Category: MLB

Padres FanFest was the unofficial kickoff to the San Diego Padres season giving fans a chance to hear from front office personnel, the manager and various players. The Padres started the week leading into FanFest with the announcement of the San Diego promotional schedule, which included nine different bobbleheads. The collectibles included players past and present as well as Don Orsillo and Mark Grant from the Padres television booth. The Friar Faithful who responded to the Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball said they would like to get to Petco Park for the opportunity to receive the Trevor Hoffman bobblehead. The Hall of Fame closer converted 601 saves during his MLB career and will be fondly remembered for his time in San Diego, which included a 53 save season in 1998 that helped the Padres reach the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Padres News:

• Fernando Tatis Jr. spoke openly at Padres FanFest about his offensive struggles during the 2025 season. He attributed some of the issues to mechanics and some in the media have questioned whether off-field issues, such as a lawsuit with a lender, may have taken some of his focus away from the field. Whatever the issue or issues were, Tatis Jr. said they are behind him and he is ready to show why he believes he is one of the best players in the game.
• Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors says the Padres have shown interest in free agent first baseman and former Padre Ty France. The Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and New York Yankees are also reported to be interested in France.

Baseball News:

• One of the top remaining free agents knows where he will play the 2026 season. Eugenio Suarez and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract.
• The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox agreed to a trade that sent pitchers Jordan Hicks and minor leaguer David Sandlin to Chicago in exchange for minor league pitcher Gage Ziehl. To make room on their roster the White Sox designated catcher Drew Romo and former Padres pitcher Jairo Iriarte.
• New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has committed to play for Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Athletics starter Luis Severino and Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana also committed to the team.
• With Eugenio Suarez signing with the Reds, the Diamondbacks have shifted their focus to other free agents and they are reportedly interested in first baseman Carlos Santana.

There are so many official and unofficial baseball dates every year as the calendar flips from December to January. This one has even more than most with the WBC, but the first big milestone for the Red Sox is Truck Day. What Fenway Fest begins — a focus on the 2026 season rather than 2025 — Truck Day formalizes.

JetBlue Park in For Myers might be 1,480 miles away from Fenway Park in Boston but it will seem like home once the players arrive.

I try and make it to Truck Day on my commute every year. Some years are more crowded with well-wishers and TV news than others. 2019 was a pretty excited crowd. 2023 it was effectively 0 degrees with a very strong wind chill. In 2025 there was no one waiting as I passed through. Usually there is at least one TV camera set up capturing stock footage of people walking past Fenway Park. I know they showed up later, but the unofficial survey based on going by the scene the same time every year showed less interest in the Sox, somehow. That’s at least as accurate as checking for an early spring based on the routine of a groundhog, which is appropriate here in 2026. And this morning? Three TV cameras were set up catching B-roll. Get excited!

The same list of bits, bobs, and whatchamacallits is piled into a tractor trailer or two every year. And while some of this could be shipped directly to Florida there’s probably enough other stuff that it just makes sense to have the staff in Boston take care of it. With all the trouble the league has had with uniforms the past few seasons there might even be necessary quality control. Plus anything that ended the year at Fenway Park and needs to get to Florida and a nice feeling of tradition and you’ve got more than enough reason to have people show up on a cold Monday ton wish the team good luck.

20,400 baseballs

1,100 bats

200 batting gloves

200 batting helmets

320 batting practice tops

160 white game jerseys

300 pairs of pants

400 t-shirts

400 pairs of socks

20 cases of bubble gum

60 cases of sunflower seeds

The high is 59 in Fort Myers vs 31 in Boston today, although it’ll be in the teens while they are loading the truck.

After the truck leaves Boston it will make a short stop in Worcester! Be at Polar Park (Madison Street side) at about 12:45 for your chance to see the truck and the WooSox mascot crew.

So, if you’re around, stop by in Boston or Worcester. Maybe see Wally. Probably see a small convoy full of the stuff that makes baseball playable. Remember that after the truck the pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training. Then everyone else. Then it’s time for workouts, games, and finally Opening Day.

We’ve almost made it through winter.

And, uh, find another infielder.

We are launching a new daily article here at South Side Sox, more prominently than our items that pop up on The Feed. It falls under the category of White Sox Discussions, which you’ll see in a few weeks will also be our new branding for Game Threads.

Given recent events, there are more and more Crosstown losses to get hot and bothered over. And there have been playoff losses that stung: 1959, 1983, 2000, 2008, 2020, 2021. Some bonehead plays have keyed comical and tragic losses on the South Side. Or maybe it’s a historic loss from 2024, be it No. 107 to break the franchise mark or 121 to set the all-time modern record.

