NEW YORK, NY - JULY 01: Carlos Beltran #15 of the New York Mets at bat against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on July 1, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Carlos Beltrán will officially wear a Mets cap on his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque, according to a Tuesday afternoon announcement. Beltrán, who was elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on January 20 with 84.2% of votes, will be just the third Hall of Famer to wear a Mets cap in Cooperstown along with Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
Over the course of his twenty-year career, Beltrán tallied 435 homers and 312 stolen bases, becoming one of just five players in baseball history with 400+ homers and 300+ stolen bases. Beltrán played for seven different teams, winning a Rookie of the Year Award with the Royals and a controversial World Series with the Astros in 2017, but he spent the bulk of his prime (from ages 27 to 34) in Queens. During his six and a half seasons in New York, Beltrán hit 149 homers, recorded 559 RBI, and stole 100 bases, while earning three All-Star selections, three Gold Glove Awards, and a pair of Silver Slugger Awards. In 2006, Beltrán helped lead the Mets to a division title with a stellar 8.2 bWAR, matching a Mets record at the time with 41 home runs.
Beltrán will be inducted at Cooperstown alongside fellow players Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent on July 26. Beltrán will also be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame alongside Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine at Citi Field sometime this summer.
The Mets will have a third former player representing the team on his Hall of Fame plaque.
Carlos Beltrán will wear a Mets cap on his plaque, the Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza as the only players in the franchise’s history with such a designation.
Beltrán told The Post last summer that his plan, if elected, was to wear a Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. A source indicated that Beltrán likely didn’t immediately announce his intention after his election last month as a show of respect to the Royals, for whom he spent 6 ½ seasons to begin his career.
Carlos Beltran playing for the Mets. Anthony J. Causi
Also, Mets officials have discussed the possibility of retiring Beltrán’s No. 15 this season, according to a source. Already, the organization has ceremonies planned to induct members into the Mets Hall of Fame (Beltrán, Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine will be enshrined) and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise’s last World Series title in 1986. Team officials must decide if they want to have a third ceremony that would affix Beltrán’s number to the rafters.
Beltrán, now a special assistant with the Mets, played for the team from 2005-11 and produced an .869 OPS over that stretch. Some of his luster with the organization is obscured by the called third strike he took with the bases loaded against Adam Wainwright to end Game 7 of the NLCS against the Cardinals.
Later, Beltrán returned to the organization as manager. He was forced to resign after only 77 days as part of the fallout from the Astros’ illegal sign-stealing scheme. Beltrán was named as one of the ringleaders.
If Beltrán’s involvement in the scheme stalled his Hall of Fame selection, the derailment was brief. This year, his fourth on the ballot, he obtained 84.2 percent of the vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to gain entrance into the Hall of Fame. A candidate needs to reach the 75 percent threshold for induction.
Andruw Jones will join Beltrán as a BBWAA inductee to the Hall of Fame in July. Also gaining induction was Jeff Kent, who was selected in December by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 24: Detail view of baseball cap and glove belonging to Ted Lilly #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the right field grass before the interleague game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 24, 2012 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 season is his 40-man platform year, so the Dodgers have incentive to stretch him out to 110-ish innings and push him to Double-A at some point to stress test that slider against better hitters. He’s on pace to make his big league debut in 2027 as a spot starter and then establish himself as key rotation cog in the years beyond. Our grade in this instance leaves room for Zazueta’s fastball velocity and command to improve thanks to his build and athletic traits.
Thomas Nestico at his TJ Stats newsletter this week had high praise for the minor league right-hander, including him in the “stuff savants” category of prospects he expects to make the top 100 entering 2027.
“Christian Zazueta may be the top pitching prospect in the Dodgers system, combining strong strike throwing with electric stuff,” Nestico wrote. “His fastball sits 93-94 mph with 14 inches of [induced vertical break], a shallow -4.3° [vertical approach angle], and excellent whiff rates, while his slider and changeup round out a prototypical three-pitch starter mix.”
Zazueta made one shortened (one-inning) start for High-A Great Lakes in August to end his 2025 season, so it’s likely that’s where he starts this season.
Carlos Beltranwill wear a Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, becoming just the third player ever to have that distinction -- joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
One of the best players in Mets history, Beltran made a leap this year to 84.2 percent of the vote to gain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. It was his third year on the ballot.
"I didn’t do this alone," said Beltran in a statement that was released by the Hall. "Every team I played for shaped my journey, and I’m grateful to all of them. With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success. I’m honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo, and I’m proud that every team I played for will be listed on the plaque."
There was a very easy case to make for Beltran wearing a Mets cap on his plaque.
Three of Beltran's best six seasons (2006, 2007, 2008) came for the Mets, while his other three came for the Royals (2001, 2003) and during a season he split between the Royals and Astros (2004).
Beltran had more home runs, doubles, RBI, and runs scored with the Mets than any other team, and also had his highest OPS during the years he spent with them (excluding the 44 games he played for the Giants).
Carlos Beltran / Tom Szczerbowski - USA TODAY Sports
In addition, Beltran made five of his nine career All-Star appearances while in Queens.
Beltran is set to enter the Mets' team Hall of Fame during the 2026 season, and it's possible to envision his No. 15 eventually hanging in the rafters.
