Category: MLB

Joe Ariola was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, and though he didn’t make his professional debut until 2026, he rocketed up the Diamondbacks’ system.

Ariola was originally assigned to Low-A Visalia, pitching two scoreless innings in his first game with three strikeouts, but an elbow injury took him out until early July.

“I had a couple loose bodies – some bone spurs broke off in the back of my elbow,” he said. “It wasn’t really all that fun. But kind of unfortunate. Really, no speedy recovery for that. You’ve kind of just got to sit and wait till they reattach or you take them out. So we chose to sit and wait. Ultimately, it took a little bit out of the season, but I was able to make up for it in the back half. [I] got a lot of innings plus the Fall League now, so coming up on a full year. So I didn’t get to miss out on much, just missed the first half.”

Ariola returned to action on July 4 in a rehab assignment with the ACL Diamondbacks. In three appearances (two starts), Ariola pitched 3.1 total innings and allowed two hits and one earned run with seven strikeouts and one walk. He then made his way back to Visalia, where he stayed for just five games before being promoted to High-A Hillsboro. In 10 appearances for the Hops, Ariola allowed eight runs (five earned) across 16.1 innings. He allowed seven walks, but struck out 30.

That was enough to earn him a late-season cameo with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, where he made his final two appearances. That proved to be the highlight of his year (and enough for him to win AZ SnakePit’s Minor League Reliever of the Year).

“It’s got to be winning the Texas League Championship,” he said. “I mean, joining those boys at the end of the year and doing that run with them – just seeing their camaraderie and being able to join them, it was awesome. We had a great run. I mean, I don’t think any of our expectations on the team were what it was like for their season, and then rolling into the playoffs. I think we were just happy playing still and continuing ball, but it was an awesome ride (for) those two weeks for the playoffs.”

In his two appearances, Ariola allowed just two hits across three innings with four strikeouts. In total, Ariola pitched 34.2 innings across 21 appearances and posted a 1.56 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.

2026 offered him a lot of lessons, too. The biggest one was, “Keep it simple.”

“I feel like oftentimes we’ll make things more complicated and think a little bit too much out there on the mound or hitting or whatever it may be,” he continued. “I feel like we’ve played this game for 20-plus years —or since we were born, basically, most of us now at this point. I mean, we know how to play. Keep it simple. Let your talent do it. Understand what you do well, and just do what you do well. (You’ve) been doing it your whole life.”

Heading into the Arizona Fall League, Ariola had one main goal in mind: Limit the running game.

“I talked with our coach, [Javier] Colina, in Double-A, and that was basically an area of improvement for myself,” he said, “being able to manage guys when they do get on, don’t give up free 90’s (feet) and stuff, don’t let them get into scoring position super easily. I’ve been trying to work on it (and) mix it in when I can.”

But Ariola, like the other prospects, is also taking advantage of the different perspectives afforded to him in the Salt River Rafters bullpen.

“It’s awesome, honestly,” he said. “We talk it up all the time in the bullpen with the guys, and you get to pick some brains on what different orgs are like – how some of the big orgs do it, how some of the small orgs do it. Some guys have been traded into stuff, how that looks, and it’s a lot of perspectives and a lot of different journeys all mixed together in the bullpen.

Even on the team in general, like coming down here with the hitters,” he continued, “so I feel like that’s some of the biggest stuff you can get from one another. And then, along with the coaches, everybody’s got a different philosophy from the different orgs. So (you) pick a little bit from each guy, and you see what works for you.”

One of the best things, though, has been reuniting with his former college teammate — Rockies LHP Sean Sullivan.

“It was awesome, honestly. I was looking forward to it when I saw that our teams were kind of mashed up,” Ariola said. “I didn’t know he was going to be on it, but I was like, ‘Alright, cool. I’m going to be in the Fall League playing.’ And then I saw his name on the list, and I was like, ‘Damn, I haven’t seen him in three years. This is going to be awesome.’ We had a good run in college together. I was good friends with him in college, and I love him. So it was awesome to come back here and be able to be on the same team again.”

Ariola is known for his curveball, which breaks in a traditional 12-6 fashion and hovers around 78-81 mph. But what makes it so good?

“Maybe because I throw a really high slot, and maybe it looks like another pitch,” he said. “I can’t really tell you. When I learned how to throw it, it was when I was a kid. I haven’t changed it since. I mean, it’s always been my pitch that I was really good at. I don’t try to tinker with it all that much. I just try to believe in it every time I throw it.”

But it plays really well against his fastball, which hovers around 93-95 mph. And that fastball is the pitch that Ariola identified as his favorite in his arsenal.

“[I’m] really consistent with that one,” he said with a slight smirk. “I feel like I could throw that at any point right now.

“But the curveball is definitely the go-to out pitch,” he continued. “If I’ve got to get a guy to swing and miss, it’s going there. But I like the heater.”

Heading into the offseason, Ariola is looking forward to “understanding exactly what I need to work on, and then taking it into the offseason, figuring those things out and then coming back in the spring and seeing how much I’ve adjusted, gotten better, and improved. I think that’s some of the stuff I’m really looking forward to this offseason. Just tinkering a little bit on small things. What can I get better at?”

And what does he want fans know about him? Like teammate Demetrio Crisantes, Ariola is “pretty easygoing and laid back.

“If you want to come up and talk, I’m down to talk,” he said. “I’m a friendly person. I don’t mind if you come and introduce yourself to me. Go for it — I’m down to meet new people.”

Three years ago, Jasson Domínguez was one of the most promising position player prospects in baseball. The 2023 campaign saw the man known as “the Martian” demolish Double-A, Triple-A, and MLB pitching, the last two in small samples following a pair of quick promotions as the Yankees’ depth depleted due to injury. Since then, however, he has been unable to truly establish himself in The Show both offensively and defensively.

In 2026, Domínguez took another step back. In 222 plate appearances, the 23-year-old outfielder slashed .225/.267/.368 with six homers, eight stolen bases, and a 76 wRC+. He wasn’t exactly a menace the year prior and his glove was rough, but the switch-hitter had at least produced against righties enough to be a league-average bat (99 wRC+). Domínguez was worth -0.2 fWAR in 2026 and now has 0.5 in 206 career MLB games.

Injuries were a factor, particularly that low-grade AC joint sprain he suffered back in May that sent him to the list, but the reality is that even after getting healthy, Domínguez didn’t impress nearly enough to give the Yankees a reason to stick with him as their overall offense sagged. Eventually, the Bombers acquired Heliot Ramos and promoted Spencer Jones, making Domínguez expendable on the active roster. He went to the minors and appeared in just four MLB games post-Trade Deadline.

This all leads to the question: should the Yankees keep Domínguez around for 2027? Has he done enough to keep getting chances? It all comes down to New York’s winter activity and his one minor-league option. That’s probably enough to keep him around as organizational depth, with at least a modicum of breakout appeal, but there are several avenues the team can opt to take with the former top prospect.