With the team just needing to fall six games worse than .500 to reach the lowest mark in franchise history, there are 9,714 regular season losses and another 32 in the postseason. But which is the one you cannot shake?

Good morning.

Evan Grant writes that the Texas Rangers have done the heavy lifting as far as winter roster moves, but there are still a handful of budget free agents that could make sense ahead of spring training.

At The Athletic, Jim Bowden grades each club’s offseason moves and hands out passing marks to the Rangers for their offseason maneuvering.

Matt Snyder ranks and grades the free agent shortstop signings from recent years where Corey Seager’s deal with Texas lands at No. 1. Winning the World Series as World Series MVP will do that.

And, Russell Dorsey checks out the upcoming top spring training storylines for each team with the hunt to get back to October being the theme for Texas this year.

Have a nice day!

So, I don’t know if I have been doing daily questions for over a year, but it feels like I have.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, the powers that be put together a set of generic questions that can be used throughout the month of February, and shared them with us. Some are redundant with things I’ve probably asked before. Some just kinda feel off to me. But, some, well, they make coming up with prompts easier since, well, I don’t have to. It’s just ye olde copy-paste and off we go.

This is one of those.

I don’t really know what angle people will take when they read it. I guess the most common is, “My team did/didn’t do X, so now I do/don’t expect Y.” But I guess you can be more literal. Like, I have two thoughts in response initially. I also have a ton more if I just think a bit. Here are a few from me:

• 2015: juiced ball time. Got the gears turning on what building a team meant in 2015 as opposed to the trend towards pitching dominance pre-2015.
• 2023: first year of the pitch clock. This is really literal but… before the pitch clock, I had a rhythm going where much baseball was watched while working or doing other stuff, and I had pitchers timed pretty well to be able to look up for the pitch and then go back to whatever I was doing in between pitches. The pitch clock completely ruined this; there’s now not enough time to actually do anything in between pitches. Some might say that’s the point, but it’s made it more that now baseball is on in the background while I do things that either prevent me from seeing each pitch, or that I don’t need to look to do (like washing dishes).
• 2006: Nothing to do with baseball, but this was my first season that started when I was at college. Before 2006, I watched basically every game from 2001-2005 because there wasn’t much impeding me. In 2006 I had to transition to lugging my laptop with MLB.tv around for day games, making arrangements at my part-time jobs to leave before games, and really started watching games as a secondary thing as opposed to appointment viewing.

Anyway, that’s me. What about you?

The Phillies can annoy us. There are things that they do that can get on our nerves, whether it be a questionable decision by the manager during a game (I’m still not over The Bunt), a trade that was made that returned virtually nothing (that’s all they got for Schilling?) or a season that ended worse than what we believed it would be.

So for today’s question, the question: what is something about the Phillies that still bothers you the most? For fans of a different age, this question could be answered different ways. Take me, for example. The Bunt that Rob Thomson called for may not have been the difference in the series against the Dodgers last year, but you have to wonder what might have been had they been able to score Nick Castellanos from second.

Maybe you’re still sore over Cliff Lee being unable to pitch a good Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS, a series that should have seen the Phillies go to, and win, the World Series.

Maybe it’s Black Friday in 1977 where Bruce Froemming had his eyes closed when deciding if Davey Lopes was safe or out.

The possibilities are endless!

Happy Monday, everyone! We’re getting ever closer to pitchers and catchers reporting, and we’re officially in the same month as Spring Training, so the offseason is almost over, and hot stove season is winding down. In fact, the few remaining players still looking for a team are almost entirely starting pitchers, so we could still see some moves from the Tigers before pitchers and catchers report, as the Tigers look to bolster their starting rotation (or their bullpen, depending on what they feel like focusing on).

Still some fun stories to get into to start the week, so we’ll just jump right into it.

Detroit Tigers News

• The Tigers are celebrating Black History Month by celebrating the players who helped make the team great.

• Well we could have told anyone this.

