The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon at beautiful LECOM Park.
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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Jeter Ybarra #26 of the Michigan Wolverines bats against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field on February 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team continued their strong start to the season last weekend with a series win at San Diego. Taking 2-of-3 brought the Wolverines’ record to 6-4 overall on the young season, with three wins coming against ranked teams.
Michigan stayed put in California, having played at Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Wolverines will also face Pepperdine in a three-game series this weekend. Let’s take a look at what happened against the Matadors, and then preview the upcoming series at Pepperdine.
Michigan vs. Cal State Northridge recap
The Wolverines and Matadors needed extra innings to decide the outcome of the game, and it was Cal State Northridge coming out on top, 9-8, in 12 innings on Tuesday.
After the Matadors scored a run in the second to get things started, Michigan exploded for six runs in the top of the third inning thanks to a Jack Laffitte RBI single, a Colby Turner RBI double, a Brenden Stressler two-run single and then a Cade Ladehoff home run. All of a sudden, the Wolverines were up 6-1.
Turner hit another RBI double to plate two more to Michigan up, 8-1, but Cal State Northridge answered with a run in the fifth, five runs in the sixth and another run in the eighth to tie the game up at 8-8. The Matadors hit the game-winning single in the 12th to seal the deal.
Michigan vs. Pepperdine preview
The big matchup of the week will be this weekend against the Pepperdine Waves. The Waves have struggled mightily so far to start the year, getting out to a 2-9 start. They were swept by USC to begin the season, and then beat Fresno State once before losing the next two to the Bulldogs. Pepperdine’s most recent series was against Yale, and the Bulldogs took 2-of-3.
Like Michigan, Pepperdine also had a Tuesday game this week. The Waves went on the road to take on Cal Poly and got obliterated, 12-2.
It’s not a big surprise to see Pepperdine get off to a rough start, as its 2025 season was a struggle. The Waves finished with an ugly 12-42 record last season. They failed to qualify for the WCC Tournament.
Most of these California schools are solid given the year-round warmth, but Pepperdine is one that is struggling right now.
Players to watch
Pepperdine has struggled offensively this season, and there are no players on the team hitting above .300. First baseman James Dell’Amico has been the most consistent, as he is hitting .281 after 32 at-bats. However, power isn’t a big strength of his, as he has zero extra-base hits and only two RBIs. Infielder Joshua Woodworth is hitting .294, but he only has 17 plate appearances on the year.
On the mound, Michigan will likely see Casey Euper, Collin Valentine and Tommy Scavone starting for the Waves. Euper has been sensational so far this year, as he currently has a 0.87 ERA through 10.1 innings. He has given up just five hits and one earned run with four strikeouts and three walks.
Valentine has also been terrific this year. He currently has a 2.35 ERA with 15.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 14 hits and four earned runs with six strikeouts and five walks. Lastly, Scavone has given up eight earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 4.80 ERA. He has been a strikeout machine, however, ringing up 16 batters so far while only walking six. He has given up 10 hits.
Despite the offensive struggles, Pepperdine has a solid pitching rotation that will present a challenge for Michigan. However, the Waves have issues out of the bullpen, so if the Wolverines are able to get to the starters early in the game, that would go a long way in winning at least a couple games in this series. It would be pretty disappointing if Michigan doesn’t win at least two.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Brent Rooker #25 and Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics hug after Langeliers's walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It feels like the Athletics are on the precipice of something great. For all the difficulties the organization has had with its ugly breakup with the city of Oakland and the will-they-won’t-they future in Las Vegas, the actual on-field baseball product looks very promising. There’s a very strong core already established on the position player side of things and the team has done very well to lock up a lot of those young stars to long-term contract extensions.
The pitching staff is definitely a few steps behind the position player core which is a big reason why they’re not projected to be in the AL Wild Card mix this year. Their temporary home in West Sacramento played a very significant role in boosting offense to the detriment of the home team’s pitchers in 2025 and it’ll continue to be a factor as long as they’re stuck in limbo there. The result is a pretty lopsided roster — it’s very possible the A’s will outslug all of their opponents, but they’ll be fighting an uphill battle with a pitching staff that’s allergic to preventing runs.
Position
Athletics Projected WAR
Mariners Projected WAR
Edge
Catcher
3.1
6.1
Mariners
First Base
3.6
2.9
Athletics
Second Base
3.0
2.7
Athletics
Shortstop
3.7
2.8
Athletics
Third Base
2.0
3.0
Mariners
Left Field
2.4
2.2
Athletics
Center Field
2.6
6.0
Mariners
Right Field
2.3
2.0
Athletics
Designated Hitter
3.0
1.6
Athletics
Starting Pitching
10.2
14.2
Mariners
Relief Pitching
1.4
3.4
Mariners
Total
25.7
46.8
Mariners
FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections
The contours of how the Athletics and Mariners lineup against each other are actually pretty interesting. The A’s hold the projected advantage at six of the nine field positions but the M’s are projected to earn 3.6 fWAR more in total from their position players. Such is the advantage of Seattle’s superstars at catcher and center field. And as you can see from each position’s projected fWAR, the Athletics don’t have that caliber of superstar at any position like the Mariners do — each position has an above average projection but no elite contributor. The pitching is the problem. It’s a long shot but if they manage to develop one of their back-end starters into a mid-rotation arm, it would go a long way towards pulling their pitching staff out of the depths of misery.
