SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Keston Hiura #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks through the dugout after scoring in the second inning of the spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers Monday made their first roster cuts of spring training, sending 11 players to the minor league side of camp at Camelback Ranch in Arizona.
All of the cuts were non-roster invitees: pitchers Patrick Copen, Luke Fox, Jerming Rosario, Adam Serwinowski, Nick Frasso, and José Rodríguez; catchers Nelson Quiroz and Chuckie Robinson; infielders Keston Hiura and Matt Gorski; and outfielder Chris Newell.
Hiura played in seven games, including four starts at designated hitter. He had one hit, a home run, in 13 at-bats, plus three walks in Cactus League play.
Copen put together a solid season in 2025 after losing vision in his right eye the year before. He had a 3.59 ERA in 27 starts and led all Dodgers minor league pitchers with 152 strikeouts last season. Having already made 17 starts at Double-A, it’s not hard to envision a scenario in which Copen impresses in Triple-A this season and might find his way to the Dodgers should the need arise. He allowed two runs in two innings in his two games with the Dodgers this spring.
Newell was active for each of the first nine days of the Dodgers’ spring schedule, and appeared in six games, with two hits, including a home run, in his 11 at-bats.
Frasso, Rodríguez, Robinson, and Gorski hadn’t yet appeared in a Cactus League game this spring.
With these moves, the Dodgers have 65 players remaining in big league camp, including 35 pitchers and 30 position players. This excludes pitcher Evan Phillips and utility man Kiké Hernández, both of whom are on the 60-day injured list.
Mar 1, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The Mets had their first walk-off win of the spring, beating the Houston Astros 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Yonatan Henriquez line drive single that scored John Bay.
Clay Holmes made his second start of spring training, going four innings and allowing one run on three hits while tallying a walk and four strikeouts.
Jack Wenninger had a rough 1.2 innings, giving up two runs and walking five batters while getting two strikeouts.
Bryce Conley went 1.1 scoreless innings, walking one while striking out three.
Anderson Severino and Matt Turner each had a scoreless inning, Severino getting one strikeout and Turner getting three along with the win.
Tyrone Taylor went 1-for-2, hitting his second home run of the spring.
Cristian Pache went 1-for-1 with an RBI double and a walk.
Chris Suero hit his first spring training home run, and he drew a walk to boot.
Yonatan Henriquez was the hero of the game, going 1-for-2 with the one hit being the all-important game winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
The Mets next game will be on Tuesday at 1:10 PM EST, against Team Nicaragua in a pre-World Baseball Classic exhibition game. There is currently no way to either watch or listen to that game, so if you’re interested you’ll have to watch the box score.
Mar 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mookie Betts played in his first Cactus League game on Sunday, played four innings at shortstop, was 0-for-2 at the plate and scored a run against the Angels.
Betts in the first two-ish weeks of spring training got his work in on the backfields and in the batting cages, one of a few Dodgers who were slow-played this season after consecutive long postseason runs through October (and last year, one day into November).
In 2025, Betts had the worst season on offense of his Hall of Fame career, setting career lows across the board by hitting .258/.326/.406 with a 104 wRC+. His swing was out of whack at times, and his hard-hit rate fell from 39.5 percent to 35.8 percent, after six straight seasons at 41 percent or higher.
It was also his first full season at shortstop, which he was pressed into during spring training in 2024, then switched back to right field that season after returning from a broken hand. Betts also had the stomach virus that wiped him out for the Japan trip, losing 20 pounds during a short time.
Now 33 years old, Betts eyes a bounce-back season at the plate, and still occupies a premium spot in the batting order, slated to bat third between lefties Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman this season. The depth of the Dodgers lineup is immense, but whether the offense can potentially be the best in franchise history might depend on what they get from Betts, and whether he can recapture at least some of his previous form.
After Sunday’s game, Betts spoke with reporters about his offseason.
“Instead of just trying to fix problems,” Betts said, “I was able to go back to what I do best and really groove those patterns instead of trying to fix old patterns.”
“I enjoyed both to be honest. I enjoy working. And I enjoy chilling. Whichever one, I was cool with either way,” Betts said of the dichotomy between his past two offseasons.