The Yankees will enter the 2027 campaign with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Jones, and Ramos in the outfield, plus Domínguez and José Caballero, who can also play there if needed (Giancarlo Stanton is purely a DH if he returns). A new outfielder via free agency or trade can’t be ruled out, either. That’s a lot of people for just a handful of spots, and for the sake of his development, the Martian should be playing every day.

If Domínguez isn’t traded in the offseason, he will likely start the year in Triple-A unless he wins a spot in spring training (or “summer” training, whenever it takes place due to the looming lockout). It’s probably a less likely scenario at this point, but it’s certainly plausible, especially if any injuries pop up ahead of him.

Trading Domínguez when his value is this low might not be ideal—they’re not going to trade him just to trade him—but again, it will all depend on the proposed return and if he’s fitting in as the lead piece in a deal or part of a larger package. Gauging his current value against what he could offer down the road is tricky because just as he has bounce-back potential, he could also crash out even more and become older and worse.

Probably thanks to that remaining minor-league option, Domínguez will remain with the Yankees if they don’t find a trade scenario that feels appropriate. However, his time with the organization is reaching a turning point as he enters a key offseason in his development. He’s currently playing Dominican winter ball in LIDOM, but things might get messy if/when the Yanks can’t communicate with him to track his training and offseason routine because of the lockout.

Lockout or not, Domínguez needs to take a step forward in the plate discipline department after posting an awful 4.5-percent walk rate in 2026. That’s where it all should start. A quick look at his Savant page, however, tells us that the raw tools are there for Domínguez to be better than he has been to this point:

Upper-echelon bat speed, but subpar contact metrics. Elite arm strength, but subpar defense and range. He has excellent speed, too, so athleticism doesn’t seem to be the problem.

Domínguez needs to hit the ball with more authority, but above all things, he needs to gain consistency with both swings. This year, he posted a 58 wRC+ hitting from the left side of the plate and 105 from the right side, which is baffling because the split was reversed in each of his previous three MLB campaigns.

There’s a very good chance that Domínguez is part of the Yankees organization as teams enter play in 2027. But if so, there’s no longer any margin for error. His spot in the team’s future plans is unquestionably in jeopardy.

We begin this series with a man who was a Chicago-area native (Marengo) and pitched for the Cubs more than a century ago.

Carl Lundgren, a right-hander, pitched for the Cubs for only eight seasons, 1902-09, but as you surely know, that period included some of the most significant years in franchise history, including two World Series titles in 1907 and 1908.

Lundgren, in fact, was a key pitcher for the 1907 World Series champions, posting a microscopic 1.17 ERA in 28 games (25 starts) covering 207 innings. While he walked a lot of hitters — 92 — he didn’t give up many hits, only 130, giving him a 1.072 WHIP. His 5.7 hits allowed per nine innings led MLB, and though hardly anyone hit home runs in general back then, Lundgren led all MLB pitchers by allowing none at all.

Even with all that, per his SABR biography, Lundgren wasn’t used at all during the World Series, manager Frank Chance trusting Mordecai Brown, Ed Reulbach, Jack Pfiester and Orval Overall. Each of those pitchers won a game as the Cubs won the Series.

Lundgren “mysteriously lost his stuff,” per the bio, and his performance declined in 1908. It’s entirely possible he had some sort of injury that couldn’t be diagnosed 120 years ago. He “retired” from baseball after 1909, but pitched three more years in the minors before becoming a long-time baseball coach at two Big Ten schools, Michigan (1913-20) and Illinois (1921-34). He’d certainly have continued, as he won five Big Ten titles over those 14 years, but he had a fatal heart attack Aug. 21, 1934, aged just 54.

Per the SABR bio, Lundgren is still remembered in Champaign:

On the Champaign side of the University of Illinois campus sits a student residence named Lundgren Hall in his honor. 

Lundgren is credited with 13.3 bWAR for his eight years with the Cubs, No. 100 on the list.

Two members of the pennant winning 2026 Rays are finalists for the Silver Slugger, one no surprise and one quite a big one!

Junior Caminero

One of two finalists at third base for the American League, this should be an easy win for the MVP Finalist after his second consecutive 40+ HR season at just age-22. He had 100 runs scored, 101 RBI, a 148 wRC+, and was the 2026 leader in bat speed (79.4 MPH). The other candidate, Miguel Vargas of the White Sox, had 33 homers and a 134 wRC+ which is respectable and worthy of recognition, but Caminero should take this honor handily.

Chandler Simpson

Making a bid to be just the third silver slugger in history with zero homeruns (Ozzie Smith – ‘87, Pete Rose – ‘81), the speedy Simpson is on a short list of some incredible hitters, some of them former Rays players:

Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox
Randy Arozarena, Mariners
Cody Bellinger, Yankees
Jac Caglianone, Royals
Chase DeLauter, Guardians
Riley Greene, Tigers
Tristan Peters, White Sox
Chandler Simpson, Rays
Mike Trout, Angels

According to the announcement, Abreu, Arozarena, Caglianone, DeLauter, Peters and Simpson would all be first-time winners, while Trout is bidding to be the third ever ten-time SS winner (Bonds – 12, Piazza – 10).

By wRC+ the league leaders among qualified hitters are Arozarena (151 wRC+), Greene (136), the not nominated Dom Canzone (134), DeLauter (131), and Caglianone (129).

Using the same perspective Trout is sixth (129) and Simpson is 20th (93), emphasizing the hilarity of the nomination, but Simpson is notably the league leader in AVG (.306) with Caglianone second (.289).

Simpson is also the league leader in stolen bases among outfielders (46) with the second highest being Arozarena (26).

Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking theRockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for theRockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.

No. 27, Eiberson Castellano (0.1 rWAR)

Eiberson Castellano had a memorable 2026 within the Colorado Rockies system. His 2027, however, will come with another team.

The Venezuelan right-handed pitcher signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 as an international free agent. After skipping the 2019 season and with no minor league season in 2020, he began playing in the Venezuelan Winter League and Dominican Summer League in 2021 before getting some Single-A playing time within the Phillies organization in 2022. He mainly worked within the Philadelphia system for the next few years (with the exception of an offseason stint with the Minnesota Twins after being selected in the Rule 5 draft).

He eventually made his way to the Rockies in December 2025. Castellano’s Rockies career lasted just the 2026 season, but he rapidly progressed through the system. In his time in Double-A, he went 4-2 through 10 starts with a 2.72 ERA.

Castellano had a stellar June. Early in the month, he was promoted from the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats to the Albuquerque Isotopes, where he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing one hit with seven strikeouts in his Triple-A debut. For that, he was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week.