Just like their stadium situation, the A’s big league roster is in a state of limbo, not yet fully realized but making steady progress towards something tangible. If enough things break their way this year, they could sneak into the AL Wild Card picture, but they’re more likely to play the role of very dangerous spoiler for their rivals in the division. —JM
2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts projections: 78.7-83.3, 4th in AL West, 25.3% playoff odds
2026 PECOTA projections: 76.9-85.1, 4th in AL West, 10.8% playoff odds
If It All Goes Right
Youth hasn’t got anything to do with chronological age. It’s times of hope and happiness. – Wallace Stegner, Crossing to Safety
Warner L. Thomas is (finally) alone in the elevator and all he can do is laugh.
At the silly West Sacramento peasants scuttling all over this place.
At the gaudy green and yellow pin affixed to the lapel of his light gray custom suit.
At the way the universe really does continue to cast him in an ever-radiant beam of sunlight.
Seven years ago, his predecessor signed a contract locking in 15 years of naming rights for this dinky little ballpark. The amount wasn’t made public and, frankly, Warner can’t be bothered to learn or care, but it was certainly less than a decade of his salary. Warner can’t be bothered with much of this pomp and circumstance, to be honest. When this place became Sutter Health Park, home of the Lake Rats or whatever the hell they were called, he was down in Louisiana, far too busy orchestrating a steady monopoly on healthcare in the state to think about a b-side city in California, let alone baseball.
But a year after he was hired as President and CEO, a baseball team – one of the real ones, not like the Lake Rats – announced they would be playing their games for the next three years at Sutter Health Park. It was an embarrassment of marketing and PR riches simply thrown into their laps. They’d paid for naming rights to a ballpark for babies, and now they were namechecked constantly on a national level.
Most audacious of all? The team had been good this year. Good enough that an October wind had caused goosebumps to break out uncomfortably across the top of his exposed head as he’d loitered importantly on the field before the game. Everyone around him there had looked young and vibrant, evidence of their vitality clearly displayed beneath garish yellow and green. Warren felt small alongside these men, which he did not like, and confused, which he liked even less. Why was someone talking about churning 50 tubs of butter? How are they yelling for someone named Rook, while also jabbering to a child, who looks nothing like the aforementioned Rook, about an AL Rookie Race? None of that matters to Warner, though. He has done what is required of him, and soon (he hopes; the sounds the elevator makes do not give him confidence) he will be sipping something dark and expensive in the indoor portion of a suite. He’ll be able to see the sell out crowd, the teeming masses of yellow, and green, and teal, but he won’t have to actually be near them. Just as he likes it.
What a time of hope and happiness, indeed. —IM
If It All Goes Wrong
Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend. – Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
To know a home is to leave it, a thing that can only be understood in its absence. Two years in, it starts to weigh on them. In visible ways: the running list in the group chat of visitor clubhouses, always cramped and small and smelly, that are nicer than their so-called home clubhouse. In less visible ways, too, ways that crawl under their skin and stay there: ATH the only line in the box score, a jarring contrast against the other teams known by their city names. What is a place without a name? What is a team?
It’s hard not to feel a twinge of jealousy, visiting other ballparks packed to the brim with hometown fans. They’d played angry that first year, putting an exclamation point on the fact that it might be a minor-league park but they were still major-league players. In the second year of this, with no promise of it ending soon, they’re still angry, still defiant, but also so tired. Tired of the subpar facilities, tired of the snide remarks, tired of living minor-league lives in West Sacramento. They’ve all worked hard, proven themselves, just as much as any other player in the league; they all know they deserve better. At the same time, they all know that doesn’t change anything, that the decision is made above their heads. They all tell themselves they’re fine with it, because what choice do they have?
Rooker, Butler, and Soderstrom started them off, signing extensions that promised a future, to themselves, to A’s fans everywhere, and to their teammates. Next off-season, Wilson and Kurtz follow. This is a core. This is a future. Everything else might be shifting sands around them but this foundation is ironclad.
The cracks appear in mid-May, during a brutal stretch, 19 games in 20 days. They don’t have to leave California, technically, but it feels like they’ve traveled all over. It starts with two interleague series, always weird, and they manage to sweep the Cardinals but then get demolished by the Giants in a sweep, their orange-and-black fans swarming all over Sutter Health Park. Then a four-game set at Anaheim, objectively a worse team than them, but they struggle towards a split, the big red A looming above like it’s taunting them. From there they go to San Diego, the ballpark jammed full for a weekend series, fans crowded into every available space soaking up the late spring sunshine, and this is what it should be like. They scrape out one win in the series and they’re lucky for that, a ninth-inning two-run go-ahead blast by Kurtz that feels like they could get back on track, at least until they’re steamrolled in Sunday’s finale. A sell-out crowd in San Diego watches the Padres dismantle the A’s pitching staff. They have to bring out a position player to pitch the bottom of the eighth. The San Diego fans are insufferable. The mood on the flight home is poisonous.
They go back home, but it doesn’t feel like it. Mariners fans descend on the ballpark for their first series of the year, teal just as prominent as kelly green in the stands. It’s like they’re back in Mesa at Hohokam. They lose the series, slip further back in the AL West. Then the Yankees come to town, with their media circus and their massive staff and their legions of fans who line the ballpark in stark black and white, chanting MVP every time Judge steps on the field. Soderstrom gets into it with a Judge fan in left field and gets fined. Then in the series finale, Wilson, facing a flamethrowing Yankees reliever with terrible command, takes an inside pitch off his wrist and they can all hear the sick crack of the bone breaking. McNeil, who’s standing in the on-deck circle, charges the mound and they’re brawling, an empty-the-bullpens, highlights-on-ESPN kind of brawl. They get swept.