“I’ve put in so much work that, at some point, you just gotta let it do its thing. There’s only so many ground balls you can take. I think I took enough of them last year.”
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 17: Austin Gomber #40 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the Texas Rangers photo day at Surprise Stadium on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for March 2, 2026 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Spring training games keep rolling along. Austin Gomber is starting this one, instead of Nathan Eovaldi, as Eovaldi will be pitching in a minor league game.
The Dodgers are going to win 130 games and blow away the NL West.
Of course they’re not going to do that. Isn’t that what was said about the Dodgers last year? They won exactly one more game than the Cubs did.
Obviously they’re the favorites to win their division again, as they have done 12 times in the last 13 years, missing out only in 2021 when they won 106 games but the Giants had that freak 107-win year. (And then LA beat the Giants in the postseason anyway.)
But a couple of other teams in this division have improved, and this division might be more competitive than you might think.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Key departures: Jalen Beeks, Ildemaro Vargas, Jake McCarthy, Blaze Alexander
Key arrivals: Nolan Arenado, Merrill Kelly, Carlos Santana, Paul Sewald, Jonathan Loaisiga, Michael Soroka
Look at that “arrivals” list. Looks like a 2019 All-Star team to me.
The D-backs did bring back Zac Gallen, who was rumored for a while to be coming to the Cubs, and re-united with Merrill Kelly, who they traded to the Rangers last summer.
The Cubs had Carlos Santana for a while last September. Remember that? Now he’s expected to be at least a platoon first baseman for Arizona — and he’ll turn 40 in April and hasn’t been dominant since, yes, 2019.
Nolan Arenado seems in career decline, too.
The D-backs still do have some good younger players, including Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno. An injury to Corbin Carroll puts the start of his season in jeopardy.
They finished 80-82 and it says here they won’t be much better than that.
Key departures: Germán Márquez, Kyle Farmer, Thairo Estrada, Sam Hilliard, Ryan Rolison, Michael Toglia, Warming Bernabel, Anthony Molina, Drew Romo, Angel Chivilli
Key arrivals: John Brebbia, Nicky Lopez, Keegan Thompson, Jake McCarthy, Michael Lorenzen, Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Valente Bellozo, Tomoyuki Sugano, José Quintana
There is almost no chance this Rockies team could be worse than last year’s, which went 43-119, setting a franchise record. It was their third straight 100-loss season.
The Rockies actually played a bit better after starting the year 9-50. From that point until Aug. 31, they went 30-48, which is bad but not horrendous (it’s a 62-100 pace for a full season). Then they went 4-21 in September, which, yikes.
They’ve acquired a couple of decent veteran starters in Lorenzen, Sugano and Quintana and have a few decent young players in Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar.
Like the 2025 White Sox, who improved by 20 wins over their 41-121 season in 2024, the Rockies could post a 60-win season. Which is still bad, but would be a significant step in the right direction.
Key departures: Clayton Kershaw, Michael Conforto, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, Justin Dean, Tony Gonsolin, Ben Rortvedt, Esteury Ruiz, Anthony Banda
Key arrivals: Kyle Tucker, Edwin Díaz, Cole Irvin, Michael Siani, Santiago Espinal
What can be said about the Dodgers that hasn’t already been said?
Kyle Tucker will be a complementary piece in L.A., a different role than he was expected to play in Houston. So if he’s healthy, that’s a big jump for a Dodgers offense that didn’t really need it (they led the NL in runs and home runs last year anyway).
The pitching rotation is its usual 11-deep, even after the retirement of Kershaw. And Díaz will head up a very deep bullpen.
And Shohei Ohtani will do more Shohei Ohtani things and very possibly win a fourth straight MVP (and fifth overall).
The Dodgers will probably win this division again. Maybe this time the Cubs will see them in October. I suspect the Cubs would have given the Dodgers a more competitive NLCS than the Brewers did.
Key departures: Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease, Nestor Cortes, Jose Iglesias, Ryan O’Hearn, Robert Suarez
Key arrivals: Triston McKenzie, Jose Miranda, Marco Gonzales, Nick Castellanos, Ty France, Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning
The Padres are trying to address the departure of Dylan Cease with quantity — look at all the FA pitchers they signed. Who knows, maybe they can resurrect Walker Buehler into what he once was with the Dodgers. Griffin Canning is a good signing, and Germán Márquez should be better outside of Coors Field.
