your shot. Today’s question is what is your Dodgers prediction(s) for 2026?

Let us know in the comments below.

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

Well, we have officially got our top-10 on the annual CPL. Outfielder Devin Taylor just eked out the win this round, barely edging out Mason Barnett for that 10th spot. The lefty swinging corner outfielder has plenty to offer in the batter’s box as he looks like a bat-first outfielder that will need to hit to make it to the big leagues. He’s gotten off to a solid start to his professional career and will be one of the more intriguing outfielders in the system to keep an eye on. He only just played the previous year in the lower minors so it’ll be a while before we see him suit up in the Green & Gold.

The new nominee getting their hat in the ring is right-handed starter Henry Baez. One of the return pieces the A’s received for Mason Miller, Baez had a fantastic overall year but faltered a bit once he switched over to our organization. That shouldn’t put you down on the righty however as he still offers plenty of upside and could absolutely be an option for the A’s at some point this coming season. How aggressive do the A’s want to be with him?

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

* * *

A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF

The voting continues! Who will be voted as the 11th-best prospect down on the farm? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Tommy White, 3B

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 22

2025 stats (A+/AA): 395 PA, .275/.334/.439, 23 doubles, 0 triples, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 29 BB, 54 K, 3 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

White’s right-handed power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long way to all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He might be known for his home run totals but he’s a better overall hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can lead to him expanding his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.

It will be White’s bat that carries him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely lacks the range and tools to stick at third base, where he toiled as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.

Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19

2025 stats (Rookie Affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades (hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Scouting grades (pitcher): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.

Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.

Henry Baez, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (Double-A): 2.39 ERA, 23 starts, 109 IP, 100 K, 35 BB, 3 HR, 3.19 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The 6-foot-3 right-hander has gained velocity steadily in his years as a pro and has touched as high as 99 mph this season. He typically sits around 94 mph, working north-south with the pitch while getting most of his whiffs up and to the armside. He played off that with a 76-79 mph curveball that could have more slurvish tendencies, but at its best, it snapped downward to fool batters sitting on the high heat and it had produced a 47 percent miss rate at the time of the trade. He also utilizes an 83-86 mph split-change to miss bats, but it stands out more for its separation than movement profile.

Baez took a major jump in workload but didn’t let his control improvements suffer. That certainly helps his starting chances, as does his 50.1 percent ground-ball rate from 2024. He’s still only 22, but with his place on the roster now set, the A’s (never afraid to move guys quickly) could try to see what it looks like in the big leagues in a relief role to ease him in.

Mason Barnett, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 25

2025 stats (Triple-A): 6.13 ERA, 23 starts (25 appearances), 119 IP, 124 K, 65 BB, 17 HR, 5.53 FIP

2025 stats (Majors): 6.85 ERA, 5 starts, 22 1/3 IP, 18 K, 11 BB, 3 HR, 4.88 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Barnett leads a four-pitch mix with his fastball. Though it may not reach the 99 mph it once did earlier in his career, he can still rev it up to about 96 mph while sitting around 94. His mid-80s slider has evolved into more of a sweeper with good bite and emerged as a strong secondary pitch, providing solid separation in velocity from his upper-70s curve. He also utilizes a mid-80s changeup that is especially effective against left-handed batters.

Listed at 6-foot and 218 pounds, Barnett is showing all the traits of a “bulldog” on the mound who goes right after opposing hitters. He demonstrated strong improvement in his overall strike-throwing ability with his cleaned-up three-quarters arm slot that at times got a little long in the past. If the improvements hold up at the next level, the A’s view him as a long-term starter and believe he could push his way up to the big leagues at some point in 2025.

Cole Miller, RHP

Expected level: Single-A | Age: 20

2025 stats (ROK, Single-A): 1.90 ERA, 12 starts (15 appearances), 52 IP, 45 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, 3.38 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The A’s were working on some mechanical adjustments with Miller prior to his injury. His electric fastball ticked up to 96 mph in high school and displayed excellent movement down in the zone. The mid-80s slider is a hard breaker and was showing signs of improvement. His low-80s changeup showed some potential as an average third pitch.

There was real excitement within the organization for Miller’s professional debut. His three-pitch mix and large 6-foot-6 frame give off the potential of a workhorse-type starting pitcher in the big leagues. The A’s also loved the competitiveness they saw from him on the mound while scouting him. After an unfortunate delay, he finally got his first opportunity to make an impression this summer.

* * *

Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your vote!

The Yankees won 94 games last season and had baseball’s most prolific offense, leading baseball in runs. They are the game’s mightiest sluggers – get this, they smashed 274 homers last year, which was 30 more than the runner-up Dodgers – and also boast a compelling mix of high-ceiling talent in their starting rotation, not the least of which is a returning Gerrit Cole. 