Sometimes moments like these are turning points, bringing the team together to battle through adversity. That’s not what happens here. Everything has become too much. They have exceeded the angle of repose, the highest things can be piled up before they start to slip apart. When you don’t have a home base, everything is on shifting ground.
They finish fourth in the AL West. The timeline is adjusted on the ballpark, adjusted again. A lockout looms. A cold comfort: they don’t have anywhere to be locked out from. —KP
Mar 4, 2026; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) singles during the fifth inning against Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Tiedemann (70) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ricky Tiedemann is a 23-year-old, left-handed pitcher. The Jays picked him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He was added to the 40-man roster on November 18th, 2025. He’ll be using his first option year this year.
As you know, he had Tommy John surgery in August of 2024, missing all of the 2025 season. And, just to add to our worries, he’s been on the shelf this spring, since February 24, because of elbow soreness. The team said that an MRI came back clean. They also said that he could be shut down for but I haven’t seen anything suggesting he is throwing again.
I’m ok with them taking things slowly. It isn’t all that unusual for some soreness when coming back from Tommy John.
Until the Tommy John, he was progressing very nicely. In 2024 he was #1 on our prospect list. Tom M wrote:
2023 was derailed by injuries, including shoulder soreness that delayed his debut by a couple of weeks and a bicep strain that knocked him out from early May through late July. In the 44 innings he managed, mostly at AA, he was as comically dominant as ever, posting a 44% strikeout rate and a 1.68 FIP. He got 18 more innings of work in the Arizona Fall League. Tiedemann has the prototype power pitcher’s frame at 6’4” and a broad shouldered 220lbs. He throws from the far first base side of the rubber with a slingy delivery and low, wide arm slot that makes the ball feel like it’s coming straight at righties and from behind lefties’ ears. That release point complements the big horizontal movement on all three of his pitches. The fastball sits 94-96 and touches 98 without much vertical rise but with huge arm side run. His best secondary has been a changeup with depth and run, although it backed up a bit in 2023. His slider is a big sweeper, again with huge horizontal break (so much that hitters are sometimes able to lay off it because it looks like a ball inside before breaking all the way across the zone and being called a ball outside), which he has great feel to land in the zone for strikes. It’s three pitches that can all be plus, although he hasn’t regularly had all three sharp at the same time yet. Tiedemann’s command never quite locked in in 2023 with all the disruptions, but in spite of a somewhat unorthodox delivery it could wind up being average or a little above with time.
Unfortunately, the ‘derailed by injuries’ has been a continuing thing.
When he has pitched, he’s been terrific. In 41 minor league starts, 140 innings, he has 226 strikeouts and 68 walks.
He is only 23. There is lots of time for him to right the ship. There has been several pitchers who had injuries troubles when they were young and still went on to have a great career (I can almost hear people saying back that there have been lot of pitchers who had injury troubles when they were young and never got their careers back on track. Both are true).
If his arm can’t stand up to the stress of being a start, a left-handed reliever who can throw 98 mph isn’t a bad thing to have on your pitching staff.
MLB Pipeline still lists him as our number 5 prospect. They say:
Prior to the injury, Tiedemann had come into camp at 245 pounds and was bulked up closer to 255 by mid-season, but now he’s about 15 pounds above his listed weight of 220, a much more natural and athletic size for a pitcher. This has helped him become more fluid on the mound again. While 32 starts and 200 innings may never be in the cards for Tiedemann, that’s just fine. He’ll build up in a bulk role this season when he’s ready to roll, and while all of this comes with a “but” related to his health, he still has as much raw talent as any player in the Blue Jays’ system.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 20, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (2-6-3) travel to Jupiter, FL to take on the Miami Marlins (4-6).
RHP Tatsuya Imai is set to make his second start of the Spring and will be opposed by 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner RHP Sandy Alcantara.
ABOUT IMAI: In January, the Astros signed free agent RHP Tatsuya Imai to a three-year deal.
In his Spring debut on Feb. 26 vs. NYM, he tossed a scoreless 1.0 inning (10 pitches). Imai, 27, has been one of the top starting pitchers in Japan in recent years. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
Among qualified pitchers, Imai posted the lowest WHIP (0.89) in the Pacific League, while ranking second with 178 strikeouts in his 163.2 innings pitched. Imai has been an NPB All-Star three times in his career (2021, 2024, 2025) that has spanned parts of eight seasons (2018-25). He went 58-45 overall with a 3.15 ERA (337ER/963.2IP) in 159 games in the NPB.
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Spencer Arrighetti, LHP Tom Cosgrove, RHP Anthony Maldonado, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Logan VanWey, RHP Amos Willingham and RHP Sam Carlson.
VS. THE MARLINS: Today will mark the second of five Grapefruit League matchups between the Astros and Marlins this Spring. The clubs will also meet for a Spring Breakout exhibition on March 19 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Astros are 1-0 vs. the Marlins this Spring.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: Prior to today’s game, the Astros optioned LHP Colton Gordon and RHP Miguel Ullola to minor league camp. The Astros now have 59 players in camp, including 21 non-roster invites – 32 pitchers, seven catchers, 11 infielders and nine outfielders.
ASTROS IN THE WBC: IF Shay Whitcomb is off to a fantastic start for Team Korea in this year’s WBC, going 2×4 with a pair of homers and three RBI in the team’s opener vs. Team Czechia this morning at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 5, 12:10 p.m. CST
Location: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter, FL.
Andrew McCutchen turns 40 this October. Yet his desire to extend his Major League Baseball career runs deep enough that he's willing to try and make a team to keep it going.