With Robert Suarez gone, mid-season acquisition Mason Miller moves into the closer role. He was lights-out (0.77 ERA, 0.729 WHIP, struck out 54.2 percent of batters faced, 45 of 83) as a setup guy last year, so if they can get the game to him they should win a lot of close ones.
Key departures: Justin Verlander, Wilmer Flores, Joey Lucchesi, Andrew Knizner
Key arrivals: Reiver Sanmartin, Sam Hentges, Caleb Kilian, Adrian Houser, Gregory Santos, Tyler Mahle, Eric Haase, Harrison Bader, Luis Arráez, Will Brennan, Michael Fulmer
The Giants had a very strange 2025 season. On June 13 they beat the Dodgers and at 41-29, were tied with them for first place in the NL West.
Then they went on a 20-39 skid that put them at 61-68, 12 games out of first. That was followed by a five-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep of the Cubs at Oracle Park, part of a 14-4 run that put them only a game and a half out of the last wild card spot.
From there the Giants went 7-9 and finished at exactly .500… the fourth straight year they have finished within four games of. 500 (starting in 2022: 81-81, 79-83, 80-82 and 81-81).
They are hoping all the miscellaneous pitchers they picked up will help them this year. They will have outstanding outfield defense with Harrison Bader now in center field and Jung Hoo Lee moved to right. Their left side infield defense is outstanding with Matt Chapman at third base and Willy Adames at short, but the right side… yikes, Luis Arráez at second and Rafael Devers at first is kinda frightening.
Looks like another .500 season in San Francisco. These teams will meet six times in a 10-day period in June.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 21: Winston Santos #18 of the Surprise Saguaros throws a pitch during an Arizona Fall League game against the Glendale Desert Dogs at Surprise Stadium on October 21, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers optioned righthanded pitchers Winston Santos to AA Frisco and Emiliano Teodo to AAA Round Rock yesterday, per the MLB.com transactions page. The team has not formally announced those moves, though I assume they will do so today.
Both Santos and Teodo are dealing with physical issues that are currently limiting him. Santos suffered a broken left hand when hit by a comebacker while throwing batting practice, while Teodo is reportedly still recovering from the back issues which limited him in 2025.
Santos, who turns 24 in April, was added to the 40 man roster after the 2024 season. He spent most of the 2025 season on the injured list, making five starts for Frisco and one start for Round Rock during the regular minor league season. He also appeared in five games in the Arizona Fall League. The expectation is that Santos will be ready to go pretty soon after the minor league season starts.
Teodo, 25, was also added to the 40 man roster the previous winter. While he was seen as a dark horse candidate to make the Rangers’ bullpen out of spring training last year, he struggled to stay healthy and throw strikes all year, ultimately throwing 30 innings over 27 games between the ACL, Frisco and Round Rock, putting up a 7.20 ERA. He also threw four innings in the Arizona Fall League.
While players who are injured normally cannot be optioned, teams are allowed to option a player who is injured if he did not appear in the major leagues the previous season, so long as the player is sent down at least 15 days prior to the start of the major league season.
EDIT — The team has officially announced these transactions. They have also announced that Nabil Crismatt, Declan Cronin, and Trevor Hauver have been officially assigned to the minor league camp, leaving 61 players in the major league camp.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals catches a soft line drive for an out during the third inning of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for another Royals roster projection! We last did this exercise in December of last year. We’ve got double digits of spring training games played now, so the picture has become perhaps a little bit clearer. Certainly, it seems EXCEPTIONALLY unlikely any of those dream lineups I concocted at the end of the piece are going to come to fruition. Alas.
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any changes! So here’s the new projection with any changes from the previous projection indicated by italics.
Everyday lineup
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
RF Jac Caglianone
3B Maikel Garcia
1B Vinnie Pasquantino
C Salvador Perez
DH Carter Jensen
LF Isaac Collins
2B Jonathan India
CF Kyle Isbel
It’s the same nine guys as last time, though I did rearrange things a bit. Yes, I admit this looks a little crazy, but stick with me for a minute.