The former center fielder and current member of the front office, Beltran signed in Queens ahead of the 2005 season, helping to usher in a new era for the team shortly after Pedro Martinez arrived.
In 839 games with the Mets from 2005 to 2011, Beltran slashed .280/.369/.500 with 149 home runs, 208 doubles, 559 RBI, 551 runs scored, and 100 stolen bases.
Beyond his offensive prowess, Beltran was one of the best defensive center fielders in the game during his peak, and won all three of his Gold Gloves while with the Mets (2006, 2007, 2008).
During his 20-year career, Beltran hit .279/.350/.486 with 435 home runs, 565 doubles, 78 triples, 312 stolen bases, 1,587 RBI, and 1,582 runs scored.
In addition to his Mets stint (2005 to 2011), Beltran played for the Royals (1998 to 2004), Astros (2004, 2017), Giants (2011), Cardinals (2012 to 2013), Yankees (2014 to 2016), and Rangers (2016).
Outside of getting married, moving into a new house, and announcing he’ll pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, the Mets' right-hander has already made his way to Port St. Lucie, throwing a two-inning live batting practice session on Tuesday.
“It’s good to get out here and compete a little bit,” McLean told SNY. "Kinda got snowed in in North Carolina for a little while, so getting down south in the warm weather and (throwing) off a dirt mound is always great.”
A third-round pick of the Mets in 2023, the former two-way star at Oklahoma State decided to stick with pitching, which certainly appears to be the right choice.
Making his big league debut last August, McLean was sensational in eight starts with the Mets, posting a 2.06 ERA, a 1.042 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 48.0 innings.
Even with that terrific start to his career, McLean said he took time this offseason to “reflect on the season and see what I can get better at.” That includes working on a pair of pitches to make his already-electric repertoire even more dangerous.
“I think I’ve just got to keep developing my stuff. Go out there and compete every single time, control what I can,” McLean said. “Obviously, there are always pitches that can get better, and that’s at the forefront of what I’m trying to do with my changeup and cutter -- be able to implement those a little bit more into my arsenal.”
Ranked as Joe DeMayo’s top prospect in the Mets’ system, McLean is a virtual lock to break camp on the major league roster, and figures to slot in near the very top of the rotation, a group that was bolstered by the addition of two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta.
With Peralta and McLean anchoring a rotation that will also include some mix of Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga, and with Jonah Tong, Christian Scott, and Tobias Myers as potential depth pieces, the Mets’ 2026 starting rotation very well could be a strength of the club.
And McLean thinks the sky is the limit.
“I think [the ceiling is] very high,” McLean said of the Mets’ collection of starting pitchers. “Freddy’s been around and kind of introduced himself to everybody. Seems like a great dude and obviously a great pitcher, so should be awesome.”
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 9: Michael Busch #29 of the Chicago Cubs at bat against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on August 9, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Le/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighth in the series.Today we look at the Cubs’ third-year first baseman.
Michael Busch, drafted in the first round (2019) by the Dodgers (31st overall, from UNC), and later acquired by the Cubs for second-round pick Jackson Ferris and minor leaguer Zyhir Hope, has paid dividends since being installed as the Cubs first baseman. He has turned in 2.8 and 4.6 bWAR seasons (2.2 and 3.5 fWAR). In 2025, he turned in a line of .261/.343/.523, swatting 34 home runs and batting in 90 runs. His defense was splendid as well.
Busch isn’t yet a star, but he will be if he equals or beats last year’s numbers, which is certainly possible. He got some downballot votes for the league’s MVP award, coming in 16th.
He’s said to be looking at hitting more against left-handers, though that will likely be based somewhat on Spring Training results, as there are right-handed batters around that would like those at-bats as well. Projections have him in the 25/75 zone. Of course we’d like better numbers, but those would do, along with his 60 or so walks.
He leads off sometimes, in Craig Counsell’s liquid batting order, and also hits 3,4,5. Any of those spots are good — Busch doesn’t seem to change his game any, no matter where he hits. Third or fifth might be best, where he can hit ahead of/behind powerful right-handed hitters like Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, our next subject, can lead off against right-handers and enjoy similar benefits batting ahead of Bregman or Suzuki or even Nico Hoerner, who in another era would be the pluperfect #2 hitter.
We’ll have to wait and see what the genius of Craig Counsell comes up with, but penciling Busch in for 25 long balls, 75 RBI, and a .330 or so OBP feels pretty good. I suspect he’ll do quite a bit better than that.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 19: Rafael Soriano of the New York Yankees speaks during his introduction press conference on January 19, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees signed Soriano to a three year contract. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s January 2011 and the Yankees have narrowly missed out on the opportunity to defend their World Series crown, having been bounced out of the ALCS by the Rangers in six games. One of the players most responsible for their demise — and a personal white whale for general manager Brian Cashman — has just spurned their top-dollar offer in free agency, Cliff Lee taking a significant discount to rejoin the Phillies.
Stung by the rejection and perhaps in a last-gasp bid to make the most of the remaining players from the turn-of-the-millennium dynasty, all of whom are in the twilights of their career, Yankees ownership pivoted. They already had a talented core in place after the offseason spending spree that netted them CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett, and a World Series title two winters prior. It was just a matter of adding in complementary pieces by diverting the money previously earmarked for Lee. Enter stage right, Rafael Soriano, and a moment of pure theater from a normally line-toeing GM.