McCutchen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Morning News reported, ending a three-season rekindling of his relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which the club could not rekindle its days of playoff contention when the outfielder was in MVP form a decade ago.
Though McCutchen batted just .242 in his three-season reunion in Pittsburgh, he remained a league average hitter for the stint, posting a .736 OPS and 104 adjusted OPS as the Pirates continued to struggle creating a contender. This season, the seemingly open invitation McCutchen had in Pittsburgh faded away, as the club signed Ryan O'Hearn to be their primary right fielder.
It seemed a lane might exist for McCutchen to get at-bats against left-handed pitchers, but trades with Boston and Tampa Bay that added Jhostnyxon Garcia and Jake Mangum, respectively, closed that off.
So, McCutchen will aim to win a job out of the Rangers' camp in Surprise, Arizona. The club has emerging star Wyatt Langford, oft-injured Evan Carter and recently acquired Brandon Nimmo as their primary outfielders, but several iterations remain where McCutchen is a fit, particularly against left-handed pitching.
McCutchen won the 2013 NL MVP for the Pirates and has hit 332 homers that also included stops with San Francisco, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees.
MESA, AZ - OCTOBER 23: Yunior Tur #52 of the Mesa Solar Sox pitches during the game between the Salt River Rafters and the Mesa Solar Sox at Sloan Park on Monday, October 23, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
*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.
The voting continues and the winner of this round of voting is right-handed reliever Yunior Tur. A 26-year-old out of Cuba, Tur was always considered a large project as a pitcher but also one that has a high ceiling if he can learn how to pitch instead of throwing. His first couple years in the system were a big learning curve as he struggled to adjust to the States and better hitters, but Tur put up a solid season this past year, spent mostly at Double-A. The jury is still out on his ultimate role with the big league club in the future, whether that’s starting or relieving so watching his progress this coming year should provide answers on that front.
Joining the next list of nominees is outfielder Ryan Lasko. The Athletics’ second-round draft pick in the 2023 Draft, Lasko’s calling cards are his above-average speed and defense, though those also come with questions about his abilities in the batter’s box. That should provide him with a high floor as a possible defensive-oriented center fielder or fourth outfielder, but if he can show some improvement with the bat and unlock the power he’s shown he has in the past, Lasko would be yet another quality outfielder in the Athletics’ farm system.
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.
The voting continues! Time to vote for the 2nd-best in the A’s 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.
Núñez has an electric fastball that sits 97-99 mph and reached up to 101 last year, though the movement is somewhat lacking as hitters are able to see it a little longer. His upper-80s slider is his best pitch. It’s at least a plus offering that gets good depth and has posted high whiff and chase rates in the Minors. He occasionally throws a curveball, but that is a distant third pitch in his arsenal, leaving him with drastic handedness splits.
Núñez is inconsistent in his delivery at times, and that was evident with his inability to consistently throw strikes in his short time with the A’s last year. The arm talent is there to carve out a role for himself in a Major League bullpen, perhaps as a quality late-inning weapon, though he will always come with some volatility given his challenges with locating pitches.
Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.
Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.
Zhuang leans heavily on his four-seam fastball that he can change speeds quite a bit with, throwing heaters that range anywhere from 86-96 mph, though it generally sits in the low-90s. His low-80s changeup has emerged as his best secondary pitch. He also brings a mid-70s curveball, low-80s slider and mixes in a low-80s splitter, providing a decent starter repertoire.
Zhuang, nicknamed ‘Z-Man’ within the organization, did a good job of staying healthy last season to silence some previous injury concerns. But while he has above-average command and enough pitches to remain a starter in the Minors, questions still remain about the effectiveness of his offspeed stuff, especially against higher competition, which could eventually lead to him switching to a bullpen role where his fastball can play up in shorter stints.
Turley falls in line with similar A’s draft picks in recent years — like Denzel Clarke and Rodney Green Jr. — as a toolsy outfielder with some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. He’s got big power and is able to drive the ball out to all fields with great bat speed, but his strikeout rates throughout his career with the Beavers were somewhat alarming. The question over whether he can hit enough to tap into that raw power is something he’ll have to prove early in his pro career. He has a tendency to chase breaking stuff often, though he mitigates that issue somewhat with his strong ability to draw walks.
A big knock on Turley coming out of college was poor defense, but the A’s believe he is plenty athletic and speedy enough to improve and envision that happening as he grows into his 6-foot-1 frame. His body type and look in the box remind some within the organization of Mark Canha, and he’ll look to move through the system as a power-hitting corner outfielder.
Lasko is still trying to learn his craft from an offensive standpoint. He brings good plate discipline and bat speed, but pitch recognition is something he’s still working to improve. The A’s have also worked with him to rein in his high intensity during games. The power element he showed in college has also yet to show up much in pro ball.
Defense is Lasko’s calling card. He’s a plus defender in the outfield with a great arm and plays center field fearlessly with high energy. His speed is evident in his range, as well as on the basepaths. He’s another talented center fielder in the A’s system who could one day provide stellar defense in the Majors, but the hit tool is something he’ll have to continue improving to become anything more than a fourth outfielder at the highest level.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your
Daniel Jesus Palencia, the 26-year-old Venezuelan native, is the Cubs’ current closer. It’s his second year in the top spot, and so far he looks like he plans to stay there.
Palencia throws the ball hard and has evidenced decent control of his offerings. Last year, he had a losing record (1-6), but also logged a 2.91 ERA, with 22 saves and 61 strikeouts, in 52.2 innings in 54 games, good for 0.6 bWAR (1.0 fWAR). He have up 5 home runs and issued 16 bases on balls. That’s good stuff.