AL Central News

• Mike Bates had the unique distinction of being selected as a first-round draft pick for three different teams, and never played major league ball. The Guardians and Royals were among those teams. Bates has passed away.
• The White Sox have traded for Jordan Hicks.
• Frank Thomas didn’t hold back on his opinions about being left out of a White Sox graphic celebrating Black History Month.
• The Twins’ ownership continues to make some baffling and unpopular choices. ($)

MLB News

• Is there any value left for the classic platoon player?
• Ben Clemens does some fan WAR math.
• The best wall smushes of 2025. Yes. You read that right.
• Several players who will have to step up to fill the shoes of departing players on their teams.
• Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch in the World Baseball Classic, but he anticipates being ready for the regular season.
• Five bounce-back candidates for the 2026 season.
• A deeper look at the insurance issues that have been plaguing players who want to attend the World Baseball Classic.
• The Padres might be headed for a sale, but that’s not slowing them down on making offseason moves.
• Kind of feels like the Tigers could have afforded this…

• Could be an interesting thing for many players who weren’t able to get insurance (though it’s highly unlikely any team would assume the liability.)

• Countdown!!!

Continuing the experiment where I’m drawing conversations from the Moose Tracks out to give them more space, Husky Mariner asked the other day if there’s room for both Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson on the 2026 Mariners roster. (We’re going to assume Opening Day, optimized roster, in this situation, not the Frankenlineups that sometimes get run out in the dog days due to injury or ineffectiveness.)

To me, I think either of those players would be given the keys to third and second base, respectively; neither of them are going to be on the roster to be bench players. That creates a series of conditions: in this case, Emerson has supplanted Cole Young at second base, which feels unlikely at this moment in time, although who knows how things will play out this spring. I will say I’m higher on Colt Emerson than I’ve ever been after considering his body of work this past season and spending time with him this weekend at Fan Fest. It’s maybe less of a stretch to consider Ben Williamson being permanently installed at third base, especially after Eugenio Suárez signed with the Reds yesterday, extinguishing the last ray of hope Mariners fans might have been stoking for a good vibes reunion.

This setup leaves Cole Young returned to Triple-A with his options, the platoon of Victor Robles/Luke Raley/Rob Refsnyder/Dominic Canzone taking starts in right field and DH, and Miles Mastrobuoni and Leo Rivas battling it out for the backup infielder/pinch runner role (plus either Knizner or Perada as backup catcher).

The idea of Cole Young sent back to Triple-A is one that’s already a little difficult for me to square given the club’s verbal commitment to Young, but I can easily see a world where Emerson challenges Young, who has a similar profile. Williamson might have the biggest question mark around his bat of the three, but his defensive acumen is such that it’s harder for me to see them going with Young and Emerson at second and third, even if that might provide the best offensive production. The bigger issue I have with this is how heavy that platoon is in right field/DH. Four players for two spots with only Raley being defensively versatile (all outfield positions, 1B) feels like a roster construction flaw. That’s not an issue that has anything to do with Young/Williamson/Emerson, though, so I’ve maybe drifted too far afield from the original question.

Also: Ryan Bliss. How does he figure into all of this?

Speaking to the media at Fan Fest yesterday, Justin Hollander reiterated that the club won’t be predicating decisions based on spring training alone. But it does feel like a monster spring from Emerson and Williamson could force some of these questions.

What is your prediction for the roster battles will see this spring, specifically on the infield?

Just about every member of the 2025 Orioles either underperformed or got injured. Colton Cowser did both, souring what could have been a breakout season. Reports indicate that Cowser will enter 2026 fully healthy, and seems poised to take on the center field job full-time. The Orioles are betting on a bounce back from the former fifth overall pick.

Let’s not forget that Cowser had a pretty great rookie season in 2024. Over 153 games he hit .242/.321/.768 with 24 home runs, 52 walks, and 172 strikeouts. He swung and missed a lot, but made up for it with his ability to take a walk, hit home runs, and play high-end defense. As a result, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Orioles went into 2025 with Cowser as their lead-off hitter, a somewhat forced decision following Gunnar Henderson’s injury. But it didn’t seem like Cowser was terribly miscast in the role. He had demonstrated a keen eye at the plate, had enough pop to keep the defense honest, and was rather quick on the bases.

But just days into the new season, Cowser went down with his first injury of the year. Trying to beat out an infield hit in Toronto, Cowser dove head-first towards first base. His thumb went the wrong way, resulting in a fracture that put him on the shelf until early June. This injury to his left hand came just six months after he broke that same hand in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series, swinging at a pitch that actually hit him.

Shortly after returning from the thumb injury he suffered in Toronto, Cowser fractured two ribs when he hit into the outfield fence attempting to catch a home run against the Tigers on June 12. He sat the bench for the next three days, but then returned to the lineup. This injury, which nagged for the rest of the season, was not revealed until late September.

The final IL stint of the year for Cowser came in August. That is when he missed 11 days due to concussion symptoms, which stemmed from a play in Philadelphia a few days prior. His symptoms were reported as a “mild,” but the Orioles took precautions.