Still, their winter is being perceived in some circles as somewhat underwhelming, no? The Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles made talent splashes in the AL East, but the Yanks, believing they already possess World Series genes, have not imported the same level of new boldface names. That leaves them vulnerable, at least before the season starts, to outside doubts. 

And not just from Yankees fans rage-posting on social media. 

Fair or unfair? We’ve got 162 games (and beyond) to find out. For some up-to-this-moment evaluation and, perhaps, foreshadowing, we asked some opposing scouts and club executives for a glance into the AL East, which still might be baseball’s most perilous division.

"I actually think their offseason is one of the top questions in the American League," said an executive from a competing team. "Did they do enough? Doesn’t feel like it to me, considering the action in Toronto, Boston and Baltimore."

"I can see where a Yankee fan, used to the winter juggernaut and then you compare them to the Dodgers in the NL – I can see their disappointment," added a scout from an opposing organization. "But they are still a really good team. 

"The whole package, really."

Let’s recap: The Yankees retained Cody Bellinger, a terrific move that helps in all facets of the game, Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt, and Amed Rosario. Their biggest-name outside addition was promising young lefty Ryan Weathers, who could impact the pitching staff in myriad ways, especially after Cole returns from his Tommy John recovery, which could be as soon as May. They remade the bullpen at last year’s deadline and David Bednar and Camilo Doval are expected to be relief bedrocks this year, too. 

With so many familiar faces returning, the Yanks are being accused of – earmuffs, Brian Cashman! – running it back from last year’s squad. That team, you might recall, was dominated by the Blue Jays all season and then in October, too. 

Then the rest of the division seemingly had MLB Trade Rumors working overtime with juicy moves. The Orioles, a crashing disappointment a year ago, signed Pete Alonso as part of a Camden Yards power surge and added Taylor Ward, too. That pair combined for 74 home runs last season and could fit snugly with a youthful star core. The O’s also added Shane Baz to their rotation and Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley to their bullpen.

"Baltimore," the scout said, "has done a lot."

The Blue Jays’ winter was highlighted by giving Dylan Cease $210 million, bolstering their bullpen with Tyler Rogers, and adding Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto. And the Red Sox traded for Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray and signed one of the market’s top pitchers, Ranger Suárez, to add to a fearsome rotation fronted by Garrett Crochet.

Of course, winning the winter is only guaranteed to be great for pre-camp fan fests and chat-room talk. It does not assure championships.

Their division rivals may have captured much of the offseason sizzle, but the Yanks still return tons of talent and will get a full season of rotation wunderkind Cam Schlittler, who shined once he was promoted and then gave a tantalizing glimpse of a potential future of ace-hood with his historic October start against the Red Sox. The Massachusetts native dominated his former favorite team, adding another tasty slice to the Yanks-Sox rivalry.

"They get Cole back and that’s going to be a huge positive," the scout said. "Their starting pitching is pretty strong. Bullpen-wise, there may be a bit of a question mark. But their staff is pretty solid."

While Cole and Carlos Rodón finish their recoveries, Max Fried is the unquestioned ace after a brilliant first season in pinstripes in which he had a 2.86 ERA over 195.1 innings. He’ll be followed by Schlittler, Will Warren, Luis Gil, and Weathers, the son of David Weathers, who pitched for nine teams, including the Yankees and Mets, in a 19-year MLB career.

"Weathers is a left-handed power guy with pretty good stuff," the scout said. "He’s got two plus pitches in his fastball and change. Average sweeper. He has had walk issues in the past. But he strikes out a lot of guys and handles right-handers with the changeup, too."

Weathers, the scout added, excels at controlling his effort when he throws the changeup, meaning it does not appear to differ from the effort when he throws his 97-ish fastball. "The effort makes it look like he’s throwing hard and that gives him some late deception," the scout said.

The Yanks seem to have depth and flexibility in their pitching staff, a must considering AL East lineups. As for their own hitters, there’s little doubt the powerful, patient Yankees will score bushels of runs. They led MLB in wRC-plus, slugging, and walk rate, among multiple other categories. Aaron Judge, the best hitter in the sport, is still firmly in his prime and will be aiming for his fourth MVP Award.

"I get it, why they did what they did this winter," the scout said. "And 81 games in Yankee Stadium helps. They are built for that stadium."

But another scout lamented the Yankees' approach of the last few seasons. "Home run hero ball," he called it. Bellinger is an excellent contact hitter, making it imperative that he's back. But he was on the team last year. Could the Yanks be criticized for not adding additional contact types after a season in which their batters had baseball’s sixth-worst strikeout percentage?