With Bobby doing some leading off in Spring Training and projected to do so for Team USA in the WBC, I think he’s finally going to come around to doing it for the Royals in the regular season. Jac Caglianone is having a monster spring — including laying off a lot of pitches up in the zone, which were something of a kryptonite for him last year — and he’s been batting second a lot. The smart money is that this is just because the Royals want him to get extra ABs before he also heads off to the WBC, but look at all the fun things we can do with R-L arrangements if he takes over as the number two hitter. For what it’s worth, if he can reach his 80th-percentile projections, he could very easily be the team’s second-best hitter and absolutely belong in that spot. Having Maikel batting behind him could help him get more pitches to hit, too.
Listen, it’s not any fun if we only say the most obvious things. So yeah, it’s a little crazy, but I think it just might work.
Bench
DH/OF Starling Marte
OF Lane Thomas
UT Michael Massey
UT Tyler Tolbert
The Royals signed Marte to a Major League deal on Saturday, so he — along with Thomas — is going to be a lock for the bench. This no longer leaves room for a third catcher, so the Royals are just going to have to live on that edge. Michael Massey takes over from Adam Frazier on the bench after a hot spring, and with Frazier choosing to join the Halos. The last spot could go to Nick Loftin instead of Tyler Tolbert, but I think the Royals will prefer the speed on the bench to Loftin’s batting eye. But also, based on how they approached the offseason, I could be very wrong on that one. Tell me I’m an idiot in the comments if you want, and then ask me again tomorrow because I could change my mind.
I don’t think Josh Rojas has a real shot to break camp with the club — especially not with the Marte signing, with how well Massey has played, and with Tolbert and Loftin already on the 40-man roster. That goes double for all other infielders trying to crack the roster.
Rotation
LHP Cole Ragans
RHP Seth Lugo
LHP Kris Bubic
RHP Michael Wacha
LHP Noah Cameron
Last time, I mostly thought Bubic wouldn’t be on the team and that, if he was, they’d consider moving him to the bullpen. But he really was one of the best starters in MLB last year, and since none of the trades materialized and Marte signed, it seems like we get to watch him pitch for KC for at least one more year. Now I just have to pray for my favorite pitcher to get a midseason contract extension, à la Seth Lugo last year.
Bullpen
CL Carlos Estévez
RHP Lucas Erceg
LHP Matt Strahm
RHP John Schreiber
RHP Nick Mears
LHP Helcris Olivárez
RHP Mason Black
LHP Bailey Falter
With Bubic no longer in the ’pen, they need another lefty. Olivárez has really impressed me this spring, especially with his heretofore unseen ability to throw strikes while regularly hitting 98 from the left side. I think that should be enough to get him a big-league job. Alex Lange drops off because he hasn’t impressed me much yet, and his major league money doesn’t kick in until he’s on the major league roster, so starting him in AAA if he doesn’t look ready is a smart move. Black also has options, but he’s looked terrific on the mound so far this spring, and I’d like to see him carry that on.
I’m still not remotely convinced that Bailey Falter will be with KC by the end of Spring Training, but I also haven’t seen anyone else stand out enough to kick him off the team if KC doesn’t find a trade partner. My best guess is that if they do deal Falter, as things stand right now, Daniel Lynch IV would get his spot as the swingman/mop-up guy. I would like to point out that Danny Coulombe is still looking for a job, though. Come on, Royals, do the fun thing and bring him in! Then we wouldn’t need Lynch or Falter, and Olivárez could become the mop-up guy!
This still leaves out talented relievers Steven Cruz, James McArthur, and Luinder Avila in the minors to start the year, but expect all of them to appear in KC at various points when the team needs to option someone or someone hits the IL. Dennis Colleran Jr. has looked pretty good, but I just can’t see him in the big leagues earlier than very late this season — and probably more like next year.
I’ve had hours and days to think about this, and I think I’ve finally figured out how Marte fits on this roster. It took so long because, for most of my Royals fandom, they’ve filled their benches with defensive masters or speedsters. The last time I can remember them carrying someone on the bench primarily for his ability to hit was Ryan McBroom in 2021. And McBroom didn’t last the whole season. Before that, it was Dave McCarty in 2000 and 2001 (though he was bad in 2001). So Marte will break with tradition in more ways than one — being primarily a good hitter on the bench and not having an Irish/Scottish surname while doing so.