Rafael Soriano Signing Date: January 18, 2011 Contract: Three years, $35 million
Rafael Soriano was born December 19, 1979, in San José de los Llanos, Dominican Republic, and was playing weekly baseball tournaments by the age of eight. However, after failing to impress in the Dominican baseball academy operated by the Cardinals, Soriano dropped out of school at the age of 16 to work full time in a carpentry shop. He caught the eye of a Mariners scout during a three-month tryout at the academy run by the Hiroshima Carp of NPB, and in 1996 signed for $5,000 as an outfielder.
After struggling for two seasons in the Arizona Rookie League, the Mariners coaches convinced him to convert to pitcher after noting his strong arm from the outfield. He could consistently throw between 87 and 90 mph and top out at 95, and in his first season at Low-A Everett, he led his team with a 3.11 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 75.1 innings. A steady rise through the system in 2000 and 2001 resulted in Baseball America ranking him as the 30th-best prospect in baseball for the 2002 campaign, and he recorded a save in his MLB debut on May 10th.
Soriano was added to the big-league rotation, but after eight rocky starts he went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder and would not return to the majors that year, instead being held at Triple-A to work on developing a reliable secondary pitch. He returned to pitch well in 2003 — a 1.53 ERA in 40 relief appearances totaling 53 innings — but underwent Tommy John surgery in 2004, limiting him to just 10.2 innings in the majors between 2004 and 2005.
Soriano was traded to the Braves following the 2006 campaign and pitched well in primarily a setup man role, logging a 2.95 ERA, 39 saves and 188 strikeouts in 162 appearances and 161.2 innings. Atlanta dealt him to the Rays prior to the 2010 season, and he reached a new level as the Rays’ unquestioned closer. He earned the Delivery Man of the Month Award in May, July and August en route to his lone All-Star selection as an injury replacement for Mariano Rivera. He threw an immaculate inning on August 23rd and finished as the AL saves leader with 45, earning the AL Rolaids Relief Man Award and finishing eighth in AL Cy Young balloting.
That brought Soriano and the Yankees to that fateful winter, the Bombers still smarting from their ALCS exit to the Rangers. To understand the events that would follow, we have to go back six months to the 2010 MLB Trade Deadline. The Yankees were clinging to a narrowly-held lead atop the AL East, but had a serious problem in their rotation with both Burnett and Javier Vázquez performing worse than replacement level.
Cashman had long coveted lefty starter Cliff Lee dating back to the 2009 World Series when the southpaw won both of his starts including a ten-strikeout complete game in Game 1. The Yankees thought they had a deal in place with the Mariners to acquire Lee at the deadline, agreeing to send Jesus Montero, David Adams, and Zach McAllister to Seattle to complete the trade. However, the Mariners balked after viewing the medicals on Adams’ injured ankle, and when Cashman refused to include either Eduardo Núñez or Iván Nova in the amended trade proposal, the Mariners pivoted that same day, trading Lee to the Rangers on July 9, 2010, for Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, Matthew Lawson, and $2.25 million.
Fast-forward three months, and once again the Yankees were matched up against Lee in the postseason. The southpaw authored one of the greatest starts in recent playoff history, striking out 13 across eight scoreless, two-hit innings as the Rangers trounced the Yankees, 8-0, to take a 2-1 lead in the ALCS. This only seemed to heighten Cashman’s drive to acquire Lee, and that winter the Yankees launched a full court press to land Lee in the Bronx. However, they were fated to be spurned again, Lee turning down the Yankees’ seven-year, $154 million offer to instead rejoin the Phillies on a five-year, $120 million pact.
This final rejection led Cashman to dig his heels in for his plan for the rest of the offseason — appearing to signal a shift toward building for the future — with Cashman declaring that “I will not lose our No. 1 draft pick. I would have for Cliff Lee. I won’t lose our No. 1 draft pick for anyone else.”
Ownership had other ideas. On the orders of the Steinbrenner family, team president Randy Levine went around Cashman and negotiated directly with Soriano’s agent, Scott Boras, the two sides aligning on a three-year, $35 million contract just over a month after Lee left them jilted.
Cashman, as you can imagine, was less than pleased at having been circumvented, and in a stunning departure from the usual boilerplate responses that come out of the Yankees organization, let his feelings be known directly following Soriano’s introductory press conference:
I didn’t recommend it just because I just didn’t think it was an efficient way to allocate the remaining resources we had. We had a lot of debate about it. Like everything on the free-agent market and trade market, you discuss it, make your recommendations to ownership, and they choose what direction they prefer to go given the circumstances. My preference was waiting. They obviously acted, and we are better… I think it’s certainly a sign at times if Hal wants to go different directions that could happen. I think that’s certainly the case. This is their team. Does that happen often? Will it happen a lot? I just think it depends on the circumstances what the comfort level is taking place at the time. Not to say it won’t happen again, not to say it will. It’s hard to say.