Projections generally have him throwing a few more innings but continuing in the same vein, which would be just fine with the Cubs, I would imagine. A 25 plus strikeout percentage, and a 10% or under BB% are other features that Palencia is predicted to gather.
Palencia threw three pitches in 2025, out of five he has on hand. His FB can reach triple digits and sits around 98 mph, his splitter travels around 88, and his slider is around the same. He abandoned his changeup in 2024 and his curve last year. He doesn’t seem to need them. He also throws a very occasional sinker, Baseball Savant says.
Palencia gets his power from his tree-trunk thighs and Cal Raleigh fundament. At 26, he should be able to keep those heaters coming for a while still.
Before leaving for his third World Baseball Classic, Paul Goldschmidt offered a simple, personal reason for participating.
“It’s maybe the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball.’’
And maybe there’ll be a magic moment for the veteran Yankees’ first baseman, in the twilight of a fine career, on a talent-loaded Team USA – favored to win the gold.
As play begins, 13 Yankees are scattered about WBC rosters, the largest pinstriped collection since the tournament began in 2006.
Austin Wells: Faster start?
Perhaps the WBC can be a launch pad for Wells.
Offensively last year, Wells got off to a slow start and didn’t build on 2024, his first full MLB season.
At the plate, “I expect a lot more out of him. As does he,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said recently, referencing Wells’ .219 average and .712 OPS in 126 games.
Playing in his first WBC, Wells is catching for Team Dominican Republic, honoring his mother’s heritage.
And as Goldschmidt said recently, WBC play “can help you prepare for the regular season,’’ by facing better competition in a playoff-type setting – a different ramp-up than the exhibition schedule.
“You can’t simulate these really meaningful (WBC) games,’’ said Goldschmidt. “I think that’s beneficial.’’
Elmer Rodriguez: Breakout star?
Rodriguez and fellow right-hander Carlos Lagrange are the most exciting pitching prospects in Yankees camp.
Now, Rodriguez has an opportunity to showcase his talent for Team Puerto Rico, in what MLB.com called the tournament’s most balanced of the four WBC pools.
Rodriguez is scheduled to start Puerto Rico’s second game of pool play, against Panama (with Yankees infielder Jose Caballero on the roster).
Canada, Cuba and Colombia are also in Pool A.
In the WBC leadup, Rodriguez tossed three scoreless innings Tuesday against his old organization; last year, the Yanks sent catcher Carlos Narvaez to the Boston Red Sox for E-Rod.
With a four-pitch arsenal, led by his fastball and slider, Rodriguez – who reached Triple-A by the end of last year – could impact the Yankees’ pitching staff at some point in 2026.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: World stage advantage?
Yes, this looks like a brief WBC stay for the Yankees’ second baseman.
Chisholm is one of six players from the Bahamas on Team Great Britain, residing in Pool B with Team USA and Team Mexico.
The lefty-hitting Chisholm is Great Britain’s greatest player by far. And despite the tough draw, he’ll get a personal chance to display his talent and plus-personality before entering a key 2026 season.
This is Chisholm’s free agent walk year, and he’s already discussed following up his 30-homer, 30-steal season with a 50-50 campaign – with a substantial payday to follow.
If he stays healthy for the full season, anything’s possible. However it shakes out, Chisholm’s important year begins here.
Yankees relievers: Highlight innings?
Last year’s trade deadline acquisitions of David Bednar and Camilo Doval were also aimed toward fortifying the 2026 club.
Meanwhile, fellow right-hander Fernando Cruz, added via trade before the ’25 season, became an important end-game bridge.
Bednar (USA), Doval (Dominican Republic) and Cruz (Puerto Rico) are all participating in the WBC, with a chance to pitch some big innings, while Yanks’ lefty reliever Tim Hill could potentially enter as a Team USA alternate.
Naturally, the overriding WBC wish of Yankees Universe is returning their pitchers healthy and ready for the regular season.
How this trio emerges after the early, adrenaline rush of tournament play is one more thing to watch.
Aaron Judge: WBC MVP?
Here's the latest, big stage for the two-time defending AL MVP.
In his first WBC, Judge is also Captain America - the signature player on a USA team seeking just its second tournament title.
Judge recently spoke about the inspiration drawn from the recent men's and women's Team USA hockey gold medal performances, and how personally meaningful it is to finally play for his country.
Plus, "this room has a presence,'' said Judge, who's elevated 2025 postseason performance was something Yankees fans had long hoped to see.
Tops on that list is Judge leading the Yanks up the Canyon of Heroes. Before that, he can lead Team USA to a title.
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hall of fame Ozzie Smith (middle) talks with infielders Masyn Winn (0) and JJ Wetherholt (77) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
For a while now, it’s felt like most of the National League Central is just a step behind. In four of the last five seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers have walked away division champions, oftentimes by some distance. The only exception in the span was the St. Louis Cardinals, back in 2022. However, since that 2022 season, when the Cardinals posted a 93-69 record (and went two-and-out in the Wild Card Series to the Phillies), it has been a rather large fall from grace for the Redbirds.
Now, after a long (and active) offseason that saw the departure of a handful of veterans, St. Louis is looking to begin stacking up on young players and continuing to develop their young players already on the roster under Chaim Bloom.
The Cardinals, despite having some big names last season, weren’t able to make any major waves in the NL Central. And instead of keeping them around, the organization decided to move forward in a different direction with former Red Sox head honcho Chaim Bloom officially taking over for the departing John Mozeliak after a one-year apprenticeship behind the scenes in the front office.