President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta spoke highly of him following that stretch: “(He) made his first start last night in Triple-A. He had done really, really well in Double-A, had a terrific start last night, went six shutout in his first Triple-A game.”

The good times kept rolling. About a week later, the Rockies selected his contract, paving the way for his major league debut. He took the mound in the seventh inning of the wild 23-9 win over the Athletics, hosted at Las Vegas Ballpark. He closed out the game with three innings of work, allowing four hits and no runs with two strikeouts. He was optioned back to Albuquerque the next day.

Although the sample size is limited to just 35 pitches in his lone MLB outing, Castellano brought an arsenal of a curveball with good movement, a four-seamer averaging over 95 MPH, and a sinker, with a couple changeups mixed in.

In his time with the ‘Topes, Castellano served mostly in a bulk reliever role, appearing in 15 total games with just three starts. There, he posted a 4-5 record, a 6.49 ERA, and 57 strikeouts over 59.2 innings.

Just days ago, Castellano cleared waivers and became a free agent after being outrighted by the Rockies.

Castellano showed promise in both his minor league career (primarily in a solid 2026) and his MLB debut, and his promotion path was encouraging. However, as the Rockies retool their pitching depth, the two parties will go their separate ways.

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Let's open up the mailbag to discuss some of the Mets' top prospects and SNY's latest top 30 list...

If you could choose the most underrated prospect in the system, who would that be? - @BrianC___

I’ll go with left-hander Daviel Hurtado, who ranked No. 19 in my offseason top 30. He was a mid-level international signing out of Cuba in 2023 for $500,000. The 21-year-old split his season between 21 games (18 starts) for Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, posting a combined 2.93 ERA with 89 strikeouts against 27 walks in 86 innings.

He is a pitchable left-hander who has some velocity. He will touch 96 mph with two above-average breaking balls in his slider and curveball. Hurtado's changeup is his fourth offering and could use some work.

Hurtado is still a distance away from major league consideration, and he has things to improve on, but this was a seldom talked about prospect at the beginning of 2026 -- and he looks the part of a potential back-end starter who could climb the top 30 list in future iterations.

Who is the most likely prospect to break out in 2027? - @MrChicken234556

Well, thank you for the question, Mr. Chicken. I like answering both an underrated prospect as well as a potential breakout.

I will stay in the same range on the top 30 list, and I will pick the No. 17-ranked prospect, right-hander Luke Gabrysh, as an arm to break out. He was acquired by the Mets from the Phillies in the Brooks Raley trade at the deadline.

If you were just scouting the stat line, Gabrysh wouldn’t jump off the page, though he did miss a lot of bats (121 strikeouts in 93.1 innings). But he grades out excellently in Stuff+ models and is the type of arm that this Mets pitching development staff has maximized over the past handful of years.

His fastball sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 with a plus slider, and he throws a sweeper and a changeup. Gabrysh could stand to refine his command and secondary offerings, but with some tweaks, he could be a future big league starter, though it would be disingenuous to not acknowledge there is a risk he can wind up in the bullpen if the command and secondaries don’t take that next step. 

Gabrysh should start the 2027 season with Double-A Binghamton.

Can you explain your reasoning for putting Sammy Stafura over Elian Peña? - @gabrielleraucci

I have been open that I am likely the "high" person in the community on Stafura, whom the Mets acquired from the Pirates for Luke Weaver, and I am OK with that.

This is not at all a ding on Peña, who is an excellent prospect that I ranked No. 5 in the Mets system in the offseason top 30. He is someone both the Mets and I are very excited about heading into his second full professional season in 2027. But there have to be differentiating factors that play into a ranking.

I look at Stafura as having the loudest tools of anyone in the Mets' system (with an honorary mention to No. 6 ranked prospect Wandy Asigen). He has above-average, bordering on plus raw power that finally made it into game action in 2026, notably hitting 14 home runs in the month of July. The power is backed up by exit velocity (an average of 91 mph exit velocity would put him right around the top 40 in the major leagues), and bat speed figures that would put him inside the top 44 hitters in the majors.

From an athletic and defensive standpoint, he is both a plus runner and defender. His sprint speed numbers match up with Elly De La Cruz and he is a potential 30-plus stolen base threat at the next level. 

Defensively, his range and instincts are plus, and I could not find an evaluator who thinks he could not handle shortstop at the major league level, though he does have experience at second base, and he is athletic enough to handle playing the outfield if needed.

Stafura does not come without flaws, and there are things he needs to do to take these raw tools to the next level. Stafura has a power-over-contact approach with plenty of swing-and-miss, though he will take his walks.

In the small sample of 21 games with High-A Brooklyn, Stafura walked 11.2 percent of the time and managed to trim his strikeout rate to 24.5 percent from 28.6 percent with the Pirates' High-A affiliate. However, he did hit for less power in that small sample with the Mets organization. His strikeout rate has generally hovered closer to that 30 percent number throughout his minor league career. If the Mets can get Stafura’s strikeout rate to reside more consistently in the 24-26 percent range and not sacrifice his approach, that would be a strong outcome.

On the defensive side, while there is little question about range or instincts, Stafura's throwing arm grades around average. Good enough to play shortstop, but not exactly a howitzer.

I don’t think Peña has the same power and athletic profile that Stafura does. He is more of a contact-over-power approach with an advanced plan at the plate. His athletic profile looks more like that of a third baseman. Both are strong prospects, but with differing profiles, I leaned toward the tools and higher upside that I believe Stafura possesses.

The Mariners have landed on their latest good idea.

The Mariners introduced Jason Kanzler as their next manager on Tuesday. He’s 36 and has never been manager before. Jerry Dipoto said he was far and away the most impressive candidate they interviewed, noting his clear communication style as a standout trait.

“Experience is good,” Dipoto said. “In this case, we didn’t think it was good enough to dissuade us from all the traits that Jason brings to the table.

I am… skeptical. I don’t trust Kanzler. I could list some reasons, from that lack of experience, to a projected image that looks and sounds enough like Mariners Brass to make me question if this is really an external candidate. But boil down my initial reactions and anything I might say proves shallow — judging a person I’ve never met, against a job I’ve never witnessed in action. 

No, I don’t trust Kanzler simply because I don’t trust the Mariners front office to make this decision. The team has fired two managers in two years, and plenty of assistant coaches. I don’t think they know what they want, or how to identify it. I don’t think their strategy of passive, middling success is attractive to the very best candidates, nor the fact that this is a potential one-year, do-or-die gig. I see no reason to confer the benefit of the doubt. It’s not you, Jason, it’s the Mariners.

Of course, I also question whether any of this matters. Dan Wilson was hired without competition, with no experience, with worse media chops, with a lesser image, and following an unpopular firing of a more popular predecessor. Nevertheless, Wilson ended his first season as the most successful manager in Seattle in two decades. The job is either not that hard, or not that important, or not something we’re good at judging from our sofas. I see no reason why Kanzler can’t be just as successful just as quick, even if the org’s biennial enlightenment has worn thin.