Soriano made his Yankees debut on March 31st against the Tigers, pitching a scoreless eighth to set up Rivera for the save. He recorded his first save in pinstripes on April 20th against the Blue Jays, but his first few months with the Yankees were far from smooth sailing. He endured several blowup outings including giving up four runs to the Twins while recording just two outs on April 5th, and landed on the 60-day DL in mid-May after suffering an inflamed ligament in his throwing elbow. He was reactivated on July 29th and pitched six straight scoreless appearances to set up a strong finish to the season, Soriano ending his debut Yankees season with a 4.12 ERA, 3.97 FIP, and 36 strikeouts in 42 appearances totaling 39.1 innings.
That brought Soriano to his second taste of postseason baseball after having lost to the Rangers in the 2010 ALDS with the Rays. He went unused in the first two games of the ALDS against the Tigers before being brought on in relief of CC Sabathia in Game 3. The contest was knotted at four runs apiece after Sabathia and Justin Verlander got knocked around and Soriano was tasked with stopping the bleeding. He entered with a runner on third and one out in the sixth and escaped the inning unscathed. However, he surrendered the game-winning home run to Delmon Young in the seventh to put the Yankees in a 2-1 deficit in the series.
Soriano rebounded in Games 4 and 5, pitching 1.1 scoreless to earn the hold in the former and recording five outs without giving up a run in the latter, but it wasn’t enough as the Yankees were eliminated in five. All the same, this provided Soriano with some positive momentum to roll into the 2012 season.
Soriano was once again slated to be the team’s seventh-inning reliever in front of setup man David Robertson and closer Rivera. However, when Rivera tore his ACL while shagging fly balls during batting practice at Kauffman Stadium on May 3rd, the Yankees had to designate a closer for the rest of the season. Robertson was initially slated to take over the ninth inning, but after suffering a minor injury himself, Soriano was handed the closer job and would not relinquish it for the rest of the season.
He converted his first 12 save opportunities and would grow to become one of the most dependable relievers in baseball that season. Soriano finished the year with the third most saves in MLB (42), pitching to a 2.26 ERA, 3.32 FIP and 69 strikeouts in 69 appearances totaling 67.2 innings. He did so with some swagger too, memorably untucking his jersey with fervor immediately after recording the final outs. Despite not having Rivera, the Yankees had to feel good about the man they had assigned to the ninth inning heading into the playoffs.
Soriano began that postseason by recording the final out of the ninth and pitching a scoreless tenth in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Orioles, setting up Raul Ibañez’s walk-off home run in the 12th. The next day, Soriano faced the minimum in the ninth and tenth innings, though the Orioles won in 13 innings to force a Game 5. The Yankees advanced to the ALCS where they faced a rematch with their vanquishers from the prior postseason. Soriano made just one appearance as the Yankees were thoroughly trounced by the Tigers in a four-game sweep, pitching a scoreless tenth in Game 1 of an eventual 6-4 loss in 12 innings.
After such a successful season closing games, Soriano opted out of the final year and $14 million of his contract to become a free agent. With the Yankees confident that Rivera could return to full strength from his knee injury, they never showed much interest in re-signing Soriano, and he wound up agreeing to a two-year, $28 million pact to become the Nationals’ closer. He completed a successful two seasons in Washington, saving 43 games in 2013 and 32 games in 2014, and finished with a 3.15 ERA, 3.38 FIP, and 110 strikeouts across 132 appearances totaling 128.2 innings. However, he was removed from the closer role at the end of the season and only managed to sign a minor-league contract with the Cubs that winter, ultimately making just six appearances with a 6.35 ERA for the Northsiders. He was designated for assignment and released at the end of the season, and after visa issues forced him to miss spring training after signing a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays, Soriano announced his retirement on March 20, 2016.
Soriano’s time with the Yankees was often overshadowed by the two fan favorites at the back of the bullpen in Rivera and Robertson, in addition to the odd circumstances of his arrival with Steinbrenner overruling Cashman. He also just missed their last World Series win, and was instead part of a period of Yankees history that is more remembered as the final years of the Core Four than for postseason success.
That being said, Soriano stepped up in a huge way when Rivera suffered his season-ending injury, and on the whole pitched admirably in his two years in pinstripes, making 111 appearances with a 2.94 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 44 saves, and 105 strikeouts across 107 innings. Between 2009 and 2014, Soriano was one of the most productive late-inning relievers in baseball, his 191 saves second only to Jonathan Papelbon. Filling the shoes of the greatest closer in baseball history is no small task, and for one season, Soriano made palatable the loss of the future unanimous Hall of Famer.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 06, 2002: Carlos Beltran #15 of the Kansas City Royals looks on prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park on June 6, 2002 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
We’re trying a new series at Royals Review, a daily mid-day question of the day to hear about your opinions on a fun or pressing question affecting the Royals or baseball in general. Chime in and drop your answers below!