Looking at Cowser’s splits for the year is rather brutal. The only month of positive production came in June, when he hit .250/.310/.550 with six home runs, 14 RBI, four walks, and 25 strikeouts over 22 games. His OPS for every other month was .594 or worse, and his batting average never got above .210 in any other month.

The best Cowser looked was immediately following the three games he sat after fracturing his ribs. From June 16 through 27, he slashed .314/.385/.714 in a span of 10 games. For a few days that pushed his season OPS above .800 and had him looking like the 2024 version of himself.

But that moment was fleeting, and it was a steep decline from there. From June 28 through the end of the year Cowser slashed .180/.257/.336 and struck out 100 times in 69 games. Although he was 13-for-13 on stolen base attempts and walked at a decent clip in that stretch.

Cowser’s nightmarish season had some members of the Orioles fan base asking questions about his future. The team had Tyler O’Neill signed to a big-money deal. Dylan Beavers was emerging from Triple-A. And then early on in the offseason the team went and traded for Taylor Ward. Seemingly, there were too many corner outfielders for not enough spots on the big league roster.

At the same time, the O’s continued their years-long search for a “frontline” starting pitcher. If they weren’t going to wade into the deep end of the free agent pool, it seemed like a trade involving a young, controllable hitter was a viable alternative. Cowser, among others, fit the bill for the type of player to center a deal around.

But theoreticals like that made less and less sense as the offseason progressed.

The Orioles weren’t involved in talks for any significant options in center, limited as they were. Luis Robert was traded to the Mets. Harrison Bader signed with the Giants. The only center fielder the O’s added to the organization was Leody Taveras, a World Series winner with a useful skillset, but far from an everyday big leaguer following two subpar seasons.

Internally, there wasn’t much to speak of either. Beavers could play center in a pinch but not every single day. Reed Trimble was protected from the Rule 5 Draft, and could be an interesting fourth outfielder option. Enrique Bradfield Jr. is likely to get a big league call at some point in 2026, but he still has plenty to prove. His glove and his legs are ready for the big leagues. His bat, on the other hand, needs some work. The 15 games he played in Norfolk last year did little to force the Orioles hand on a further promotion.

That leaves Cowser as the logical solution in center, a position in Baltimore that had belonged to Cedric Mullins for years. Cowser has plenty of experience in the role. He spent 47 games there in 2025, 45 games in ‘24, and 10 in ‘23. That doesn’t even account for his minor league work. While not as sterling as his performance in left field, advanced metrics like his movement in center. He has been worth 1 OAA in each of the last two seasons despite it not being his full-time position. And his throwing arm is one of the most feared in the league. Defensively, it should fit him just fine.

The bigger questions pertain to his bat. Orioles center fielders posted an 87 wRC+ in 2025, putting them in the bottom half of the league. Cowser himself had an 83 wRC+ overall and it dipped to 78 when he played center.

As constructed, the Orioles probably don’t need Cowser to bounce all the way back to his 2024 form, when he had 119 wRC+. They will be relying more on Henderson, Ward, Pete Alonso, and Jordan Westburg for most of their offense. But their center fielder will need to be closer to league average in order to be a viable everyday option. He has shown an ability to do that before, and if healthy he should be able to get there again.

The only worry is that there is no built in safety net for Cowser or the Orioles. They don’t have immediately viable solutions in-house, and there here aren’t many useful center fielders available via trade or free agency. Most, if not all, of their eggs are in the Cowser basket.

As far as bets go, it’s not a bad one. Injuries derailed his 2025 campaign, and by the time he came back the Orioles season was already down the drain. Now healthy and some pressure of expectations relieved, the O’s will be hoping their former top prospect can thrive in a new position.

Hello and happy Monday, friends.

It’s not just any regular Monday, though…it’s Truck Day! Did Wally leave you any baseball equipment under your Truck Day Tree this year? Hope your work gives you the holiday today. If not, I guess time-and-a-half ain’t so bad.

While the rest of the sporting world will have its eyes on the Super Bowl in a few days, we’re more concerned about the fact that baseball returns in earnest this month. Pitchers and catchers will report to Fort Myers in eight days, and the full squad follows five days after that. We’re currently eighteen days off from the first game of Spring Training, and the World Baseball Classic will soon follow.

We’re almost there, gang.

Drop whatever you fancy in the comments below. Any plans for The Big Game™ this weekend? Are you gonna be out front of Fenway for Truck Day? What are you most excited for leading up to Opening Day? What is a horse shoe? What does a horse shoe do? Are there any horse socks? Is anybody listening to me?