Aug 22, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor (15) runs the bases against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Last time we spoke about Tyrone Taylor, it seemed like he was in line to be the starting center fielder for the 2026 Mets. Now, I’m a big fan of Taylor, but that was a touch grim given his .223/.279/.319 line last season. Clearly the front office felt the same and made major additions, bringing in Luis Robert to take over lead duties in center field and bumping Brett Baty to a super-utility role (one that will likely include some time on the grass) by bringing in Bo Bichette. Taylor now slots into a much more appropriate role as a fourth or even fifth outfielder.
This all works out rather well from a roster construction perspective. Against tough righties, Benge can slide over to center with Baty in left. Against a tough lefty, you can put Taylor out in left field for a game. If and when Robert goes down for his typical 50-game injury stint, Benge slides to center and Taylor becomes a more traditional 4th outfielder. It’s a well defined role that his matchup-specific offensive profile and high-end defense are very well suited for, and it’d be very reasonable to expect a bit of an offensive bounce back.
If this upsets you for whatever reason (I can’t fathom being a Tyrone Taylor hater), fear not, since it’s likely not a long-term arrangement. Taylor will reach free agency in 2027, and the Mets have a number of upper minors position prospects (A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer, maybe Ryan Clifford, even Nick Morabito as a reserve option) that may factor into the outfield picture in some way. It seems likely the Mets would move on in favor of younger, cheaper, higher-upside internal options going into next season.
Taylor’s tenure might not even make it that long though. A midseason trade for a reserve outfielder is very possible, perhaps someone like Ausin Hays once the White Sox have their inevitable trade-deadline sell. There’s even a non-zero chance the Mets make such an addition prior to the start of the season, though convincing a player better than Taylor to sign for such a marginal bench role is not always straightforward.
The trade to bring in Taylor was one of the first moves made by David Stearns when he joined the Mets. Counting this upcoming season, the Mets are on track to pay less than $10M for three years of strong fourth outfielder play, a good bit below what the market typically pays for this sort of player (as an example, Lane Thomas received more than $5M this offseason). It’s been a successful tenure all around, and we can appreciate this last go round with Taylor back in the right role.
Seaver King’s first full professional season went a bit rocky in 2025, posting an 88 wRC+ in 125 games, including a 78 wRC+ at Double A. While he flashed some incredible tools, such as plus defensive ability at shortstop and elite speed, his lack of plate discipline and struggle to tap into his power limited his offensive upside.
Coupled with the fact that seemingly every player selected before and after King in the 2024 MLB Draft is now a top prospect in the sport or already a big leaguer, it’s understandable why the fanbase has had some frustrations with King’s development.
While the regular season didn’t go quite as many hoped it would for King in 2025, his performance in the Arizona Fall League was certainly worth tuning in for. In 18 games and 79 plate appearances, he hit .359 with 2 home runs and a 1.030 OPS. The sample size was small, but the underlying metrics backed up his strong performance, as he posted a 93rd percentile average exit velocity, 96th percentile hard hit rate, and 72nd percentile strikeout rate in the AFL.
King has taken the improvements he made in the AFL and, so far, applied them to Spring Training, as he is 4-8 with 4 singles and a walk so far this spring, good for a 180 wRC+. Perhaps most importantly, he has yet to strike out, a pleasing sight after he ran a 21% strikeout rate in the minors last year.
The sample is once again way, way too small to draw any meaningful conclusions from, but the fact that King has been able to perform well against upper-minor-league and big league pitching is very reassuring for his future as a big league hitter.
King will almost certainly begin his 2026 regular season campaign in Double A, playing Shortstop everyday. While he struggled at the level in his 80 games there in 2025, his strong AFL performance, coupled with the new coaching staff around him, has me more confident this time around in his ability to handle the pitching at that level. If he goes out and performs well in the first few months of 2026, he should see a promotion to Rochester, putting him on the doorstep of the big leagues. If his breakout continues there, could we see Seaver King in DC by the end of the year?
King’s big league fate this season would depend not only on his own production, but the production and future of those ahead of him already. 4 shortstops sit ahead of Seaver King in the Nationals organization currently: Sergio Alcantara, Levi Jordan, Nasim Nunez, and CJ Abrams.