Royals’ history is full of great trades, and a few that still make you throw up in your mouth. There are the ones where they traded a minor leaguer that became an All-Star, but then there are the ones where they traded away a star simply because they didn’t want to pay him. There are many candidates for worst trade:
Cecil Fielder to the Blue Jays for Leon Roberts
Atlee Hammaker, Craig Chamberlain, Renie Martin, and Brad Wellman to the Giants for Vida Blue and Bob Tufts
David Cone and Chris Jelic to the Mets for Rick Anderson, Mauro Gozzo, and Ed Hearn
Bret Saberhagen and Bill Pecota to the Mets for Gregg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds, and Keith Miller
David Cone (again!) to the Blue Jays for Chris Stynes and Tony Medrano
Kevin Appier to the A’s for Brad Rigby, Blake Stein, and Jeff D’Amico
Johnny Damon to the A’s in a three-team trade for Angel Berroa, Roberto Hernandez, and A.J. Hinch
Jermaine Dye to the A’s in a three-team trade for Neifi Perez
Carlos Beltrán to the Astros in a three-team trade for Mark Teahen, John Buck, and Mike Wood
Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo
Esteury Ruiz, Matt Strahm, and Travis Wood to the Padres for Ryan Buchter, Trevor Cahill and Brandon Maurer
But hey, the trade that haunts you the most doesn’t have to be a move that was that bad on paper. Maybe it was when they traded away your favorite player. Surely there is someone haunted by the Mike Aviles-for-Kendal Volz-and-Yamaico Navarro trade?
So let’s open the old wounds a little: what Royals trade still haunts you, and why?
July 12, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; GreenJacket pitcher Cam Caminiti (59) pitches during the 19th annual Military Appreciation game at SRP Park. The Augusta GreenJackets faced off against the Salem Red Sox. Salem won 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale - Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK | Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With our minor league crew going through all of the trouble of doing their annual preseason prospect rankings, this seems like the perfect time for y’all to ask questions about it. So this Friday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET, we’ll be having another one of our Live Q&A sessions where our very own Gaurav Vedak, Matt Powers, Brady Petree and Garrett Spain will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the minor league system. I’ll also be on hand for any questions you may have about the Braves in general but also if you want to hear from any of our other writers, don’t worry — we will have another Live Q&A session later on this month so stay tuned for that as well.
In case this may be your first time experiencing one of these, here’s how it goes: We’ll throw up the post on Friday afternoon so you can get in your questions very early on. Once 7:30 p.m. rolls around, our writers will start answering questions and we’ll go for as long as the questions keep coming in. Maybe that’ll be an hour, maybe that’ll be 12 hours (not really) but yeah, we’ll try to answer as many questions as we can within a reasonable amount of time. Here’s a link to our Minor League Live Q&A session from January 2025, in case you want an example of how this goes.
So yeah, if you have any questions, start thinking of them and then once we throw up the post on Friday afternoon, get them in so you’ll be assured of us answering your question. This is a very fun opportunity to have a cha with some of the brightest minds in Braves Country when it comes to the farm system around here and we look forward to seeing you there on Friday night!
DENVER, CO - JULY 20: A general view of the stadium as the Colorado Rockies face the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Coors Field on July 20, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Inspiration.
Last season, the Diamondbacks were the only NL West team with a losing record playing the Rockies at Coors Field. I’m confident the Diamondbacks can improve. How?
Runs at Coors When Playing the Rockies.
Focusing on the NL West, runs scored and runs allowed can explain why the Diamondbacks had a worse record when playing the Rockies at Coors. The Diamondbacks ranked lowest in runs scored per game, and they ranked highest in runs allowed per game. The following table provides details. Data from Baseball Reference.
Deciding on how to improve, let’s look at two questions:
Is batting or pitching more to blame?
What statistics provide insights that point towards how to improve?
Most of the Blame.
Batting at Coors. The following table shows two statistics. Although they batted better than the Rockies at Coors, the Diamondbacks batters were below the average of the other teams at Coors.
The following table has a broader focus; non-Rockies teams includes all teams in the Majors. Data from Baseball Savant.
Pitching at Coors. The following table shows two statistics. Although they pitched better than the Rockies at Coors, the Diamondbacks pitchers had better than average wOBA against, but average runs allowed per PA of the other teams at Coors. Data from Baseball Savant.
The Diamondback batting shouldered most of the blame for the poor win-loss record at Coors because the batting wOBA was much worse than non-Rockies teams (while pitching wOBA about the same).
Two reasons Diamondbacks’ batters need to make adjustments at Coors. One reason is last season’s poor batting at Coors. The other reason is that Rockies pitchers at Coors are expected to make adjustments to improve their results. “Every guy [pitcher] is one adjustment away from being one of the best in the game, and there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit [pitching at Coors Field] that can be changed.” — Michael Lorenzen, newly acquired Rockies pitcher
The Blue Jays Batters Had Success at Coors.
Of all the teams who played at Coors, the Blue Jays batters had the best wOBA and best runs scored per PA. How did they do it?
This article from The Athletic led me to think contributors to their success at Coors included their “…contact-dominant offense…” and in August had baseball’s “…lowest strikout rate….” To check that out, let’s look at Balls-In-Play (BIP) per Plate Appearance (PA) and strikeouts per PA.
Although the following table shows that for the whole season (and especially for the Rockies-Jay series on 4-6 August) the Blue Jays’ batters had a better Balls-In-Play (BIP) per PA and a lower strikeouts per PA than the Diamondbacks, my opinion is that does not tell the whole story. Also, I’m uncertain how batters could put more balls in play and strikeout less. One thought is for Diamondbacks batters to swing more often than they usually do.