Kanzler’s success will ultimately come down to the quality of the players he leads. The roster at the moment is fine. They’re projected for the sort of 86-win season we’ve become accustomed to in this era. I don’t suspect that will change by spring. It’s the bare minimum talent threshold, meaning their aspirations are not so much in Kanzler’s hands, but their opponents.

Still, there does appear to be a small twist on this latest “going for good” squad. The actual WAR produced last year by the active roster would make them one of the five worst teams in the majors next year. Some of that is the down years from Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, and Josh Nalyor. Some of that is the departure of Randy Arozarena. But a lot of that is because the Mariners figure to give significant playing time to at least four rookie-ish players: Colt Emerson, Kade Anderson, Michael Arroyo, and Lazaro Montes. Each of these players are projected for solid contributions next year, but none have any sort of track record to lean on. If they collectively flop, the path to the postseason is narrow, perhaps nonexistent.

In other words, the front office is staking their “do-or-die” season on the immediate success of the next development wave. And, well, it just so happens their new manager is the former Director of Player Development for the Cubs. If there’s one thing Kanzler is uniquely qualified for, it’s working with young players to help them “be the best they can be” (or however he’d put it in player-dev parlance). Setting lineups and changing pitchers and talking to the press are the most visible and controversial parts of the job, but I suspect the things that matter are the soft skills we cannot see, and where Kanzler supposedly excels.

Justin Hollander alluded to this at Wednesday’s press conference. Remember, one of the criticisms that came about at the end of 2026 was that young players called up to the majors were no longer receiving the same instruction or set of expectations that they’d had for years throughout the Mariners system.

“When you go through a process like this, you learn a lot about other people. You also learn a lot about yourself and what you believe in as an organization,” Hollander said. “We need to be better about connecting what we believe in organizationally to what we do in the big leagues. I think that’s something that was identified by Jerry, myself, our baseball operations staff, and most importantly, our players. As we went to the end of the season, we also need to push ourselves to try new things that maybe hadn’t been on our radar.

“Finding someone with Jason’s skill set that can develop while we’re in the big leagues that can connect an organization from top to bottom was a huge part of this,” Hollander said. “And he was by far the most impressive candidate when we talked to people about where development starts and stops, and really believe that he’s going to help drive our staff, which will help drive our players to reach the absolute apex of their potential.”

And so I find myself trapped between thinking this makes a lot of sense, and finding it a bit frustrating that we’re still doing this. I’m tired of watching the org hire and fire their next great philosophy, while never truly committing to that philosophy with their WAR chest. There’s only so much a manager can do to stave off disaster when the baseline talent is bare minimum. I am more impressed with Kanzler than I thought I would be, but my expectations are that of anybody who agrees to flip the Mariners coin.

I’ll leave you with this. Just as the Mariners exist at the edge of a cliff, they remain at the bottom of the mountain they’ve tentatively circled for years. If this is it, if Kanzler is the guy to finally connect the great work they do in the minors to their middling performance in the majors, then the org absolutely could still ascend to the “apex of their potential,” or whatever. Every year I write essentially the same season preview, and essentially the same season recap, that the org is positioned for greatness, if only they’d reach for it. Maybe this is finally the year we say, Yes We Kanzler.

With free agency approaching and arbitration decisions looming, five AL Central teams face different challenges as they pursue a 2027 division title. The Chicago White Sox discovered in 2026 that hitting home runs can get a team into October. The Cleveland Guardians demonstrated that preventing runs can be enough to win a division. Neither approach, however, guarantees postseason success.

As the teams enter the offseason, all five face decisions that could reshape the division in 2027. From the White Sox trying to build on an unexpected playoff appearance to the Kansas City Royals searching for answers after a 93-loss season, their priorities differ sharply. The financial considerations are equally important. Pending free agents could create opportunities to improve rosters, but arbitration-eligible players will force front offices to decide whether increasing salaries match production.

Chicago White Sox
2026 record: 84-78 | Second place, AL Central

The White Sox have spent several seasons trying to assemble a competitive roster. After an 84-78 campaign and a postseason appearance, general manager Chris Getz enters the winter with a different responsibility: Keeping Chicago competitive while addressing the weaknesses that prevented a deeper October run. The White Sox have enough young offensive talent to compete. What they lack is consistency when the long ball disappears, particularly in situations requiring contact rather than another home run.

Free Agents
Sean Newcomb
Erick Fedde
Trevor Richards
Randal Grichuk
Tommy Pham
Jake Rogers

Newcomb should be Chicago’s highest priority among its departing pitchers, although his performance could attract competing offers. Fedde and Richards offer potential rotation and bullpen depth, but the White Sox must determine whether their expected salaries justify bringing them back.

Arbitration-Eligible Players
Miguel Vargas
Brenton Doyle
Joey Bart
Huascar Brazobán
Jordan Leasure
Chris Murphy

Vargas is particularly important because of his potential role alongside Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Sam Antonacci. Doyle’s defensive value and offensive potential also make him a player worth retaining, particularly for a team trying to establish a sustainable competitive window. Chicago should prioritize keeping its controllable core together while evaluating whether its arbitration-eligible relievers provide better value than available free agents.

Best Free Agent Fits
Luis Arráez, INF Chicago needs more hitters who can consistently put the ball in play. Arráez would provide a contact-oriented approach that contrasts with the team’s power-heavy lineup, although finding an appropriate defensive position would be important. While this potential move was questioned previously, there’s no doubt a player of his abilities could have a big impact in this lineup. Where? That’s the bigger question.

Freddy Peralta, RHP An established starter with strikeout ability could help Chicago compete against the American League’s stronger pitching staffs. Peralta would represent a significant investment but could provide immediate rotation stability.

Sean Newcomb, LHP Retaining a proven left-handed reliever would prevent Chicago from creating another bullpen vacancy while pursuing other upgrades.

Predictions
Chicago makes a competitive offer to Newcomb. It’s a no-brainer that Vargas will be back; the bigger question is if the two sides can work out a long-term deal. Getz prioritizes a veteran starter and an established contact hitter rather than pursuing another expensive slugger. Peralta would be an ambitious acquisition, but the White Sox could emerge as legitimate participants in the upper tier of the pitching market if Jerry Reinsdorf decides to open the purse strings. 

Quotable 
“We’ve got payroll flexibility, it’s a young growing team.” — Chris Getz, discussing the free-agent starting pitching market.

Detroit Tigers
2026 record: 76-86 | Fourth place, AL Central

Detroit finished with the division’s best pitching staff — and one of its most disappointing records. The Tigers posted a 3.67 ERA but won only 76 games, demonstrating how inconsistent offensive production can undermine otherwise competitive pitching. The departures of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize also altered the organization’s long-term outlook, creating additional pressure to balance offensive improvements with rotation stability.