Goldschmidt and Rosario give the bench a righty presence. Goldschmidt is a good defender at first base and could be a late-game sub for Ben Rice, a lefty who figures to get most of the at-bats there. Rice, a Statcast darling renowned for hard contact that has him on the same leaderboards as Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Kyle Schwarber, hit 26 home runs last year and could be poised for more.

After the 2024 World Series and Juan Soto’s departure for Queens, the Yankees strived to be better defensively and more athletic. Adding Ryan McMahon at third base at the deadline last year helped their defense, though he strikes out too much.

They also kept their glovework strong in center field by keeping Grisham, who took the qualifying offer to come back after slugging 34 home runs last year. Grisham might not be adored by defensive metrics, but he easily passes the first scout’s eye test.

"I think he’s a special defender," the first scout said. "Elite in center field. Offensively, there’s power there and he’s a great fit for Yankee Stadium. And he wants to be in New York. That’s a huge piece. Yankee Stadium is a tough place to play, home or visitor. If you’re playing well, it’s great. If not, it’s not easy.

"There’s always been swing and miss with him. But when he makes contact, it’s hard. And there’s such a mental advantage to playing in Yankee Stadium as a left-handed hitter. There can be a big confidence factor.

"I don’t think it was a risk that they kept him."

Risk is a word we’ll probably hear all season about the Yankees, especially through the prism of their winter. Anthony Volpe, the shortstop who was a flashpoint last season as he struggled at the plate and in the field, is recovering from offseason surgery, so José Caballero will play short early in the season. What happens when Volpe returns?

"Volpe kind of struggled last year,” the first scout said. "Is he the guy? I think there are a lot of questions that need to be answered.

"But the Yankees are still one of the top teams in the AL. I mean, they really are a top-tier club."

Yes, but one with questions looming on the eve of spring training, especially after their winter.

"They really are betting on last year’s roster," the opposing executive said.

So how good are the 2026 Mets after their offseason renovation, and where do they stack up in the NL East? 

Judging by the responses I received from seven MLB scouts and executives polled over the last several days, it’s a fascinating question that seems to have an unusually wide range of possibilities, setting up a season of considerable intrigue.

The only consensus among those polled is that the division should be one of the toughest in the majors, likely to be decided by a tight race involving the Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves, all capable of winning 90 or more games, with the acknowledgement that the Miami Marlins are on the rise, perhaps an X factor of sorts. 

Of those teams, none produced more varied opinions than the Mets, largely because they made the most dramatic changes, starting with David Stearns’ decision to break up the position-player core via the departures of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil. 

As a result, win predictions from the evaluators I spoke to ranged from 83 to 95, with the disparity primarily centering around to the Mets’ offensive potential and questions about the bullpen. 

Consider these contrasting opinions:

"The bottom half of their lineup is full of holes," said one scout. "If (Carson) Benge blossoms quickly, maybe I’d re-think that, but I need to see it first."

"I think their quality of at-bats one-through-nine will be improved," countered an NL East executive. "To me they’ve been a poor situational hitting team (in years past). They’ve added some guys who will be tough outs in big spots."

The takes on the bullpen, specifically Devin Williams, were equally disparate:

"You can’t ignore the difficulty Williams had closing for the Yankees last year and just assume he’ll be fine in that role with the Mets, especially replacing (Edwin) Diaz," said one scout. "He’s still got that elite changeup and he eventually pitched well for the Yankees, but not as the closer. He didn’t handle the pressure well – it was affecting his mechanics and his command."

Said another scout of Williams: "I think he did struggle with the expectations as a Yankee but I like the way he figured it out and pitched well, especially in the postseason. I think he’ll go back to being as dominant as he was in Milwaukee."

And so it went, from one extreme to the other in trying to project the Mets in 2026. The one area of the ballclub that drew something of a consensus is the starting pitching, which everyone I spoke to believes will give them a basis for contention, mostly due to the trade for Freddy Peralta and the expectation that Nolan McLean will build on his stunning success late last season.

"Their rotation should be deep with a chance to be dominant," said one team executive. "Peralta was exactly what they needed at the top. To me McLean was no fluke -- if you watched him pitch you know the stuff is legit and the poise is uncommon. If they get bounce-backs from a couple of their veterans and then their young guys like (Jonah) Tong and (Christian) Scott eventually reach their potential, their starting pitching should give them a chance to win just about every day."