Did the Diamondbacks swing more (or less) often at Coors? In 2025, the Diamopndbacks swung at more pitches at Coors (48.9% vs 46.9% of pitches) per Baseball Savant. That 2% increase seemed great until considering that the Blue Jay increased their swing percentage by 4.1% (increased from 48.6% to 52.7% of pitches). Asking Diamondbacks batters to further increase their swing percentage is not likely to be realistic.
Swing Characteristic. For the entire season, the Blue Jays qualified batters had a swing characteristic that was significantly different than the Diamondbacks. While it is a characteristic of Diamondbacks batters that they intercepted the baseball farther than the average distance in front of the plate (per this AZ Snake Pit article), most Blue Jay batters intercepted the ball nearer than average to the front of the plate. The following table shows the difference between the teams. Data from Baseball Savant.
Because of Coors’ high altitude, the pitches move less. Therefore, the Blue Jay batters did not suffer a reduced contact rate that would typically occur in venues at a lower altitude. My opinion is that this was an important part of why the Blue Jays batted better than the Diamondbacks at Coors. Unfortunately, asking Diamondbacks batters to make such a large change in their swings is not realistic.
Summary.
Last season, the Diamondbacks were the only NL West team with a losing record playing the Rockies at Coors Field. The Diamondbacks ranked lowest in runs scored per game, and they ranked highest in runs allowed per game.
Based on wOBA and runs scored per PA, the Diamondback batting shouldered most the blame for the poor win-loss record at Coors.
Although the Blue Jays’ batters had better Balls-In-Play (BIP) per PA and lower strikeouts per PA than the Diamondbacks, my opinion is that does not tell the whole story.
Although the Blue Jays’ batters increased their swing percentage at Coors more than the Diamondbacks, my opinion is that does not tell the whole story.
Much of the difference between the teams is that the Blue Jays’ batters intercepted the baseball nearer than average to the front of the plate, while the Diamondbacks batters intercepted the baseball farther than average to the front of the plate. Because of Coors’ high altitude, pitches move less. Therefore, when the Blue Jay batters hit closer to the plate, they did NOT suffer a reduced contact rate that would normally occur in venues at a lower altitude.
Answering the question of how could batters improve at Chase remained elusive. My opinion is that it’s not realistic to ask for Diamondbacks batters to make significant changes to their swings to address the factors that I’ve mentioned. On the other hand as an optimist, I’m open to the possibility of batting improvement at Coors.
PHILADELPHIA - MAY 22: Relief pitcher Jose Contreras #52 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during a game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on May 22, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Nationals won 5-2. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a successful career in Cuba, Jose Contreras finally came to the United States at age 31 in 2003. He was a decent mid-rotation starter for a few years and even made the All-Star Game in 2006 for the White Sox. But his performance steadily declined, and he spent most of 2009 in the minors.
The Phillies signed him before the 2010 season with the intention of using him in relief. He did well in his new role, serving as one of the team’s main setup men, and even filled in for closer Brad Lidge when he was injured. The Phillies re-signed him to a two-year deal after the season, but (and this isn’t terribly surprising since he was 39 at the time) he was often injured and ineffective after that.
— Philly Sports By Number (@philly_number) June 2, 2025
12. Ronny Cedeño, 2014
Ronny Cedeño carved out a decent career as a utility infielder, able to play every position on the infield, and even some outfield. Mostly due to an anemic bat, was never able to maintain a starting job – he only had two seasons with more than 500 plate appearances – but every season from 2005 to 2013, he would end up on some team’s bench.
Come 2014, the Phillies decided they would be that team, signing Cedeño to a one-year deal. Unable to promise him a spot on the major league roster, they released him towards the end of Spring Training. Cedeño found that no other team was going to offer him a major league deal, so he returned to the Phillies less than a week later and accepted a minor league assignment.
Cedeno was eventually called up for a six-game stint in June. Despite going 0-9 in that stint, the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted him enough that they sent an actual human being (the immortal Raywilly Gomez) to the Phillies in order to get him.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 08: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds blows a bubble during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 8, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It appears the Cincinnati Reds will not be carrying three catchers to begin the 2026 regular season. What they most certainly will be carrying, though, is one Eugenio Suárez.
The Reds made their signing of Geno official on Tuesday afternoon, designating catcher Ben Rortvedt for assignment in the process in order to make room on the 40-man roster.
The #Reds today signed IF Eugenio Suárez to a one-year Major League contract with a mutual option for 2027 and designated for assignment C Ben Rortvedt.
Geno will wear #28 this time around, and he’ll once again do so while incredibly happy to be plying his trade for the Reds. When speaking to the media shortly after his 1-year, $15 million deal was made official, he noted that Cincinnati was ‘where you want to be,’ as ESPN 1530’s Mike Petraglia relayed.
"It wasn't about years. It was about where you want to be." Geno Suarez
As for Rortvedt, the out-of-options catcher was DFA’d to make room on the roster before ever actually appearing in a game for the Reds. He was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers back in mid-November, initially having been a Dodger in the first place after being dealt there by the Tampa Bay Rays in the very same three-team trade that brough Zack Littell to the Reds at the July 31st trade deadline.
He was never really expected to crack the Opening Day roster, and being out of options meant the Reds couldn’t simply stash him in AAA to keep him around. I’m assuming their hope is that he clears waivers and remains in the organization as a non-roster guy, but if he happens to get claimed after being DFA’s I would certainly expect the Reds to bring in another non-roster catcher before spring camp gets underway in Goodyear in a little over a week and a half.