Free Agents
Gleyber Torres 
Jack Flaherty
Justin Verlander
Tyler Kinley
Burch Smith
Jacob Waguespack

The departures create financial flexibility, but Detroit must decide how much of that money should be reinvested in pitching rather than offensive upgrades. A Torres reunion is possible, although a lengthy commitment might prevent the Tigers from addressing multiple needs.

Arbitration-Eligible Players
Riley Greene
Spencer Torkelson 
Zach McKinstry
Matt Vierling
Will Vest

Greene should remain a central part of Detroit’s future, making a potential extension worth exploring. Torkelson’s situation requires a more detailed examination of his offensive consistency, particularly whether his power production justifies an increasing salary.

Best Fits
Brandon Lowe, 2B Lowe’s power could address Detroit’s need for additional middle-of-the-order production. His 35 home runs in 2026 demonstrate the potential impact he could provide.

Seiya Suzuki, OF/DH Suzuki would give Detroit another established offensive contributor capable of reaching base and producing extra-base hits.

Gleyber Torres, 2B A reunion could make sense if the contract is shorter and more financially manageable than his previous deal.

Predictions
Detroit explores retaining Torres but ultimately directs much of its available payroll toward a combination of offensive production and rotation depth. Lowe could emerge as a particularly attractive option if the Tigers decide they need more power without making a long-term commitment to a significantly more expensive player. Detroit also adds at least one veteran starting pitcher.

Quotable
“We don’t get there by just signing free agent bats every single offseason.” — Scott Harris discussing Detroit’s offensive development and approach to free agency.

Kansas City Royals
2026 record: 69-93 | Fifth place, AL Central

Kansas City’s biggest problem in 2026 was not difficult to identify. The Royals allowed 810 runs and finished with a 4.77 ERA. Their bullpen was particularly ineffective, posting a 5.07 ERA while injuries created additional instability in the starting rotation. Kansas City scored 690 runs despite batting .247, a higher average than Chicago, the AL’s top-scoring club. The difference in total production demonstrated the importance of power, on-base ability and timely hitting.

Free Agents
Carlos Estévez
Jonathan India
Craig Kimbrel
Luke Maile
Josh Rojas

India’s departure creates an additional infield question, while Kimbrel’s exit contributes to the uncertainty surrounding the bullpen. Kansas City could explore retaining some of its departing veterans on lower-cost contracts, but the organization has little reason to preserve a pitching staff that struggled throughout the season.

Arbitration-Eligible Players
Randy Dobnak
Lucas Erceg
Anthony Gose
Kyle Isbel
Daniel Lynch IV
Michael Massey
James McArthur
Nick Mears 
Nate Pearson

Erceg and Lynch represent potentially important pieces of the pitching staff, while Massey provides offensive value. The remaining cases require closer examination of health, consistency and replacement cost. With approximately $30 million potentially available for reinvestment, Kansas City must avoid committing too much of that flexibility to players whose recent performance does not justify substantial raises.

Best Fits
Adrián Morejón, LHP Morejón’s 2.83 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 2026 make him an attractive bullpen target. His ability to miss bats would immediately address one of Kansas City’s most significant weaknesses.

A veteran starting pitcher Kansas City needs innings and consistency. A durable middle-of-the-rotation starter could provide greater overall value than an expensive ace.

A right-handed outfielder The Royals would benefit from another established hitter capable of reaching base and producing extra-base hits.

Predictions
Kansas City aggressively pursues bullpen improvements while avoiding the temptation to spend most of its available money on one player. General manager J.J. Picollo has indicated the organization intends to be aggressive in acquiring talent, but that approach could involve multiple lower-cost additions rather than one marquee signing. The Royals retain several controllable pitchers, add at least two established bullpen arms and pursue a dependable starter. Kansas City could improve considerably if its pitching returns to league-average performance. 

Quotable
“The bullpen is going to be a focus for us.” — J.J. Picollo discussing offseason priorities after Kansas City’s 69-93 season.

Minnesota Twins
2026 record: 77-85 | Third place, AL Central

Minnesota enters the offseason facing perhaps the division’s most complicated organizational decision. The Twins finished 77-85 despite scoring 739 runs, the second-highest total in the Central. Their offense was competitive, but the pitching staff allowed 797 runs and posted a 4.56 ERA. The organization must decide whether a few targeted additions could produce a return to contention or whether a more substantial roster restructuring is necessary.

Free Agents
Ryan Jeffers
Josh Bell
Taylor Rogers
A.J. Minter

Jeffers should be Minnesota’s highest priority because replacing his offensive production from behind the plate could prove difficult. Rogers and Minter represent potential bullpen departures, creating additional pitching vacancies for an organization that already struggled to prevent runs.

Arbitration-Eligible Players
Joe Ryan
Royce Lewis
Taj Bradley
Trevor Larnach
Bailey Ober
Dean Kremer
Kody Clemens
Cole Sands

Ryan’s contract situation, including his mutual-option decision, is particularly important. He could remain a central part of Minnesota’s rotation or become a valuable trade asset if the organization chooses to retool. Lewis presents a different challenge. His talent offers considerable upside, but Minnesota must weigh that potential against concerns about consistency and availability. The Twins need to determine which players remain part of their next competitive core and which could be replaced more efficiently.

Best Fits
Ryan Jeffers, C Retaining Jeffers would preserve offensive production at a premium defensive position and prevent Minnesota from creating another lineup vacancy.

A durable starting pitcher The Twins need dependable innings after finishing with a 4.56 ERA. A veteran starter on a shorter contract could provide immediate stability.

Bullpen depth Minnesota must improve its ability to protect leads and prevent opponents from turning close games into losses.

Predictions
Minnesota makes a serious attempt to retain Jeffers while exploring the trade value of at least one established arbitration-eligible player. The Twins avoid a major free-agent spending spree, instead concentrating on pitching depth and shorter-term contracts. The Twins do not necessarily need a complete rebuild. Improving their pitching staff while preserving most of their offensive production could return them to contention relatively quickly.

Quotable
“We are going to be aggressive when free agency starts.” — Tom Pohlad discussing Minnesota’s planned increase in payroll.

Cleveland Guardians
2026 record: 85-77 | First place, AL Central

Cleveland won the AL Central despite scoring fewer runs than every other team in the division. The Guardians finished with 678 runs, 162 home runs and a .239 team batting average, but their pitching staff posted a 3.77 ERA and helped deliver another division championship. The Guardians have a competitive foundation. Their biggest challenge is adding enough offense without compromising the pitching and financial flexibility that have made them successful.