Be good to each other and go Sox.

Meet the Mets

Juan Soto was officially announced as a member of the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team.

The Mets are reportedly one of the teams interested in the services of free agent first baseman and hit-by-pitch-accumulator Ty France.

Around the National League East

Ten days out from pitchers and catchers reporting, Nick Castellanos is still lingering on the Phillies roster and a complete severing of ties might be the only way to get him off.

Paul Toboni’s Nationals are making good use of the waiver wire this offseason and that may just be the first step to building much needed depth.

Around Major League Baseball

It’s February! Games Happen this month! Everyone shows up to Spring Training!

Eugenio Suarez and his 49 home runs are making a return to Cincinnati as the former Mariners slugger agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds for $15M.

The Red Sox sent Jordan Hicks, $8M, David Sandlin, and two players to be named later to the White Sox for a player to be named later and pitching prospect Gage Ziehl.

Jose Siri’s time in the orange and blue conclusively came to an end as the outfielder agreed to a minor-league deal with the Angels.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore previewed returning Met Robert Stock’s second go-around with the Mets and the new weapon in his arsenal.

This Date in Mets History

On this date 18 years ago, Johan Santana officially was traded by the Minnesota Twins and became a New York Met.

This week could be a fun week for the remaining MLB free agents. With the start of Spring Training less than two weeks away for nearly all of baseball, many notable names remained unsigned. As a result, we could see several signings this week, and teams will continue to fill needs for 2026 and beyond. For the Braves, all eyes are on what starting pitching target they may finally agree to a deal with. Should be a news worthy week ahead.

MLB News

The Reds finally found their middle of the order bat by signing veteran slugger Eugenio Suarez.

The White Sox acquired veteran pitcher Jordan Hicks from the Red Sox.

The Diamondbacks have interest in veteran Carlos Santana as a way to add depth to first base.

Also coming up in the near future is the World Baseball Classic. However, the big storyline is more and more players learning they may not have the insurance coverage needed to make it sensible to participate. This includes being such a big for Pureto Rico that they may have to drop from the event.

Add another name to the pitching depth chart this year, as the Dodgers signed left-hander Cole Irvin to a minor league contract that includes a non-roster invitation to spring training, per multiple reports.

Aram Leighton at Just Baseball Media was first to report the signing, which was also confirmed by Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Irvin pitched last season for the Doosan Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization, and put up a 4.48 ERA in 28 starts, with 128 strikeouts and 79 walks in 144 2/3 innings. The left-hander pitched parts of six years in the majors with the Phillies, A’s, Orioles, and Twins, with a 4.54 ERA and 4.45 FIP in 134 games, including 93 starts, with 434 strikeouts and 142 walks in 593 innings.

Irvin, who turned 32 on Saturday, was born in Anaheim and went to high school there at Servite. The Phillies drafted the left-hander out of the University of Oregon in the fifth round in 2016.

Irvin’s place on the depth chart with the Dodgers is probably low at the moment, but this is also a team that used a franchise-record 40 pitchers in each of the last two seasons, after using 39 pitchers in 2023. Last spring training, five of the 14 non-roster arms in big league camp ended up pitching in the majors for the Dodgers. Seven of 12 non-roster pitchers from 2024 spring training pitched that season for the Dodgers as well, as did 10 of the 16 non-roster pitchers from 2023.

In other words, Irvin has a puncher’s — or perhaps pitcher’s — chance of pitching for the Dodgers this season. Or at the very least, he could use his spring training to open eyes for another opportunity elsewhere.

Happy Monday, everyone! We’ve got some fun little news tidbits to start your week with, all while we count down the days (less than two weeks!) before pitchers and catchers report. Yes, friends, we’re currently in the same month that Spring Training will begin, meaning the offseason is winding down. The hot stove is cooling, and we’re starting to see the version of teams that will likely take the field when the new season begins.

One of the bigger stories for those watching the NL Central specifically is the return of Eugenio Suarez to the NL Central, specifically to the Reds. He’s only on a one-year deal, though, so small comfort for those who don’t want to see him in so many games again.

We’ve got that and more in the links today, so let’s get right into it.