Aug 27, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Baseballs are pictured during a game between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
It’s that time of year again!
After a busy offseason of transactions that’s seen several top prospects shipped out for controllable talent, the Mariners farm system looks substantially different than it did at the end of last year. Despite plenty of graduations over the course of last season and a healthy amount of trades that sent prospect talent out the door, Seattle still finds themselves with one of the more promising crops of young talent across the league and remain amongst the upper tiers of farm systems league-wide. It’s perhaps not at the elite level it once was, but assuredly above average.
Our annual prospect rankings begin today with Part One of our honorable mentions: The Bats. (Part Two, The Arms, will drop on Thursday.) We’ll be sharing writeups on our top twenty players every Tuesday and Thursday, thoroughly analyzing our favorite prospects and sharing why we’re bullish on their futures. These rankings are a composite of our own personal rankings and aim to reflect the average view of our sitewide prospect team. If you disagree, please let us know (nicely) in the comments!
Brock Rodden – UTIL
2025 Statistic of Note – .342/.405/.526 in AZ Fall League
Rodden has been in the organization for a few years now, routinely finding his way inside of our top twenty rankings. Unfortunately, after an injury-marred season that saw him garner under 200 PA’s, we had him fall just outside of our list this season. When on the field, Rodden has done nothing but produce. The switch-hitting utility man has collected a minor league Gold Glove for his play at second base and has far more power than his 5’7 frame might have you think. He’s sneakily been one of the most consistent performers in this entire system, and despite his relatively advanced age compared to other prospects (he’ll be 26 in March), there’s plenty of reason to believe he can provide the team with a do-it-all utility infielder sometime soon. If the bat to ball skills come back down a little to his career norms, I’d expect Rodden to be a viable option to serve in a fill-in role, a la Leo Rivas or Dylan Moore.
A muscled-up free swinger with a boatload of power, Grant Jay is a super intriguing bat drafted in the 12th round of the 2025 MLB draft. With some legitimate buzz around his name entering the year, Jay went on to slash .309/.437/.655 as a junior for the Dallas Baptist Patriots and was one of the key cogs in the middle of a super talented lineup. Snagging 14 bags as a catcher provided further intrigue to the strong-armed catcher as well, seemingly giving him a ton of tools for teams to dream on at a premium position. What’s not to like?
For starters, Grant Jay’s hit tool is quite poor. Striking out 25.6% of the time in college isn’t necessarily a death sentence, but that’s a pretty significant sign of serious bat-to-ball issues. Additionally, Jay’s defensive future is a little unclear at the moment. Playing primarily as a catcher throughout his college career, most evaluators seem to have him moving off the position moving forward, likely into a corner outfield spot. He’s tremendously strong and a good athlete, but it’s not always super fluid out there and there’s concern he’s a tweener defensively. If he can’t provide passable defense behind the plate, a high-whiff corner outfielder is a far less desirable player and is likely the reason why he ended up slipping to the 12th round. Regardless of his draft position, Jay is absolutely one to watch. He’s far more talented than a lot of players that were taken ahead of him.
Grant Knipp – C/RHP
2025 Statistic of Note – DNP
One of, if not the most unique player in this entire system, Grant Knipp was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 draft out of Campbell as a two-way player. Though unproven on the mound, he’s been clocked up to 98 from the right side and showed off promising raw shapes with his slider and cutter alike. Perhaps even more interestingly, Knipp was leading the country in homers before he went down with an oblique injury midway through the season and has truly tremendous raw power at the dish. His .402/.547/1.029 slash through his first 29 games (that’s a 1.576 OPS!) is an obviously astronomical accomplishment that shows just how promising a player Knipp is, though it doesn’t come without some clear concerns to his game. Swing-and-miss is going to be a major part of his game as a professional, and having only logged 5.2 IP in his life, to say he’s a little raw on the mound is an understatement. We’re yet to see Knipp take the field as a professional just yet, but with the level of athleticism he possesses, his debut is sure to be an exciting one.
Aiden Taurek – OF
2025 Statistic of Note – .336 AVG | 16/12 K/BB
Aiden Taurek probably isn’t a player most are familiar with, but the young outfielder showed a surprising amount of promise in the early days of his professional career that has him on prospect radars for 2026. Coming out of Saint Mary’s in California from last summer’s 2025 draft, the 13th rounder did nothing but spray the ball all over the Modesto ballpark and looked like an extremely professional hitter from the right side of the plate. There hasn’t been much power in his game thus far and it’s a corner outfield profile, but the contact ability has been phenomenal, the plate discipline is certainly present, and he’s been successfully aggressive on the basepaths. It’s probably not going to be an insanely dynamic prospect that headlines prospect lists, but Taurek looks like he’s got a shot to be a productive piece of this system. He’s got to get to more power in-game, but after his strong debut, he’s undoubtedly turned himself into a piece you’ll want to keep an eye on.