Free Agents
Foster Griffin
Austin Hedges
Rhys Hoskins
Nathaniel Lowe

Losing Griffin would create a pitching vacancy, but Cleveland must decide whether the cost of retaining him fits its payroll structure. Hoskins and Lowe represent offensive options, although neither should prevent the Guardians from exploring upgrades elsewhere.

Arbitration-Eligible Players
Steven Kwan
Jo Adell
Cade Smith
Gavin Williams
Brayan Rocchio
Patrick Bailey
Hunter Gaddis 
David Fry

Smith and Williams represent important pitching assets, while Rocchio and Fry provide roster flexibility. Kwan’s situation is especially significant because he could reach free agency following the 2027 season. Cleveland must decide whether to pursue an extension, retain him for another postseason run or explore his trade value.

Best Fits
Seiya Suzuki, OF/D Suzuki would address Cleveland’s need for another established offensive contributor. His .270/.368/.473 slash line and 26 home runs in 2026 illustrate the type of production the Guardians lacked.

A veteran power hitter Cleveland could pursue a shorter-term alternative if Suzuki’s market exceeds the organization’s preferred spending range.

Foster Griffin, LHP Retaining Griffin would help preserve the pitching depth that carried Cleveland to the division title.

Predictions
Cleveland retains Kwan for 2027 and prioritizes keeping its controllable pitching staff intact. The Guardians explore a significant offensive addition, although their spending history suggests they may pursue a more affordable alternative to Suzuki. Cleveland enters the offseason as a legitimate candidate to repeat as division champion. However, the Guardians’ postseason ceiling will depend on whether they can improve their offensive production without weakening their pitching advantage.

Quotable
“Both Foster and Nathaniel made a massive impact on our team, both on the field and in the clubhouse in the time that they were with us.” — Chris Antonetti discussing impending free agents Foster Griffin and Nathaniel Lowe.

Where the top free agents could land
The AL Central’s offseason decisions will be influenced by a free-agent market featuring several players capable of changing the competitive balance across baseball.

Projected Free-Agent Destinations
Tarik Skubal Los Angeles Dodgers
Freddy Peralta Chicago White Sox
Michael King San Diego Padres
Seiya Suzuki Cleveland Guardians
Brandon Lowe Detroit Tigers
Luis Arráez Chicago White Sox
Ryan Jeffers Minnesota Twins
Adrián Morejón Kansas City Royals
Gleyber Torres Detroit Tigers
Randy Arozarena Seattle Mariners

The AL Central enters 2027 without an overwhelming favorite, but with several organizations capable of improving substantially. Cleveland has demonstrated that strong pitching and consistent execution can win the division. Chicago has assembled a young offensive core capable of competing immediately. Detroit possesses financial flexibility, while Minnesota and Kansas City have enough established talent to make a return to contention possible. Chicago needs to transform its unexpected success into something sustainable. Cleveland must find enough offense to support its pitching. Detroit needs to convert strong individual performances into victories, while Minnesota and Kansas City must significantly improve their ability to prevent runs. 

The division’s next champion might not be the organization that spends the most money this winter.

It could be the one that spends it most effectively.

This is installment three of our look back at the 2026 BYB preseason prospect rankings and scouting reports for the Detroit Tigers. Typically, we don’t revisit each prospect on our rankings until we re-grade them for next year’s reports and rankings in the leadup to spring training. This year, with a potentially much longer offseason while the CBA negotiations go one, we thought we’d revisit the full rankings and just give a quick assessment of the year went for each player, what improvements they made, or still need to make, and whether their prospect stock is trending up, down, or neutral as the offseason begins.

Most of the players in this ground from the 21st spot to the 30th spot are 40+ FV prospects. Izaac Pacheco, at 30, is the only one from the 40 FV tier in this article. You can find the full prospect list, with links to each individual scouting report right here. Once again, this is just a look back at the preseason grades and rankings, so players added during the season either in trade or via the draft, aren’t included.

21- RHP Dylan Smith

One of the more surprising DFA decisions of the Tigers season came right as they set their Opening Day roster and decided to put this 25-year-old right-handed reliever on waivers, ultimately trading him to the Giants for cash considerations. Smith went on to throw 39.2 innings for the Giants, collecting four saves while blowing five, with a 3.86 ERA and a 3.63 FIP on the year, good for 0.5 fWAR. That’s about as much as they could’ve hoped for when they dealt for Smith. He doesn’t have closer caliber stuff, and wouldn’t crack the setup man level for many teams.

We’re not going to lose a ton of sleep over a middle reliever with modest ability to handle a setup role, but right-handers like that were in rather short supply for the Tigers at multiple points during the 2026 season. Just a strange bit of roster mismanagement perhaps indicating some overconfidence in their bullpen depth back in March. Smith’s fourseam-slider combination was effective enough for a solid strikeout rate with the Giants and he limited home runs, but some of that is probably related to Oracle Park being a difficult place to hit homers, as Smith allowed a much higher fly ball percentage than he did in the minors. There may have been an element of pitching to the park as well. He still needs to command both pitches more consistently and limit walks to move into regular high leverage setup work, but he took a pretty nice step in his first full year in the major leagues.

Stock: Neutral

22- RHP Ty Madden

Ty Madden spent years in the Tigers system trying to overcome a fourseam fastball with mediocre shape and declining velocity. His command developed pretty nicely considering the deep pitch mix he wields, but some of his issues have never been fully worked out. The club’s competitive balance pick in Round A back in 2021, much was expected of Madden at the time, and very little has been produced. He made a short debut in 2024 and then missed the 2025 season with a rotator cuff injury. Heading into his age 26 season, we still held out hope that Madden would provide some value in relief.

His pre-injury velocity did not fully come back, but Madden thrived pretty well anyway, utilizing his deep pitch mix more effectively in 2026. It took him some time to get on track at Triple-A, but he eventually started finding his groove and eventually threw 46 innings of middle relief for the Tigers with a 3.26 ERA and a 3.55 FIP combination. Putting a 40+ grade on him was a bit ambitious coming back from major shoulder issues, but Madden lived up to the billing. He knows how to pitch and has learned to mix fourseamers, sinkers, and cutters to take pressure off the fourseamer. With a good slider and a decent splitter and knuckle curve, Madden has the arsenal of a starter, but the pitchability of a potentially valuable middle reliever who can handle going through an order multiple times.

I’m not sure there’s much left to squeeze out of his game at this point. The high 90’s velocity he had as a premier college starter has faded a bit, and unless some radical development occurs, this is probably pretty close to his level. The Tigers have been trying to build more ride into the fourseamer for years, and despite a little higher arm slot this year it’s still pretty mediocre action on it. Still, as the first year after a pretty major injury, it was a success. If Madden can get back to his old consistency with his breaking stuff and punch out more hitters nex year, he’ll be even better equipped to handle a mix of longer relief work along with some setup opportunities. It’s just a pretty similar profile to Drew Anderson’s likely position in the bullpen.