• Mike Bates, who was a three-time first-round draft pick and never played a game of professional baseball in his life, has passed away. Story by Jon Paul Hoornstra.
• Davy Andrews rounds up the best wall smushes of 2025.
• Sonja Chen reports that Shohei Ohtani won’t be pitching in the World Baseball Classic but he anticipates being ready for the regular season.
• Luis Arraez agreed to sign with the Giants after they promised he would be able to play second base. Story by Michael McDaniel.
• Jeff Passan reports that the A’s and All-Star Jacob Wilson agreed on a 7-year contract worth $70M.
• Eugenio Suarez is back in Cincinnati.

• Michael Baumann tries to determine if there is any value left for platoon players.
• A Sox-to-Sox trade as the White Sox trade for Jordan Hicks. Story by Scott Merkin.
• Nick Selbe looks at five bounce-back candidates for the 2026 season.
• Despite the potential sale of the Padres, they aren’t slowing down on making offseason moves. (AP)
• While it’s unlikely any team would take this risk on, it’s still interesting to know there’s a workaround. (Here’s a direct link to the Bluesky post for those on Apple News.)

• Ryan Phillips takes a deep dive into all the issues we’ve been seeing with players getting insured.
• Ben Clemens does some fun WAR math.
• Thomas Harrigan looks at several players who need to step up to fill the shoes of players who have departed their teams.
• Frank Thomas didn’t mince words when he shared his feelings about being left out of the White Sox graphic that celebrated Black History Month. Story by Ryan Phillips.
• The countdown is on! (Here’s a direct link to the Bluesky post for those on Apple News)

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

I saw a little bit of surprise that Leonardo Bernal, voted as the sixth best prospect in the system, wasn’t voted in the top 5. I am not surprised. Doing this for three years, catchers usually end up lower than I expect, not higher. Bernal was ranked 8th last season and that definitely surprised me (I had him 5th). I can’t think of an instance where a catcher outkicked their coverage in the way that, say, Victor Scott did when he was voted 2nd. It just doesn’t happen. Catchers are not trusted by this voting bloc. And yes, I know Rainiel Rodriguez was voted 3rd, however I’m talking relative to expectations and 3rd in the system is pretty much in line with what national publications think. And I think a good many of us don’t think he will actually be a catcher. That leaves the current list at:

1. JJ Wetherholt
2. Liam Doyle
3. Rainiel Rodriguez
4. Quinn Mathews
5. Joshua Baez
6. Leonardo Bernal

Comparable Player Corner

Once again, here is a very immediately relevant comparable player poll. I won’t say that the winner will be on the next vote, but that whomever wins will determine who gets added next. That’s because one of these players has already been in this feature a couple times. Once the voting has established what you, the readers, think of a player, I can learn more information about the complete unknown player I am comparing him to.

Yhoiker Fajardo is the complete unknown. I didn’t really know when to add him and I’d like a little more information first. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the package for Willson Contreras, Fajardo will be 19 heading into the 2026 season. He pitched part of the season in the complex league and part of the season in Low A and he did well at both, striking out over 27% of hitters, walking 9% and getting groundballs over 50% of the time at both levels. Presumably he will be in High A.

Tanner Franklin was last year’s 72nd overall pick out of Tennessee. On a stacked Tennessee team, he was relegated to the bullpen, striking out 32% of hitters and walking just 5.5%. With an MLB ready fastball, the Cardinals will attempt to transition him to starting. He pitched at both Low A and High A last season, although only 6 innings in 3 appearances. He will be 22 next season and I’m guessing also at High A.

This will be the last time Franklin is in this section. I just really liked this comparison. Both should be at the same level and probably for just about the entire season, due to Fajardo’s age and Franklin needing to establish a starter’s workload. Franklin has better stuff and a better floor, but threw 30 less innings than Fajardo and is three years older. They are similar in terms of future value, but represent different types of prospects philosophically.

VOTE HERE

New Add

I thought it was about time to add Yairo Padilla, the teenage prospect who got very overshadowed by Rainiel Rodriguez. Who could have known Rodriguez would explode in his stateside debut? Anyway, last year Yairo Padilla finished 15th, which is both why I’m adding him now and also why he’s being added this late.

This might be a good time to ask about a few players I have no intention of ever adding to the vote who did make last year’s top 20 since Padilla is one of the last players. Last year’s #13 player, Sem Robberse, got DFA’d and is going to miss most of the 2026 season. Last year’s #14 player, Matt Koperniak, is now 28, got DFA’d and is coming off a poor season. #17 prospect Zack Showalter did not build off his 2024, suffered a few more injury problems, and could not throw strikes when he did pitch. #20 (or #21, the voting results have been lost) prospect Max Rajcic was bad in AAA and barely made the list.