Nolan Arenado was traded back to the NL West and the sunny state of Arizona with the Diamondbacks. Willson Contreras was traded to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Hunter Dobbins and prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Former Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray also joined Contreras on the Sox, being traded in November for pitching prospect Richard Fitts, prospect Brandon Clarke, and cash.
Another notable departure from the roster include second baseman Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal that also included the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals sent theutility man to the northwest for right-handed pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfield prospects Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter, and two 2026 Competitive Balance Round B draft picks.
These departures signal a new direction for a Cardinals team and franchise that is used to being in the driver’s seat in the NL Central. After a few seasons of treading water somewhat aimlessly, the club appears to have chosen a definitive direction. With these changes both at the helm of the franchise and with the names on the field comes a new crop of players that will begin to make their mark in a Cardinals uniform as soon as this coming season.
The biggest names to watch for the Cardinals include their most prominent free agent signing Dustin May, who came on with a one-year, $12.5 million deal to help lead the rotation and prove himself after a tough season split between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He could prove to be a useful trade chip for a retooling squad if he can bounce back. Elsewhere, there’s a host of young players that will take the reins, including JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn.
Last year with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Wetherholt slashed .314/.416/.562 for an OPS of .978, and his play in 62 games at Double-A was just as good, if not better. His power helped him make waves in the minor leagues, and with his current spring training performance, smashing a 422-foot homer with an exit velocity of 105.4 mph against the New York Mets, according to our sister site, Viva El Birdos. If there was a player to watch for coming up, Wetherholt is the guy.
Winn is more established, with a solid body of work at the major league level. His last two seasons at the plate have been around average, but his defense is spectacular, and his wicked arm from shortstop helped him make an impression early both nationally and within the Cardinals organization.
The rest of the young talent on this roster is more of the post-hype variety. Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson were all Top 100 prospects once upon a time, but none has been able to put things together at the major league level. On the pitching side, St. Louis will hope that young starters Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy can build on respectable 2025 campaigns.
While St. Louis is in a tough spot for now, they’re geared toward bigger and better things with the young talent they have on hand and are in the process of acquiring. They might have to go through some more growing pains in the interim, though.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Chris Martin #55 of the Texas Rangers pitches during a game against the Miami Marlins at Globe Life Field on September 19, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at relief pitcher Chris Martin.
Chris Martin is very tall.
Martin is listed at 6’8”. Per B-R, there are only 72 pitchers in major league history who were 6’8 or taller. Given that there have been roughly 10,000 or so pitchers in MLB history, that’s a remarkably small number.
Weird fact…until 1939, there was no pitcher listed at 6’8” or taller in MLB history. But in 1939, two such pitchers debuted — Mike Navmick, listed at 6’8”, and Johnny Gee, listed at 6’9”. Neither pitcher was particularly successful — they combined for 96 career games, most of which came during WWII, when teams were hard up for players — but they were very tall and they pitched in the majors.
There was no one else of that height until the 6’8” Gene Conley, who debuted in 1952 and had a fairly successful career, which included three All Star appearances.
J.R. Richard was next, debuting in 1971. Richard pitched his entire career — which was tragically cut short due to a stroke in the middle of the 1980 season — with the Houston Astros, and was one of the best pitchers in baseball for the last several seasons of his career. Richard’s size was one of his defining characteristics, with contemporary stories about him calling him “imposing” or “towering” or something similar.
Pitchers Of Unusual Height* became more common beginning in the early-80s, with the number mushrooming in the 21st century — 55 of the 72 MLB pitchers listed at at least 6’8” debuted after Y2K. 21 of them have debuted in the past five years. Exactly one-quarter of all pitchers in MLB history listed as at least 6’8” pitched in the majors in the 2025 season.
* Yes, this is a play on the Rodents Of Unusual Size from The Princess Bride. I wanted to say Pitchers Of Unusual Size, but that appellation could refer to Rich Garces, or Terry Forster, or others who of that ilk. So in the interest of clarity and precision I’m saying Pitchers Of Unusual Height.
The increase over the years may be because society as a whole has grown taller on average. It may be because pitchers are fudging their listed height more. It may be because teams are making a point of seeking out taller pitchers than they have in the past.
I do wonder if the success of the six foot ten inch Randy Johnson led teams to be more open about the possibility of Pitchers Of Unusual Height having major league success. When The Big Unit debuted, he was the tallest pitcher in MLB history, and only the ninth pitcher to be listed at 6’8” or taller. While he was a highly touted prospect, there were also concerns about his height potentially being a hindrance to him.
Here is the BA write-up of Johnson prior to the 1988 season, when he was 24 years old and the #1 ranked prospect on BA’s Montreal Expos list:
Johnson’s fastball registers on the (slow) Ray Gun at 95 mph and his size puts him about a foot closer to the plate than most pitchers when he releases the ball. Johnson also throws a hard slider but needs to develop an offspeed pitch. He limited Double-A hitters to a .204 batting average, which is minuscule for a starting pitcher. Being 6-foot-10 makes it difficult to maintain a consistent delivery. Johnson has improved, though a 130-pitch limit last season kept him from working a complete game. Control problems were blamed for his second-half slump, when he lost seven of his last 11 decisions and his ERA rose from 2.51 to 3.73. Some scouts say Johnson’s future is in short relief, though the Expos are not ready to consider that option.