What an at-bat by Aiden Taurek. Singles on the 12th pitch of the AB & it turns into a Little League HR. pic.twitter.com/K5e0SWupdg
2025 Statistic of Note – 151 wRC+ in 300 PAs at AA; 0.88 BB/K
After a long, slow climb through the minors, the fun-sized Cuban has finally landed in Tacoma. Labrada has been a bit of a slow mover since debuting in 2021, needing to repeat levels at times, especially early in his career, but he figured out Double-A this year and is on his way to solving Triple-A. One of the better stolen base threats in the minors, he swiped 44 bags last year and could be an option if the team needs a speedster later in the season, provided he can continue his Oops! all OBP approach in the box.
Leandro Romero – SS
2025 Statistic of Note – 9 HR across 180 PA in DSL
Joining the Mariners as a raw, unpolished 17 year old in the 2024 IFA class, Romero struggled adjusting to the uptick in opposing talent and had a disappointing season. Returning to the DSL for a second round, Romero flipped the script entirely and dominated the competition all season, ultimately changing his prospect outlook entirely. The athletic shortstop displayed good power and improved plate discipline in his retread of the DSL, pairing it with above average marks for his defense on the dirt. It’s a power-over-hit profile, but with extremely advanced exit velocities for his age and exciting tools everywhere else, the hit tool might not need to be all that good for this kid to be an impact player. Romero is a super talented player that should be on everyone’s radar for the 2026 season.
Check back in on Thursday for part two of our honorable mentions!
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies warms up prior to throwing a bullpen at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 13, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Spring training will officially kick off for the Colorado Rockies on February 12 when pitchers and catchers report and it won’t be long before Cactus League action begins with games taking place on February 20.
As usual, a batch of games will be available for consumption thanks to the Rockies Radio Network and the return of Rockies.TV for another year. Courtesy of a recent newsletter from MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, we know the basic schedule of the anticipated broadcasts for the Rockies crew.
850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network (All times Denver time) • Feb. 20 vs. Diamondbacks (1 p.m. pregame/1:10 p.m. first pitch) • Feb. 22 at Rangers (12:55/1:05) • Feb. 24 vs. Angels (1/1:10) • Feb. 28 vs. Royals (1/1:10) • March 1 at Guardians (12:55/1:05) • March 2 vs. Dodgers (1/1:10) • March 4 vs. Team USA (1/1:10) • March 8 vs. Guardians (2/2:10) • March 9 at White Sox (1:55/2:05) • March 13 vs. Rangers (2/2:10) • March 15 at Angels (2/2:10) • March 17 vs. Mariners (2/2:10) • March 23 vs. Tigers (7/7:10) Rockies.TV • Feb. 20 vs. Diamondbacks • Feb. 24 vs. Angels • Feb. 28 vs. Royals • March 2 vs. Dodgers • March 4 vs. Team USA • March 8 vs. Guardians • March 13 vs. Rangers • March 17 vs. Mariners • March 23 vs. Tigers (Games on March 4 and March 23 will feature Rockies TV broadcasters. All others are simulcasts with the KOA Rockies Radio Network)
It’s worth noting that the schedule above lists only the Rockies-centric broadcasts that will be available. It is worthwhile to check MLB.TV and the Gameday Audio feeds for broadcasts that are available from the opposing teams on a day the Rockies don’t have a dedicated broadcast. All MLB.TV streams have typically been free to watch or listen to during spring training if you have an MLB.com account, no purchase necessary.
One of the more notable games will be the match-up against Team USA on March 4 as they get a tune-up for the World Baseball Classic. Additionally, the Spring Breakout game featuring top prospects from the Rockies and the Diamondbacks will take place on March 21. Broadcast info has not been ironed out for that game yet.
The broadcasting crews have not officially been announced, but it is expected that Drew Goodman will continue his role as the primary play-by-play for the TV crew, while Jack Corrigan returns as the primary radio voice for KOA. It’s not yet known at the time of writing who will join Corrigan on the radio side, if at all, after long-time co-announcer Jerry Schemmel was laid off this offseason by iHeartRadio.
Rockies baseball is right around the corner. Who are you most excited to follow through the broadcasts this year? Carry on the discussion below!
Jul 16, 2019; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (32) pets his dog during Bark At The Park event prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Another season of Milwaukee Brewers baseball is nearly upon us, and with it, the team has announced their list of theme nights, community nights, and an on-sale date for single-game tickets.
For those of you looking for single-game tickets, all games will go on sale on Thursday, February 12 at 10 a.m. CT. That includes tickets for opening day and the team’s community nights.
Milwaukee’s theme nights for 2026 are as follows. Please note that in order to get the giveaway, you must purchase a special ticket from this page. Theme night tickets are already available for purchase.
Friday, April 24 — Star Wars™ Night with postgame laser show (Grogu™ bobble giveaway), presented by ESPN Milwaukee
Tuesday, May 12 — Bark at the Park (rope chew toy giveaway), presented by Tavo Pets
Friday, May 22 — Boy Band Night with postgame fireworks show (BrewCrew Boyz t-shirt giveaway), presented by Wintrust
Sunday, July 19 — Paw Patrol™ Day (lunch box giveaway)
Wednesday, August 5 — NARUTO™ Night with postgame laser show (NARUTO™ Brewers jersey giveaway)
Wednesday, August 19 — Hello Kitty® Night (Brewers Hello Kitty® bobble giveaway)
Friday, September 25 — Peanuts® Night (Brewers Lucy bobble giveaway)