Added an NL scout:

"I’d make the case they have as many high-ceiling guys as just about anybody. I include (Kodai) Senga and (Sean) Manaea in that category, based on what they’ve done when healthy. Maybe even (David) Peterson -- he looked the part until he seemed to hit a wall late in the season. I think they all have a chance to get back to pitching at a high level.

"Then there’s Peralta and McLean, both with plus-plus stuff. And I like Tong. He just needs more time to develop. Obviously you need to see the bounce backs from certain guys materialize, but if they do I’d give them a chance to have a top five rotation in the game.”

So with all of this in mind, let’s get back to the question of how the Mets stack up in the division. The Phillies, remember, won it in a romp last season with 96 wins, while the Mets were a disappointing second with 83 wins, followed by the Marlins with 79 wins and the Braves with just 76 wins in what was a disastrous season for them.

Of the seven people I spoke to, three picked the Phillies to win it again, while two picked the Mets and two picked the Braves.

The Phillies offer the most certainty, with largely the same team that has been to the postseason the last four seasons. The one obvious bit of uncertainty, however, is the status of their ace, Zack Wheeler, who will be coming back from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery last September and thus looms as a huge X factor.

"They need Wheeler in form to win the division again, especially after losing (Ranger) Suarez,” one exec said. "If he’s back they’re still very good and deep in the rotation. Then the question is whether age will catch up with their core. Their key guys are all in their 30s so injuries could be a factor. But they’re still very dangerous. They just haven’t gotten to the finish line in the postseason."

Added a scout: "To me, the Phillies have the highest floor. They should be in the high 80s in wins at worst."

The Braves, meanwhile, could have the highest upside. At least that was the consensus of those I polled, especially the two people who picked them to win the division. But even those who didn’t made the point that they have the potential for a huge bounce back season after injuries in their starting rotation and underperformance from their once-potent offense doomed them in 2025.

"If they get (Chris) Sale, (Spencer) Schwellenbach, and (Spencer) Strider back from injuries and pitching like they have in the past, they’ll be a 90-win team again,” said one scout. "And then if they hit like they did two years ago, they’ll have a chance to win it all. They have a ton of talent."

So based on these evaluations, there is a clear case to be made for each of the Mets, Phillies, and Braves to win the NL East.

The difference when it comes to the Mets is that there is more of an unknown quality due to the changes made by Stearns and thus the widest range of predictions -- with two of those polled picking them to win 92 or more games, three picking them for somewhere in the high 80s, and two picking them for 85 or fewer.

The difference centered mostly on the lineup, now featuring Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and Marcus Semien as newcomers.

"I love them adding Bichette," said one long-time executive. "He’s a proven RBI guy who knows how to hit in big spots. But I think they’ll miss Alonso’s power. I’m not sure what they’ll get from Robert or Semien. Same goes for some of their holdovers, guys like (Mark) Vientos and (Francisco) Alvarez. I like that they were willing to change the mix after a disappointing season. I just don’t know if they’re better."

Finally, one scout who had a more optimistic projection may have best summed up the state of the Mets for hopeful fans.

"They should be a more well-rounded team. Better defensively. Better starting pitching, I like Benge a lot and I know they do, too, so I feel like he’s the wild card offensively they need to make them a 90-plus wins team. Overall I like what they did this offseason, other than letting Diaz walk. But it feels like something of a leap of faith until I see some baseball."

Boston Baro (25)

Steve says:

Boston Baro had a solid 2024, establishing himself as a player to keep an eye on, but his progress and development took a backslide in 2025. He still has youth on his side but is currently being fueled more by how he has room to improve rather than how he has improved. Without one standout tool, his ultimate upside is a well-rounded player who does a lot of things fairly well, but profiles like that can fall into obscurity fairly quickly.

Lukas says:

It was a real let-down season for Baro, who failed to hit in High-A and saw his stock tumble while most of the system around him surged. It wasn’t a complete disaster and he’s still only 21 (and spent most of the season at 20) so it’s too early to give up entirely. At the same time, his power remains middling (ISO below .100) and the hit tool promise hasn’t materialized either. There are more exciting guys I’d have preferred here.

Daiverson Gutierrez (24)

Steve says:

Daiverson Gutierrez thoroughly impressed me in 2024. After an unimpressive first season as a professional in the DSL, he rebounded with revamped mechanics at the plate and killed it. He was roughly an average hitter last season, posting a 98 wRC+ in his 91 games with St. Lucie, and while there is probably a lot of variance in his offensive profile because of a lack of in-game power to count on, he has well-rounded defensive chops, giving him a solid floor as a developmental starting point.