That write-up is fascinating for a variety of reasons — a draconian 130 pitch limit! — but of particular relevance to our discussion is the mention of Johnson having a hard time repeating his delivery due to his size. Long levers are seen as being harder to control, leading to more difficulty in maintaining consistent mechanics and repeating your delivery, and repeating your delivery is key to having quality command.
On the flip side, a tall pitcher is going to release the ball higher off the ground than a shorter pitcher, which means a steeper downward angle of approach to the plate, which makes it harder for the hitter to make contact. In addition, a tall pitcher is generally going to be able to release the ball closer to the plate, which makes the ball seem faster to the hitter. So there are inherent advantages in being a Pitcher Of Unusual Height, though it requires the pitcher to overcome the command hurdle.
That said, there has only been one Big Unit, who finished his career as a first ballot Hall of Famer with 103.5 bWAR. J.R. Richard has the second highest career bWAR of the POUHs, at 21.5. Only seven other POUHs have at least 10 career bWAR — Doug Fister, Chris Young, Gene Conley, Jeff Nelson, Dellin Betances, Tyler Glasnow, and Brandon McCarthy. Bailey Ober is 10th all time, followed by Chris Martin, who has 7.7 career bWAR.
Yes, there are five players who pitched for the Rangers — Fister, Young, Nelson, McCarthy, and Martin — in that list. The Bottom 61 bWAR POUHs have just two former Rangers — the above-mentioned Smithson, who was traded, along with John Butcher, to the Minnesota Twins for Gary Ward after one-plus seasons in the bigs, and LSB favorite and legendary ophiophilist Kam Loe.
So Chris Martin, Arlington native, and graduate of Arlington High School (though not, sadly, Arlington Martin), is one of the best POUHs of all time. Not bad for a guy who had to go to Japan at the age of 30 to get his career back on track.
Making him even more unique is that he has defied the “tall pitchers struggle with command” conventional wisdom — his defining characteristic, particularly since his return from Japan, is that he throws strikes. His 1.2 BB/9 walk rate is the best of any player 6’8” or taller who has thrown more than 1 major league inning. The next lowest rate belongs to Eric Hillman, at 1.7 BB/9, almost 50% higher than Martin’s rate.
And to be clear, Martin’s ability to avoid free passes is elite relative to MLB as a whole, not just POUHs. His Statcast page is consistently very red when it comes to walk rate. 264 pitchers have thrown at least 350 innings since the start of the 2018 season. Martin’s 1.1 BB/9 over that span is 1st out of 264.
Martin was good when he was healthy in 2025, but had numerous physical issues, including back to back appearances in May which saw him leave after throwing one pitch in the first outing and leave without throwing a pitch in the second outing. Still, despite three injured list stints, Martin made 49 appearances, threw 42.1 innings, and put up a 2.98 ERA.
It was reported prior to last season that this would be Martin’s swan song, that he was retiring after the 2025 season and wanted to pitch his last season with his hometown team. He ended up deciding to return for 2026, and is back with the Rangers for this year. He will turn 40 in June, and if he keeps throwing strikes, and if the twine and chewing gum can hold his body together, he seems likely to be one of the Rangers’ best relievers yet again.
In 2025, a lot of ink was spilled on Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, and understandably so. McLean started the season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, posted a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings with them, then a 2.78 ERA in 87.1 innings with the Syracuse Mets, and then dazzled the baseball world with a 2.44 ERA in 48.0 innings at the major league level. Jonah Tong also started the season with Binghamton and posted a 1.76 ERA in 102.0 with them, then was promoted to Syracuse and did not allow a run in 11.2 innings, and then limped to the end of the season by posting a 7.71 ERA in 18.2 major league innings. A lot of people don’t realize this, but Jack Wenninger kept pace with both of them. Making 26 games for the Rumble Ponies, the right-hander posted a 2.92 ERA in 135.2 innings, allowing 114 hits, walking 42, and striking out 147 batters- tied for second most in the Mets minor league system in 2016 with R.J. Gordon.
Wenninger was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the 186th player selected overall. At the time, he was an unheralded right-hander and one of a large group of day two pitchers that included Kade Morris, Wyatt Hudepohl, Austin Troesser, Zach Thornton, and Noah Hall (and Nolan McLean, though he was still a two-way player at the time and not a full-time pitcher). Unlike that other group of pitchers (once again excluding McLean), Wenninger has rocketed up past his peers, landing at 10 on Amazin’ Avenue’s 2026 Top 25 Prospects list.
As an amateur, and prior to the 2025 season, the right-hander got by using a low-90s fastball, an above-average split changeup, and a fringy slider, cutter, and curveball. This past season, Wenninger added a little bit of velocity to his fastball, refined his cutter and slider- morphing the two into a sharper gyro slider- and began using a different curveball grip to give the pitch more bite. Both breaking balls are now average offerings, supplementing an average fastball and an above-average changeup. Tying his overall pitching abilities together, the right-hander is able to reliably command all four.
Where Wenninger fits into the Mets’ pitching puzzle in the immediate future is unclear. While the pitching rotation as it stands now certainly has plenty of volatility in terms of health and performance, Wenninger is so far down in the depth chart that he is likely a non-factor in 2026 unless something catastrophic happens with the starting rotation. A non-roster invitee to spring training, in addition to having to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to activate him, youngsters with MLB experience such as Tobias Myers, Jonah Tong, Christian Scott are likely ahead of Wenninger in the depth chart, with veterans such as Justin Hagenman and Jonathan Pintaro in contention for spot starts as well. As with any pitcher, he could be shifted into the bullpen, but a spot on the 40-man and active roster would need to be made for him. Regardless of his performance, Wenninger likely has his ticket stamped for Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Manager Terry Francona #77 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after being mentioned during the Athletics Hall of Fame induction at Sutter Health Park on September 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds will open their 2026 season on March 26th in Great American Ball Park with the Boston Red Sox in town. Cincinnati’s Cactus League slate at their home in Goodyear, Arizona will begin this Saturday, February 21st, with the Cleveland Guardians both their home complex compatriots and opponents for the day.