The 29-year-old Alcantara and 30-year-old Jordan are more organizational depth than anything, not making them major hurdles for King if he has an offensive breakout, but Nunez could prove difficult to overtake for King, as he has the benefit of already being a big leaguer and sharing many similar skills to King, as both are speedsters with plus defense at shortstop and questions with their bats.
Then, of course, there is CJ Abrams, the Nats’ star shortstop, who is leaps and bounds better offensively than King at the moment, but lacking on the defensive side of the ball. While it’s hard to envision King outright taking the shortstop position from Abrams anytime soon, there is the potential for Abrams moving off it to open the spot for him, whether that be from Abrams moving to another position, such as second base, or Abrams being traded to another ballclub.
In a world where King has the breakout 2026 campaign fans are hoping for, and Abrams is moved at the deadline for more prospects to strengthen the farm system, I believe there is the potential for Seaver King to be playing middle infield for the Nationals in the backend of the 2026 season. Thanks to his great versatility, his path to big league playing time is increased, as he could come up and play any number of positions the Nats need him to.
By the second half of 2025, Brooks Baldwin had established a truly impressive launch angle at bat. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
I really hate to keep beating the same drum, but I’m going to continue to be on the record as believing that the make-or-break aspect of the next would-be competitive era of White Sox baseball — the aspect that Rick Hahn and friends utterly failed at from 2017-19 — is going to be whether they can find at least a couple All-Stars or solid starters out of the scrap heap. In other words, unexpected help that picks up the slack when all of the prospects aren’t magically good at the same time the moment they hit the big leagues — a concept that Rick Hahn always seemed a little bit challenged by.
As I’ve blabbed about a million times before, the Cubs don’t win in 2016 without Jake Arrieta. In Houston José Altuve was barely a Top 100 prospect, Dallas Keuchel never came close to sniffing a prospect list, and Marwin González was a critical cog in their championship roster. The Orioles may have blown their shot, but they wouldn’t have even had one if they hadn’t gotten more than 500 extra-base hits from the previously-anonymous Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins over a five-year stretch.
Things look more promising for the Sox this time around. When the decision was made to tear down the core that brought home the 2021 AL Central crown, nobody knew that Shane Smith was going to be in the plans as a Top 3 starter, and I can’t think of another Sox prospect who’s ever rebounded from “seems like a bust” to “possibly a superstar” like Colson Montgomery.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be identifying and breaking down five players on the Sox roster who could potentially be those unexpected building blocks — and what it means for the team if it ever comes to fruition.
Let’s get straight to the point here. I want you to look at an assortment of hand-picked stats from three young Sox players, measured from July 3-onward last year.
Player A, as you’ve probably gathered from the massive slugging number and perhaps conspicuous cutoff date, is Colson Montgomery. Player B probably isn’t hard to pin down as Kyle Teel, who’s probably second to Montgomery in terms of excitement generated for future Sox teams, and whose numbers are particularly exciting for a solid receiver behind the plate.
Player C, though? That’s Brooks Baldwin, who was called back up to the majors on July 1 last season and proceeded to hold his own with the best of the Sox young talent the rest of the way (albeit with a bit less playing time). It’s not an exaggeration to say that he came as close to matching Montgomery’s absurd second-half output as anybody else on the Sox, especially when you look at the batted-ball metrics.
Interesting! Very Interesting!
Let’s turn this into a quick deep-ish dive on what exactly happened between his initial demotion in May and final recall to Chicago in July. I found a real short answer: He figured out how to hit fastballs in the air instead of on the ground.
In fact, I wrote this entire article before I realized video existed of the kid going oppo-taco on a Spencer Strider fastball. The same Spencer Strider whose entire shtick is, hey, you can’t hit me because I consistently throw a four-seamer up in the zone faster than you can blink.
Baldwin’s bat speed isn’t elite, but it’s not unplayable either. Even when he’s struggled, he’s made solid contact, posting above-average exit velocities at every measured level. When he came back from Charlotte at the beginning of July, all of that hard contact suddenly started going places where it could do actual damage. His overall fly ball percentage jumped from 30% to 48% after that call-up!
I’m pretty embarrassed I didn’t notice it before. It didn’t take a lot more diving to locate the specific place of improvement, either.