Lukas says:

The just-missed list features a couple other formerly well regarded top catching prospects, but Gutierrez managed to keep his head above the waterline for another season. He posted average-ish slash line in his first full season stateside with some positive hit-tool and approach markers under the hood, and even a decent pulled fly ball rate to boot. The lack of exit velo – and corresponding lack of damage (.067 ISO) – is the main thing holding Gutierrez back right now. If he can add some more oomph without degrading his other skills, there might be something here. But he’s also a young catcher so…you know how that goes.

Randy Guzman (23)

Steve says:

Controversial is not the right word, but Randy Guzman is, I think, the most out of nowhere player on the list this year. He earned it though. His surface stats were great and the underlying metrics powering his surface stats were just as strong. Guzman is still young enough with no real track record that we can’t completely negate the idea that he had a flash in the pan season, but outside of a BABIP that seems way too high to be sustainable and whiff rate a bit higher than normal, there is nothing that screams Guzman was a complete illusion.

Lukas says:

After two seasons in the DSL – neither of which was particularly impressive – Guzman came out of nowhere and now looks like a real prospect. He posted a 108.5 90th percentile exit velocity – well above the major league average of ~104 and a 70 on the 20 – 80 scale – as a 20-year-old in St. Lucie, and his max of 111.9 MPH is excellent as well. You might expect horrific contact problems but no, Guzman puts bat to ball at a totally fine level. He even pulls the ball in the air a good amount, often a flaw for younger players. These are most of the ingredients to be a really exciting prospect, but Guzman is ranked in the 20s because he chases nearly 44% of the time. Some guys are able to improve that sort of flaw, and it’s worth noting that Guzman did walk more on the complex. Many others don’t, oftentimes because it’s a fundamental pitch recognition issue. We’ll see which side of that dichotomy Guzman winds up on.

Eli Serrano III (22)

Steve says:

I was not a fan of Eli Serrano’s selection in the 2024 draft, not because he is a bad player necessarily but because his path for professional success seemed unnecessarily complicated as compared to other players who were still available and seen as reasonable selections for the 4th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Here we are a year-and-a-half later, and Serrano still hasn’t popped, but neither has anyone else who was selected in the rest of the round (sans Dakota Jordan, who signed for more than three times what Serrano did). As long as nobody else blooms, I am fine with Serrano having plenty of time to put in the work.

Lukas says:

Serrano was a personal favorite last offseason, and I shoved him all the way up to #12 on the basis of a limited pro sample where he changed his approach to pull the ball in the air more often. That thesis seemed to be playing out early-on; through May 23rd, Serrano batted .243/.366/.441 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts, good for a 144 wRC+ in the pitcher-friendly Maimonides Park (both due to brutal wind that blows right-to-left and a horrific batter’s eye for left-hand hitters). Then he missed two weeks with a lower-body injury and was a below average hitter the rest of the way, with a paltry .212/.308/.304 line. Some part of this may have been normal regression or the league figuring him out, but the timing suggests the injury played a role in the reduced production. Serrano still had a good year overall, implementing a swing change and maintaining decent contact and damage metrics. We’ll hopefully see him in Double-A in 2026 where he’ll have a chance to demonstrate that his strong first half was more representative of his underlying talent.

Edward Lantigua (21)

Steve says:

Last year, Edward Lantigua was a wildcard who was getting some helium thanks to a projectable body, solid surface numbers, and metrics that backed up the legitimacy of those numbers. A year later, all of that remains the same, except the outfielder passed his first test by doing the same kinds of things that got him helium in the first place at the Port St. Lucie complex. Lantigua will presumably begin the 2026 season in Single-A St. Lucie and any kind of sustained success there will certainly catapult him into the ranks of bona fide Mets prospects.

Lukas says:

On the surface, Lantigua had a really nice season in the complex last year, demonstrating good bat-to-ball skills and an excellent eye at the plate. A couple of years ago, I’d be falling over myself to rank this sort of guy closer to the top-10. Nowadays, the signs of passivity are a bit more of a warning sign. Yes, Lantigua walked more than he struck out and that’s undeniably a good-outcome; however, it can also be a sign of passivity at the plate, a trait which can artificially inflate hit tools as well. None of this is to say Lantigua is a bad prospect, there’s an intriguing blend of average or slightly-above tools and a good degree of polish. Nevertheless, there’s a reason a dude with a 144 wRC+ last season isn’t getting blown up, and he’ll need to continue proving this OBP-heavy approach works as he moves up the ladder.