With competitive baseball firmly on the horizon, here was Red Reporter’s first stab at how the 26-man roster would look when regular season ball commences just five weeks from now. Since then, though, we’ve obviously seen some major news, deals, etc. that will impact how this entire thing shakes out.
There will surely be many, many more twists and turns between now and Opening Day, but here’s our second guess at what the roster will look like when it gets here.
Starting Rotation
LHP Andrew Abbott
LHP Nick Lodolo
RHP Brady Singer
RHP Chase Burns
RHP Rhett Lowder
Notes: Wednesday’s news that Hunter Greene is dealing with concerning stiffness in his surgically repaired elbow sent shockwaves through Reds camp, through Red Reporter Headquarters, and through the entire baseball world. Now, there’s still plenty of optimism that Greene’s MRI and second opinion will show that he only needs weeks – not months – on the shelf, something this club has dealt with in every season of his career to this point, but regardless of the severity the odds of him being ready for Opening Day seem incredibly long.
So, that makes both Burns and Lowder – both of whom have looked great in camp – near locks for the starting rotation come Opening Day.
Bullpen
RHP Emilio Pagán
RHP Tony Santillan
RHP Graham Ashcraft
LHP Brock Burke
LHP Caleb Ferguson
RHP Pierce Johnson
RHP Connor Phillips
LHP Sam Moll
Notes: Wednesday evening’s trade of Tyler Callihan to Pittsburgh for reliever Kyle Nicolas throws an interesting wrench into this mix, though Nicolas still has an option remaining. I do believe he’ll be very much in the running for a spot on the OD roster, though, with Moll the likeliest to miss out if that’s the case – and Moll is out of options, so he’d need to clear waivers to stick around the organization at all.
The other wild card here is Brandon Williamson. Even though he’s been used as a starter in 118 of his 121 career games since turning pro, the innings management the Reds will employ with both Burns and Lowder in the rotation over the course of the year means they could well choose to carry a long man in the bullpen to mitigate that a bit, and Williamson – who’ll be on an innings limit of his own after missing 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery – could well profile as that guy for a time to begin the year.
For now, though Moll holds onto the job thanks to his lack of options giving him that administrative edge.
Position Players
C Tyler Stephenson
C Jose Trevino
1B Nathaniel Lowe
DH/IF Eugenio Suárez
IF Sal Stewart
IF Matt McLain
IF Elly De La Cruz
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
IF/OF Spencer Steer
OF TJ Friedl
OF Noelvi Marte
OF JJ Bleday
OF Dane Myers
Notes: The lone change here is moving Bleday onto the OD roster and dropping Will Benson, who has an option remaining, off of it. The reality here is that Bleday, Benson, and Lowe are battling for two spots on the roster, and only Bleday and Benson have the ability to be optioned to AAA and kept within the organization. So, I think that gives Lowe the inside track to making the OD bench since the Reds would prefer he stay in the org for long term depth purposes and keeping Bleday and Benson over him would send him back to the free agent market.
If Lowe doesn’t hit over the first few weeks of the season that would become moot with a DFA and promotion of Benson back to the active roster in a LHH role, with where Spencer Steer plays being tweaked to more 1B/DH duties than LF duties in that alignment. Again, the OD roster is not always a reflection of where the roster will be in June, for example, and this series of decisions positions the Reds for the best combination of good enough on Opening Day and maintaining the most depth for the 162 game long haul.
The Cardinals' decision to release quarterback Kyler Murray next week was inevitable, based on recent events.
A divorce was inevitable based on events from four years ago.
When the Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year, $230 million extension in 2022, the contract initially included an "independent study" clause. When the term came to light, the reaction was swift, loud, and negative. The perception that Murray needed an "independent study" clause made him look bad. The team's decision to request it made them look foolish.
The mere fact that the Cardinals entertained the thought that Murray needed an external incentive in the form of an addendum to his contract should have been regarded as a red flag on the entire question of whether to extend his contract. If, as they believed, Murray had a flaw in his work ethic that required a term that threatened default if he didn't comply, they shouldn't have signed him to a second contract.
They should have traded him.
If he'd been available in 2022, the Cardinals could have gotten a respectable return. He had made the Pro Bowl twice in three seasons, and he had taken the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. He was regarded as a rising star, a potential short-list franchise quarterback.
And while it would have been a risky move based on those objective facts, the Cardinals knew something the rest of the league didn't. They knew (or at least they believed) there was an issue regarding his preparation habits. They could have moved him before anyone else became aware of their position.
Obviously, they didn't. They renewed vows, with a clunky caveat that may have permanently poisoned the relationship.
In the past four years, he has missed 20 games due to injury. His record is 16-26, after starting his career 22-23-1.
The market, at the time Murray signed his deal, was $46 million per year. He emerged with an average of $46.1 million per year. He has made more than $113 million since 2022. He exits with another $36.8 million owed to him in 2026.
It could have gone a different way. It should have gone a different way. If the Cardinals had sufficient misgivings about Murray to insert an unprecedented (for a reason) contract clause that required him to do something that, for most franchise quarterbacks, is a given, the Cardinals shouldn't have re-signed him.