Those seem straightforward. I also kind of think #16 prospect Darlin Saladin doesn’t need to go in the voting either. He’s more borderline than the above, but I feel like he was only on the top 20 because his stats made it impossible to not include him, and then he pitched worse at a level it seemed like he already conquered. The scouting on his pitches was never that great, so I’m not sure what the hook would be to get him on a top 20 now. Let me know if I’m right about these players. I’m asking so that I don’t have to include them on this section either for the record.

Jesus Baez, IF – 21

Stats (High A): 416 PAs, .244/.327/.397, 10.3 BB%, 18.5 K%, .153 ISO, .270 BABIP, 116 wRC+, 121 DRC+

Scouting (FG): 30/45 Hit, 35/50 Game Power, 50/55 Raw Power, 40/40 Speed, 40/45 Fielding

I think Baez is bound to get overlooked in this ranking, because it does not seem like recent trade acquisitions do not do particularly well in the voting – fans haven’t had a chance to attach themselves to them yet. On top of that, Baez did not play particularly well as a Cardinal, although he did finish strong. But Baez can’t legally drink for a few more weeks, had a fairly successful season at High A and if he doesn’t start the year in AA, he’ll be there soon. The scouting doesn’t love his approach, although it’s not really seen in his stats yet, but the Cardinals’ success with Alec Burleson does give me some hope with Baez.

Brandon Clarke, 23 – LHP

Stats (Low A): 3 GS, 9.2 IP, 47.2 K%, 5.6 BB%, 68.8 GB%, .125 BABIP, 0.93 ERA/0.98 FIP/1.32 xFIP/3.66 DRA

High A: 11 GS, 28.1 IP, 31.2 K%, 18.1 BB%, 62.5 GB%, .254 BABIP, 5.08 ERA/4.17 FIP/4.74 xFIP/4.75 DRA

Scouting: 60/60 Fastball, 70/80 Slider, 40/50 Change, 30/40 Command

I could say the same thing for Clarke. The Cardinals just got Clarke, so fans do not yet have an attachment to him. One could argue that leads to a more objective view of a player, but one could also argue their attachment to other prospects causes them to overrate them and thus put them above the “objective” prospect. In either case, Clarke had sort of a Tink Hence season, where he didn’t remotely convince you he’s more likely to avoid his downside, but he still pitched good enough to believe in the possibility of his upside. That’s a hard player to rank honestly.

Jimmy Crooks, C – 24

Stats (AAA): 98 G, 430 PAs, .274/.337/.441, 8.4 BB%, 26.5 K%, .167 ISO, .352 BABIP, 105 wRC+, 106 DRC+

MLB: 15 G, 46 PAs, .133/.152/.244, 0 BB%, 37 K%, .111 ISO, .185 BABIP, 5 wRC+, 67 DRC+

Scouting: 35/40 Hit, 40/45 Game Power, 50/50 Raw Power, 20/20 Speed, 60/70 Fielding

I don’t know where I stand on Crooks. I reflexively defend players who seem to drop when I’m not really sure why. Or I don’t like the reasons. Interestingly, I think I disagree with the scouting on Crooks by Fangraphs, although it might lead to the same place. I am a little skeptical of their defensive scouting, but at the same time, they might be lower on his offense than I’d predict too. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could manage a 90 wRC+ or so, and I think a 40 hit tool with below average power describes a worse hitter than that.

Tink Hence, 23 – RHP

Stats (Three levels): 8 G, 21.1 IP, 27.9 K%, 15.1 BB%, 45.8 GB%, .255 BABIP, 2.95 ERA/3.80 FIP/4.18 xFIP, 4.56 DRA

Scouting: 45/45 Fast, 50/55 Slider, 60/70 Change, 45/55 Command

One thing about Hence that might not quite come across if you just look at last season is that I think he’s absolutely ready for AAA. If you look at his 2024 season, I don’t see how you wouldn’t come to that conclusion. He didn’t pitch in AAA last year for health reasons and that’s it. He never quite got past the rehab status. He spent most of his season working his way up to AA, struck out 8 to 1 BB in 4.1 IP where he didn’t allow a hit. He then got rocked in his next start and made just one more start after that where he was removed after just 11 batters. I imagine they wanted him to throw 5 innings before they promoted him and it never happened. Of course, Hence isn’t on the list yet because of health, so that isn’t exactly comforting.