Antonio Jimenez (20)

Steve says:

Like Eli Serrano above, Jimenez was another player whose selection I didn’t like at the time because I felt like there were better players still on the board when the Mets made the 102nd pick. That said, Jimenez’ path to success seems much more linear than Serrano’s; unfortunately, what he needs to work on might be one of the most difficult things a hitter can improve on. He swings hard and swings at everything, resulting in a lot of loud contact yes, but a lot of swings-and-misses and weak contact as well. I don’t think we know enough about Jimenez as a person and as a player to say that he won’t be able to reign in this Achilles heel of his, but it is a testament to the Mets’ developmental pipeline that it will all be okay if he doesn’t; not that I want Jimenez to be a bust, if he does, his failure will not be a catastrophic hit to the organization.

Lukas says:

Jimenez was admittedly not my favorite selection in last year’s draft. There’s undeniable athleticism, bat-to-ball ability, and bat speed here, all positive traits that you’re excited to get from an underslot pick in 3rd round. The swing decisions though…they’re ugly The folks running the Mets’ draft are widely regarded as some of the best in the game, and they’re clearly placing an emphasis on the sort of high-end athletic traits that Jimenez has, a philosophy that has already paid clear dividends. I can’t shake my long-standing belief that approach is one of the trickiest things to teach, however, and is indeed often tied to a different set of athletic traits (e.g., eyesight, processing speed, etc.). For that reason, I remain a bit lower on Jimenez even while acknowledging the clear upside here if he can rein in the aggression.

Ryan Lambert (19)

Steve says:

The Mets drafted a bunch of right-handed pitchers in the middle rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft that all had roughly the same kind of pitch characteristics: a fastball with high induced vertical break, a sharp slider, and not a lot of mileage on their arms. Ryan Lambert fit those criteria, but he also did something that none of the other pitchers in that grouping did: throw incredibly hard. In a world of spin rates and spin axis’ and spin efficiencies, there is still something just viscerally appealing about seeing a pitcher blow a triple-digit fastball by a batter. Lambert’s walk rate is problematic, but given how few hits he allowed and for how little power the preponderance most of those hits were, you can tolerate the bases on balls.

Lukas says:

We really shouldn’t be ranking relief prospects, or at least not as often as we used to. The Mets’ system is better than that at this point. But when a guy posts an ERA under 2 over 50 innings across two levels with a K% approaching 40%, you take notice. Even after a promotion to Double-A where his walk rate ballooned to 14.7%, Lambert still bordered on unhittable. The fastball remains gross, an IVB-heavy offering that Lambert is able to blow by hitters at the top of the zone, and his secondaries have become highly effective as well. Two things to watch here; the control, of course, and also how these pitches play given Lambert’s release traits. Put simply, the vert-heavy movement profile he gets is close to what you’d expect coming out of an over-the-top arm, reducing the deception. Still this looks like a potential late-inning arm that should help the Mets in 2027 – fantastic outcome for an 8th round pick.

Dylan Ross (18)

Steve says:

Similar to Ryan Lambert, Dylan Ross’ walk rate was problematic, but given how few hits he allowed and for such little damage, you can live with the walks. Ross does his damage with a true splitter, which is not something that too many other pitchers in the system utilize, and the pitch is one of the better ones in all of minor league baseball. It’s pretty incredible and a testament to the team’s developmental system that, even factoring in a first-round bust, the 2022 MLB Draft class seems poised to be one of the strongest in Mets history.

Lukas says:

Ross is yet another late-round success story for the Mets, a 13th rounder in 2022 that now looks the part of a legitimate late-inning weapon. Both his slider and splitter are nasty offerings, with 90th percentile or better quality metrics in Triple-A per Rob Orr and whiff rates to match. He also throws in the upper 90s and has touched 102. Sounds great, but there are some warts. Ross’s fastball has pretty poor shape, something he gets away with due to the velocity but not ideal, particularly if you value fastball whiff rates (something I put a lot of emphasis on). Second, his command collapsed in Triple-A, with a BB% of 17.3%. Now he still had a 1.69 ERA in Syracuse, demonstrating how unhittable he can be, but I worry the lack of command and bad fastball ultimately all makes this play down a bit, more in the “annoying 7th inning guy that should be more” role.

Chris Suero (17)

Steve says:

It’s hard not to root for Chris Suero; he’s a likable, down-to-earth, locally raised kid. There are two ways to look at his 2025, in particular his second half, which saw him promoted to Double-A Binghamton. Has he hit a developmental wall? Or is it a case of a young kid being exposed to tougher pitching and needing more time to adapt? Suero’s approach at the plate, coupled with very few changes to his batting line or approach save the lack of power does worry me that it could be the former, but there is no rush and no need for Suero to be pushed aggressively. I think the catcher-outfielder has plenty of time to get more at-bats under his belt and crack the nut that is Double-A pitching.