The game is largely moving away from traditional fastballs, but pitchers are always going to have to throw them. The key for Baldwin is to avoid getting himself out on breaking stuff. There are a solid number of solid big-leaguers who make a living off of hammering fastballs. It’s plenty conceivable that Baldwin could become one of them.
The flip side is that Baldwin’s tendency to chase is still worrisome. Even after he started being awesome against heaters (I specifically love how he took his average launch angle against sinkers from a virtually flat one degree all the way up to 16, solidly in line drive territory) he still offered at pitches out of the zone at a rate near the bottom of the league. Damage against fastballs doesn’t matter if pitchers can spam breaking balls and offspeed pitches and get away with it most of the time.
Still, there’s still a much wider range of outcomes with Baldwin than many of us are giving him credit for. Defensive metrics have panned his work pretty much across the board, but he’s plenty fleet of foot, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Baseball Savant’s sprint speed metric. It also thinks he has a solid enough arm, one that will play all across the diamond even if it’s nothing special. Contrasted with someone like Lenyn Sosa, whose lack of lateral speed and overall athleticism put a hard cap on his defensive ceiling, Baldwin still has room for improvement. This is not the guy who has the tools of a negative defender.
Now, to zoom out of the nitty-gritty. Let’s assume July-August-September Baldwin is what we actually get this season. Pencil in a 120 wRC+ switch hitter who isn’t better-than-average at any position, but can give any of your regulars a breather on any given day. He’s going to walk and strike out at rates around league average, and he’s got enough speed to do some damage on the basepaths. Project it out over 500-odd trips to the plate, and you get a guy who might push 20-20 without even locking down a regular position.
In what world were the 2026 White Sox supposed to have a guy like that that we didn’t already know about?
Did I just accidentally describe peak Ben Zobrist when trying to come up with a comp for Brooks Baldwin? Maybe I did! So sue me. This is the thought experiment right here, guys. Does anyone expect every single one of the farm system’s ranked prospects to hit their ceilings any more than they did the last time? I’m sure one of these years, we’ll finally witness long-awaited glory from a rotation topped by Jon Rauch, Matt Ginter, and Dan Wright.
If the 2027 or 2028 White Sox are going to be competitive, it’s not going to be because of Teel, Edgar Quero, the Montgomerys, and Roch Cholowsky.
(Pause for dramatic effect)
That’s a lie! Of course it’s going to be because of them. A better way of putting that might be to say that if the 2027 or 2028 Sox want a shot at being 100-win juggernaut instead of a 92-win question mark or 84-win flop, it’s not going be because the top prospects clicked; it’s going to be because someone like Brooks Baldwin turned into a poor-but-not-necessarily-crazy-poor man’s Ben Zobrist, and nobody saw it coming. Nobody but us, of course.
It could just as easily be that Baldwin reverts to the 60 wRC+ hitter he was for the first 80-odd games of his big league career. It’s almost famously common knowledge by now that September stats have, broadly speaking, no real correlation with performance the following season. But hey, tell that to Lenyn Sosa in September 2024.
If Baldwin does anything in 2026 akin to how Sosa followed up on that scorching-hot September, there’s no telling how the calculus on this team’s roster might be changed seven months from now.
While much of the attention through the first few weeks of Spring Training has been on the Braves pitching staff, the Braves offense has been the source of much success so far. Power has been on full display from just about everyone, from newcomers such as Mike Yastrzemski to emerging prospects like John Gil. Of course, the mainstays are also getting in on the fun, including Austin Riley. Riley went deep for the second time on Sunday, and has looked locked in so far this Spring. If Riley can return to his 2022-2023 form, the Braves offense can be among the best in baseball once again.
Braves made their first round of cuts, including reliever Hunter Stratton and utilityman Nacho Alvarez. Most of the cuts were to free players up to join their respective WBC clubs.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”
Consider this a bonus daily question to answer in the comments below: What cap should Freeman wear when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Start your Monday off by seeing the reception Shohei Ohtani received when arrived in Osaka for Japan’s final two tuneups before the World Baseball Classic, from Theo DeRosa at MLB.com.