Stock: Neutral

23. RHP Michael Massey

Wake Forest alum Michael Massey might be the best pure relief arm in the Tigers’ system. They drafted him in the 4th round of the 2024 draft, and then watched him follow so many of the Tigers top pitchers drafted onto the injury list in his first year of pro ball. After missing all that time for Tommy John surgery and rehab, all we really wanted this year was to see him back on the mound. We got that much as Massey made two short starts late in the year.

Happily, the stuff is still really good. Massey was steadily 94-95 mph with over seven feet of extension to the plate. His most notable quality is the enormous riding action on that fastball due to his high arm slot and release, and that returned intact as well. He averaged nearly 20 inches of induced vertical break, and while we’d love to see him build up to 97-98 mph over the next year or two, the movement and extension makes this a plus fastball already with good potential for more.

The six-foot-five, 230 pounder has the frame to keep building velocity into his mid-20’s. His curveball is another plus pitch, pairing really well with the heater out of Massey’s high arm slot. He packs a pretty good slider as well. Now the challenge is to stay healthy in 2027, build up his arm, and get on with refining his command. That high arm slot requires him to clear his head off the target line a little early, and timing that up can be tricky, but he has the athleticism to make it work. Massey should move very quickly as long as the Tigers develop him as a reliever as expected.

Until we see him settle in for a full season and improve his strike-throwing, we’ll hold him with a 40+ grade, but he has really high end potential in the bullpen. If the velocity and command develop as projected, Massey could be a closing option for the Tigers down the road. The only goal in 2026 was just to get back on the mound. We’ll see where things go from there.

Stock: Neutral

24- C/1B Eduardo Valencia

We were very impressed with Valencia’s breakout at the plate in 2025, but it was still hard to envision a regular role for him with the Tigers, limiting his upside. A decidedly bat first player with a good approach, letting fastballs travel and taking them the opposite way while turning on and crushing breaking balls and changeups, there was a lot to like coming into 2026, and Valencia proved the breakout was real with a really nice major league debut. He hit 8 homers in 42 games while batting .341 and coming up with plenty of big knocks along the way. There was plenty of good fortune on balls in play, and I don’t think Valencia is going to be a consistent .300 hitter, but he is dangerous and kept the strikeouts in check fairly well. If he can be a little more selective in his swing decisions, he should remain a very productive hitter.

The really interesting part of his season was the improvements behind the plate. I still don’t love him as a second catcher, as teams are running more and Valencia’s arm is pretty stretched behind the plate. On the other hand, his framing, blocking, and game calling were all improved to roughly average levels after an impressive offseason’s work. Coming into the season I thought we might have just have a pinch-hitting specialist who could possibly improve as a first baseman but wouldn’t end up catching that much. Instead, Valencia turned himself into a more viable backup to Dillon Dingler and also showed leadership ability and a knack for the big moment. His teammates really seemed to rally around him at times.

Those defensive improvements really help the profile, and bump him up a full grade as he graduates from the system. Valencia is not really built to be an everyday player, but as a backup catcher who will get a lot of plate appearances in the DH slot, he’s got a regular role carved out for himself next year.

Stock: Up

25- RHP Rayner Castillo

This 22-year-old sinkerballer made a fairly impressive full season debut in Single-A back in 2024, but hasn’t been able to take the next steps to break into the upper minors. That’s not surprising considering his age, but now we have back-to-back years with only minor progress. Castillo has a smooth, easy delivery that was steadily producing a tough mid-90’s sinker in 2024 and 2025, but the secondary pitches were still behind the curve. He had a tough go again for parts of this season, but eventually the slider started rounding into form. Just as the strikeouts started to pile up late in the year, he was knocked out in a rough start on September 1 and was shut down at 87.1 innings.

Castillo projected as a future depth starter with possible mid-rotation upside due to his youth and raw stuff. His slider improved this year, but his command of the slider and changeup was still pretty spotty. Still, it’s the glimpses of easy mid-90’s velocity, nasty sink, and high ground ball rate that make him a name worth watching. The fastball command should continue to improve, and he’s still young enough to be optimistic about his secondary pitches becoming more trustworthy weapons. The Tigers may have a pretty good starting pitcher here in time. So, we’ll hold him around this level with a 40+ grade and see if he can put it together and conquer High-A in 2027.

Stock: Neutral

26- OF Brett Callahan

We were higher on Callahan than most in 2024-2025 as he battled a litany of small injuries. Heading into 2026, he finally got some national love and some overcompensated for being late on him by getting a bit too excited. He did reward our confidence in his all around game with a strong campaign at Double-A Erie before leaping quickly through Triple-A to reach the major leagues. Unfortunately, his free swinging ways continued and Callahan got himself out a lot by chasing. As a result, he didn’t tap into his above average raw power much at all after hitting 12 homers in 60 games at Double-A in the first half.

Callahan is a well rounded player, but whether he can lay off chase pitches enough to contribute offensively remains an open question. His rapid trajectory to the majors this year certainly pressed the issue, but he made no progress in his swing decisions. The leap in pitching was just too much for him as he put up a chase rate of 40.1 percent and didn’t make much hard contact. That isn’t sustainable at the big league level, but he didn’t get much time to acclimate himself either. My sense is that Callahan was a little overwhelmed by the rapid promotions and just never settled in after leaving Erie.

The now 25-year-old needs to adapt and improve his approach significantly to get better pitches to hit. If he does, he should do enough damage to earn regular playing time, as the rest of his game is pretty solid, but it’s just a depth outfielder profile unless he can take that big step in 2027. Expect Callahan to work out of Toledo next season while the Tigers see what they have left in Kerry Carpenter and Parker Meadows. That will give him time to work on his approach, and opportunities to get back to the majors will be his for the taking if he can improve.

Stock: Neutral

27- OF Jackson Strong

Another small college outfielder like Callahan, the 23-year-old Strong is developing into a good center fielder, but there are plenty of issues with the hit tool as well. He has some pop and good speed, and does a decent job controlling the strike zone and taking his walks. He hit 17 homers and stole 22 bases for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps this season while walking a whopping 15.6 percent of the time and playing a pretty nice center field. Unfortunately, he also swings and misses a lot even in the zone, and that was the issue we were looking for improvement with this season. Instead, he struck out nearly 30 percent of the time.

Strong is still working with a fairly grooved swing. He’s a low ball hitter who struggles to cover the upper half of the zone, and is often caught chasing breaking balls and changeups as he hunts for pitches down in the zone. He does show flashes of above average power, but getting to more of it as he progresses is going to be difficult with a lot of chase and too many whiffs as well. The learning curve is steeper for small college hitters who didn’t see much high level stuff, which was part of the pitch for patience with Strong last year. Even so, there aren’t too many hitters who break through and become major league regulars after punching out this much in A-ball.