Ixan Henderson, 24 – LHP

Stats (AA): 25 GS, 132 IP, 25.2 K%, 9.6 BB%, 37.1 GB%, .278 BABIP, 2.59 ERA/3.16 FIP/4.00 xFIP/4.51 DRA

Scouting: 50/60 Fastball, 45/50 Slider, 30/40 Change, 40/45 Cutter, 40/50 Command

As more of a stat follower than someone who scouts players or even looks at scouting reports of players, I am rather surprised how Fangraphs rates his pitches. If forced to guess, I would have predicted his secondaries were good, but his fastball was below average. It’s almost the opposite. I don’t know if this is accurate of course. But he’s a fastball/slider pitcher who needs a third pitch – according to this person’s opinion of course. Certainly, these scouting numbers for his pitches suggest an easy transition to the bullpen at the least.

Cooper Hjerpe, 25 – LHP

Didn’t pitch

Scouting: 55/55 Fastball, 55/60 Slider, 50/50 Change, 45/50 Cutter, 45/50 Command

It is easy enough to see why Hjerpe is still making top 20 lists despite having the durability of Mark Prior. And this is only kind of a joke – the mechanics of a Carter Capps. He has the stuff to start. Look at that scouting. Two above average pitches, including a strong putaway pitch, and two other average pitches (or we hope in the case of the cutter). That’ll play. We just need Cooper Hjerpe to actually play.

Brycen Mautz, 24 – LHP

Stats (AA): 25 GS, 114.2 IP, 28.6 K%, 7.1 BB%. 41.2 GB%, .286 BABIP, 2.98 ERA/3.58 FIP/3.20 xFIP/4.54 DRA

Scouting: 45/45 Fastball, 55/55 Slider, 40/45 Curve, 35/40 Change, 45/55 Command

2026 will prove to be an important year for Mautz. I feel like we’ve seen a few of the underwhelming scouting starters who nonetheless manage to pitch well reach AAA and just hit a roadblock. I will say that usually that type of pitcher doesn’t strike out 28.6% of batters in AA however. That gives me more hope that he either has better stuff than what the scouting says or that he’s better at utilizing and knowing his stuff than pitchers in the past. Either way, it’s hard to argue with his results.

Deniel Ortiz, 21 – 1B/3B

Stats (Low A): 320 PAs, .285/.406/.446, 15.3 BB%, 27.5 K%, .162 ISO, .386 BABIP, 145 wRC+, 119 DRC+

High A: 130 PAs, .336/.438/.500, 13.8 BB%, 22.3 K%, .164 ISO, .436 BABIP, 168 wRC+, 97 DRC+

Speaking of players with underwhelming scouting whose stats force you to pay attention to them, welcome to the poster child. I don’t actually have scouting on Ortiz, that’s how under the radar he was last year. He was a 16th round pick back in 2024, so it’s hard to blame the scouts. The Cardinals would have drafted him higher if they knew this 2025 was in him. They probably saw something in him that other teams didn’t certainly, but it’d be wild to wait 16 rounds – which is well past the point where you expect anything from your draft picks – and you just gambled correctly that nobody would pick him.

Yairo Padilla, 19 – SS

Stats (CPX): 38 G, 148 PAs, .283/.396/.367, 12.2 BB%, 14.2 K%, .083 ISO, .340 BABIP, 119 wRC+

I honestly did not know how long I could or should wait to put Padilla into the voting. The main reason was that I didn’t know how much success at a rookie league improved a player’s stock in these type of rankings. And that goes for me and where I’ll rank him personally. Padilla was not in my top 20 because I don’t trust the DSL. He will be in my top 20 this year. Where, I have no idea at the moment. Because he certainly took a big step in showing he could succeed in the states – Jonathan Mejia very much failed this test for example. I will be curious if the Cardinals put him in Low A to begin the 2026 season. It will tell us a lot.

Tekoah Roby, 24 – RHP

Stats (AA): 10 GS, 47 IP, 31.1 K%, 6 BB%, 42.9 GB%, .273 BABIP, 2.49 ERA/2.90 FIP/2.73 xFIP/4.56 DRA

AAA: 6 GS, 31.1 IP, 22.6 K%, 6 BB%, 44.7 GB%, .319 BABIP, 4.02 ERA/4.01 FIP/4.04 xFIP/4.50 DRA

Roby had Tommy John surgery in July of 2025, so his ability to pitch next year is a little more in question than Hjerpe. But he pitched well last year, re-establishing himself as a prospect. Without the injury, I wonder how high he would be selected. I also feel that Roby was an example of a prospect that didn’t get as much love because he was a deadline acquisition so there was less attachment. However, fans have gotten familiar with him for now two and half seasons, so he’s probably not harmed by this effect anymore.

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