Speaking of World Baseball Classic news, old friend Ryan Yarbrough was added to the United States roster for pool play, replacing Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. Yarbrough pitched for the Dodgers in parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and is currently with the Yankees.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using a tilt-shift lens) A general view of the stadium as Cody Bolton #67 of the Houston Astros during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros are reportedly signing right-handed pitcher Danel Reyes, according to Francys Romero on X. Reyes is an 18-year-old arm out of Cuba with intriguing upside.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander is viewed as an athletic pitcher with a fastball that already reaches 93 MPH. He first emerged as a notable prospect while pitching for Cuba’s 2022 U-15 World Cup team and has continued to draw attention for his projectable frame and arm strength. The deal is currently pending a physical.
Reyes has been battling to sign since 2023 and appears he will have a deal with Houston. Reyes adds another high-upside, projectable arm to the Astros’ system and will further bolster an international signing class that has already featured several notable additions.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 28, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It was really good and performed really well to both sides, lefties and righties,” Ragans said. “I could take it in the zone, out of the zone. It was firm. It was exactly what I wanted.”
In ‘24, the pitch was more inconsistent for Ragans, but he made do with what he had and still got fairly good results with it. He tweaked the grip heading into last year, and it was back to getting swing and miss and some chase in Ragans’ limited time on the mound – but the movement wasn’t what Ragans wanted.
“It got super depthy and was almost a baby curveball,” Ragans said. “… It was bigger and inconsistent. And just depthy, just straight down. I got some chase with it, some swing and miss with it, but it’s more so about putting it in the zone. I could never throw an 0-0 slider last year. In the grand scheme of things, I didn’t do well with that. And it’s something I do want to do.”
Add up the instances and what Jac Caglianone did to that baseball on Thursday has happened just 27 times in the regular season since 2008.
Sure, it’s spring training, but Jac Caglianone hit a baseball 120.2 mph! It was 120.2 mph!!! That moment, that destruction, is why the Royals are going to put him in the lineup pretty much every single day. Oh, and the fences at The K are coming in. What I’m saying is that when it comes to Cags, keep the faith. This could be quite fun.
I think Bergert is the clear six right now, fighting with Noah Cameron to make the Opening Day rotation and ready if any of the others get hurt during spring. The seven now is either Luinder Avila, who Matt Quatraro continues to rave about, Mason Black, who has been outstanding this spring, or Bailey Falter, who is said to look great. I mentioned Kudrna had a tough day yesterday, well, he’s had a tough spring overall with eight runs on nine hits allowed in 3.1 innings with three walks. He’s…out. Steven Zobac is the other starter who could enter the fray, but I think he’s more of a midseason depth add.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Kevin McGonigle #85 of the Detroit Tigers hits a triple during the first inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on February 28, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy March, everyone! It might seem like Spring Training just got underway, but we’re also already in the same month where MLB games will return to our lives after the long drought of winter. Plus, we’re officially in World Baseball Classic week, as the games will get going this Thursday. We look forward to seeing a lot of Tigers players compete for their countries, and hopefully not make enemies of their own Detroit teammates along the way.
We’ve got some fun tidbits today, including a look at the team’s hottest prospect, and also a seasoned veteran who is relying on his teammates to give him feedback and get him season ready. Plus a look at which team (and which player) might be benefitting the most from the ABS system.
The No. 2 prospect in baseball has raked everywhere in the minors, only slowed by injuries in the two years since the Tigers took him with their second pick in the 2023 draft. He isn’t blocked by a real shortstop in Detroit — the Javier Báez comeback didn’t last, as he hit .223/.230/.318 in the second half with one (1) walk and 46 strikeouts in 153 PA. McGonigle’s not a great shortstop defensively, but he’ll be passable for now, and his bat should more than make up for his lack of plus range.
Verlander is putting in the reps to get ready for the season.
Justin Verlander threw two innings of live batting practice, and through the work, he repeatedly questioned hitters Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling about how they were seeing his stuff, and asked the staff about his velocity, which started at 91 mph and reached 94-95 mph range… pic.twitter.com/kNsCgMP7u7
Sure looks like the secret to being good at ABS challenges is… just to be PJ Higgins.
Already atop the catcher leaderboards in Spring Training after being head-and-shoulders ahead of everyone else in Triple-A last year. pic.twitter.com/WGiCtXLSnq