Lukas says:

I was a big believer in Suero last offseason and he had, by any top-line measurement, an extremely successful season – 140 wRC+ across two levels, finishing in Double-A as a 21-year-old. Despite that, I don’t think I’m all that much higher on him than I was last offseason, primarily because of the contact concerns. Suero spent much of 2025 swinging out his shoes resulting in both better damage on contact but also a big spike in strikeout rate. After getting promoted to Double-A, the strikeouts remained but the improved damage largely vanished. Suero still looks like a very fun multi-positional backup, but it’s trending more TTO than I would’ve expected – would love to see him reign things in slightly and find a happy medium this upcoming season.

R.J. Gordon (16)

Steve says:

If you would’ve told me on July 16, 2024 that R.J. Gordon was going to be a top prospect in the minor league system, I would’ve laughed at you. Gordon did not exactly have an impressive college career, and the stuff, while fine, did not exactly jump off the page at you. He then developed a “kick” changeup, the same kind of changeup that Nolan McLean developed, and here we are. The right-hander only made 10 starts (11 appearances) in Double-A Binghamton last year, so presumably he will begin the 2026 season there, but if he continues putting up the numbers he did last year, you could make a strong case that Gordon’s name should be found somewhere in the 2026 Mets pitching depth chart.

Lukas says:

Gordon is a 24-year-old who spent only half his season at Double-A last year. That’s not a great way to start a report, but then you remember that he posted an ERA over 5 with middling peripherals for Oregon one season prior. That he’s a notable prospect at all is a huge developmental win, one of many college arms littered across the system that the Mets have demonstrably improved since draft time. Gordon’s arsenal is a rather generic 95-and-a-slider package, but the slider is legitimately good and he ran a K% in the high 20s. As is, he’s a nice potential back-end starter or flexible relief piece. I also wouldn’t rule out more though; it’s not immediately obvious to me that there’s more juice here, but the Mets just keep finding ways to make arms better.

Nick Morabito (15)

Steve says:

Nick Morabito’s selection in the 2022 MLB Draft wasn’t seen as a complete head scratcher, per se, but the profile along with the early underwhelming numbers and unimpressive first professional looks didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Here we are a few years later, and improbably, the outfielder is on the cusp of being a major league contributor. Granted, his offensive profile is extremely hard to make work at the major league level, but Morabito has a high defensive floor, and in centerfield no less, which should help keep his name in the conversation for a roster spot somewhere or other for years to come.

Lukas says:

The Morabito selection was widely derided in 2022, and his post-draft showing didn’t build much confidence. All he’s done since then is hit though, working his way up the system through 2023 and 24 before logging a very successful full season at Binghamton in 2025. Much better than many thought he’d be post draft to be sure, but there’s still reasons for healthy skepticism. Morabito remains a BABIP-dependent player, one who doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard or at particularly good angles most of the time. His speed and groundball tendencies eat up minor-league fielders, but that won’t work in the majors, and he lacks both meaningful power and the ability to play centerfield. I have some concerns about his bat-to-ball ability too, though he bounced back from some early troubles there in Double-A. He’s a proximal 4th / 5th OF prospect.

Zach Thornton (14)

Steve says:

Zach Thornton is your classic “package is greater than the sum of its parts” pitchers, and players like that are hard to gauge sometimes. Thornton reminds me a lot of P.J. Conlon; the left-handedness, the pinpoint control, the funk in the delivery, the success in the minor leagues despite not having true elite stuff. Given how pitching rich the minor league system is currently and the fact that the left-hander is a clear tier or two below some of the other names, I’m not really sure where Thornton fits in. Regardless of how he fits into future plans- or where- I think there is a definite major league floor in some capacity.

Lukas says:

Starting this blurb bold: I think we’re too low on Zach Thornton. He’s a lanky lefty that throws pitches more suited for the 1990s in terms of velocity, but he also ran a K-BB% of 24.5% in Double-A during his abbreviated season. The fastball blows by people thanks to outstanding IVB even though it sits 89. Couple that with a good slider and a deep repertoire of other stuff – cutter, change, curve – and you get a diverse arsenal that I suspect would rank highly on BP’s surprise metric. Mix in excellent command, and you’ve got a junk baller that I think is at least a 4th starter type. The upside beyond that is capped barring a velocity jump, but Thornton is probably my favorite non-elite guy in the system at this point.

Elian Peña (13)

Steve says:

I have been told by many, many people that they do not share my opinions about ranking extremely young and raw players. It’s not a ding against a player per se, but the less playing time and experience they have, the less data we have to show that they can do X, Y, or Z, which is an anathema to the entire concept of taking a big group of players, weighing them on their merits, accomplishments, and potential, and ranking them in ordinal lists. At times, people have gotten on my case, but based on the volatility of these young players (hey Collin Houck, hey Trey Snyder, hey Colt Cabana, how ya doing?), the carriage is being put before the horse way too often. All that said, Elian Peña forced himself into the conversation of whether or not he should be considered a top organizational prospect with his 2025 performance, and looking over the limited data that could be mined from his 2025 campaign in the Dominican Summer League, he doesn’t seem to be a mirage. His swing looks good. The data shows he’s hitting the ball hard. He’s pulling and lifting the ball for damage. He’s not too rambunctious. He’s got wheels. Despite being a 17-year-old with 55 games of DSL experience, Peña does seem to be legit. Hopefully, in a year, we’ll be having this same discussion about Wandy Asigen.

Lukas says:

More than ever, ranking prospects is a data game. What were the EVs? The swing and miss? How’s the approach look? What are the spray characteristics? All quantifiable and, for many domestic leagues, quite accessible. The DSL is a different nut, where the data is harder to get your hands on and of lower quality if you do, and where the competition level makes evaluation – particularly for hitters – quite challenging. For all these reasons, I hate trying to rank guys like Peña. He certainly looks the part of “good IFA who probably moves off short but has a potent enough bat to make it work”. The data, which I’ve not seen first hand, supposedly backs that up, with a solid blend of contact and thump and a penchant for pulling the ball in the air. Couple that with the incoming pedigree and this is about the right spot to slot him. Check back in throughout the seasons as we build up a more real factbase on the actual quality of prospect here.

Jonathan Santucci (12)

Steve says:

Jonathan Santucci had a strong professional debut last season, pitching acceptably well in High-A Brooklyn and then very well in Double-A Binghamton. The Mets have done a very good job in the last few years maximizing players with Santucci’s profile, and we saw the learning in real time last season, with the southpaw getting better as the year went on, getting a better feel for his changeup and curveball and improving his command. I get Steven Matz vibes from Santucci, where the stuff was very much obviously there, but many evaluators were hesitant to give him his due for a while because of the injury history. Despite turning 23 next season and already having 50 innings in Double-A under his belt, I don’t think we need to rush Santucci; he is in a weird developmental position where he still only has a total of 246.0 high-level baseball innings under his belt, with 117.2 of them, almost half, coming from his time in Brooklyn and Binghamton last year. Santucci is Schrödinger’s Pitcher, somehow raw and a finished product at the same time.

Lukas says:

Santucci is probably my least favorite of the recent college arms (I had him a good deal lower than this, though it’s all a bit of a blob anyway). The stuff is good, but not great, and the scattershot command makes it all play down a bit. Now, he was excellent in the second half, including a 50 inning run in Binghamton with an ERA of 2.52 and peripherals to back it up. He’s also largely stayed healthy since being drafted, a major concern that made him available to the Mets in the 2nd round in the first place. This is all tracking towards the archetype of a frustrating back-of-the-rotation arm who flashes better quality but never quite puts it all together. He’ll be part of the Mets’ (very deep) rotation depth chart in 2026.

Mitch Voit (11)

Steve says:

Voit’s selection in the 2025 MLB Draft was underwhelming to me, to say the least. Obviously, making their first selection with the 38th overall pick, there is going to be a lack of luster on the players available as compared to other true first-rounders, but there were still a handful of players floating around who signed for a comparable amount that I would have preferred, such as Brendan Summerhill, Zach Root or Cam Cannarella. Voit gives me Bryson Stott vibes- an overall well-rounded hitter, with more of an emphasis on speed and stolen bases rather than power and home runs in Voit’s case, that will spend most of his time at second base. If he develops enough to make it to the major leagues and becomes a Stott-ish player, that’s a great outcome, but nothing about Voit right now makes me feel like he will turn into a real standout kind of player. That’s still a win for the developmental system obviously, and luckily the organization is in a position where every cashout doesn’t need to be a jackpot.

Lukas says:

Despite not having a selection until #38 overall, it seems like the Mets managed to get another interesting prospect in last year’s draft in Voit. He fits the recent organizational trend of selecting two-way college guys (Nolan McLean, Carson Benge being other notable examples), a pathway to potentially untapped developmental runway. Voit already saw both contact and approach improvements in his final collegiate season after giving up pitching, and post draft there were further positive markers in terms of his defensive acumen. That said, there were some notable swing and miss challenges in pro ball, and the exit velocities were middling at best. I’m still bullish on Voit overall, but you should expect more “potential solid regular” rather than another high-level breakout like Benge.