His speed and defensive ability certainly give him a clean path to an eventual big league role, but the bat has a lot of catching up to do to carry him that far. We gave Strong some benefit of the doubt last spring, and it just didn’t come together. He’s still young enough to wait on, but it got harder to buy into Strong’s bat this year. Even so, legit center fielders with power don’t grow on trees, so the Tigers will have plenty of patience with him.

Stock: Down

28- RHP Moises Rodriguez

This 24-year-old right-hander has a nasty sinker that sometimes touches triple digits. One of the few really interesting pure relief prospects in the system, Rodriguez entered the season at Double-A in need of better command of both the sinker and his slider and unfortunately didn’t make any real progress. He still racked up a massive ground ball rate just shy of 59 percent and rarely allows any home runs, but it remains a difficult profile to float without better command of the sinker. I’d like to see him add some muscle and improve his lower half stability this offseason and hopefully become more consistent in spotting it to both sides of the plate. He’s still an interesting relief option who could develop into something like prime Jason Foley, but while he posted a 2.57 ERA in making the jump to Double-A, there just aren’t enough whiffs in the profile to project much of a major league career if can’t make that happen.

Stock: Down

29- CF Seth Stephenson

After finally conquering High-A with a 2025 season that saw Stephenson make notable improvements in his batspeed and tap into more power, it looked like his contact and speed game had finally gotten the needed boost. Instead, Stephenson struck out more in his first full season at the Double-A level and the power dried up completely. He missed a little time to injury in May, tore it up in June upon his return, but then really faded again in July and August. He did steal 66 bases, illustrating the traits that keep him an interesting young player at a point where the game seems to be valuing speed and contact more highly again. The Eastern League limited pickoff throws to just one this year, and Stephenson and teammate Peyton Graham took full advantage.

There’s still a chance for a Chandler Simpson type player who sprays the ball around and uses his feet to help him hit for average. The problem is that after doing a lot better job of it at the High-A level last year, Stephenson stopped catching balls solidly out in front of the plate and was back in slap and dash mode for most of the year. Most of his fly balls were either pop-ups or routine flyouts where he’s a little late. Getting to even decent gap power looks less likely now, and while his top shelf speed makes him an above average center fielder, Stephenson’s route running and closing ability remain rough around the edges. There’s a role for this type of player but only if he can start driving better pitching more often next year. He’ll be 26 in January, so further progress needs to come quickly.

30- 3B/1B Izaac Pacheco

Pacheco was the one player in this group with a 40 grade last offseason. After four straight years trying to break out of the High-A level, the slugging third baseman finally managed a much improved season in 2025 and got himself back on the radar to a degree. Unfortunately, all the same issues reared their heads at the Double-A level. His power potential remains enormous, and he did a little better job getting to it this season, hitting 24 home runs, 21 of them at the Double-A level. On the other hand, better pitching carved him up routinely as Pacheco posted a brutal 33.9 percent strikeout rate. After years of adjustments and swing changes, he’s tapping into his power at the bottom of the zone but still struggles to cover the rest of the plate with any real consistency even against fastballs. There are just so many comfortable ways for better pitchers to get him out while avoiding Pacheco’s sweet spots in the strike zone.

One saving grace is that his defense at the corners is actually pretty solid. He’s more than a future possible DH. There’s still a pathway to the major leagues for Pacheco, but it remains very narrow. He’s refined his swing and approach to hit a lot of fly balls to the pull field specifically because he has to maximize the damage on his limited amounts of hard contact. To carry that approach to the majors, he’s got to become more selective in his swing decisions. This three true outcomes type of hitting profile is rapidly disappearing around the game, and only players with a great eye for doing damage, like Munetaka Murakami, are really making it work. Pacheco will turn 24 in two weeks, so he really needs to make some adjustments and conquer upper level pitching next season or he’ll be left behind as the next waves of Tigers prospects pass him by.

Stock: Down

The Braves made their quarterly earnings release call on Wednesday morning. BravesVision isn’t printing money, but they’re still better off producing things in-house than they were with the previous TV arrangement. The Battery is strong, but they appear to be growing into the real estate that they have. They had two postseason games in September, so ticket sales went up. But overall, it’s kind of a meh three months.

Before we dive in, a brief aside:

This post is not financial advice, and shouldn’t be confused as such. Battery Power, SBNation and their parent company, and I don’t care how you invest. I don’t hold a financial position of the Braves, whether that’s buying or holding or selling. We cover all aspects of the Braves here, and we’re walking through these results to get a sense of the financial health of the franchise. I don’t have a take on the stock. And even if I did, you shouldn’t take my advice anyway. I’ve made every bad investing decision at least twice over the course of my lifetime. Ok, back to the news.

Top Line Numbers

• The Braves returned to the postseason and saw a 14% increase in average attendance per regular season home game in the third quarter from the prior year period.
• Baseball revenue increased 4% in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the prior year primarily driven by increases in baseball event revenue and retail and licensing revenue.
• Mixed-Use Development revenue increased 7% for the third quarter of 2026 primarily due to an increase in rental income driven by increases in tenant recoveries and new lease agreements.
• Debt increased $20 million in the third quarter primarily due to net borrowings on the League wide credit facility to support working capital, partially offset by net payments on the TeamCo revolver.
• Booked a 51.1 million dollar loss January through September 2026 versus a profit of 36.2 million in January through September 2025

Umm yikes, y’all. Going into the lockout and new CBA negotiations, I didn’t expect the Braves to confess to having blowout numbers. And they surely didn’t. The on-field personnel payroll increased by 43 million last year, but that’s just about half of the shortfall. Ticket sales were basically flat when you consider that the Braves had one more home game and two postseason games in Q3.

The first two playoff games were underwhelming

Ticket sales were up slightly. The total revenue is up 7 percent. But that’s with one additional home game and two postseason games. My guess is that Games 1 and 2 of the NL Wild Card Series versus the Phillies brought in about 4 million dollars apiece. That’s more in line with what they get for a regular season game. It’s not overstating it that the Atlanta Braves gave up 7-8 million dollars total to deliver two postseason games in the middle of weekdays with weather in the high 80s and low 90s. I can’t blame Atlanta for staying home. I built a mini-vacation around this playoff series, but not everyone can do that. There is also the issue that even with the increases in season ticket packages and 18 more wins and a NL East Division title, the Braves weren’t able to pay it off with more revenue.

The City Connect uniforms are amazing

However, the retail and licensing part of the house exploded this year. Revenue from this line is up 25 percent over the previous quarter and 21 percent from last year. They really did an excellent job with this City Connect uniform. Most other teams are rolling with some very generic, AI-non-inspired dreck. They honestly looked like something that a movie whose producers wanted to put in a baseball uniform but couldn’t afford the licensing costs. The Braves however, really did combine the old and the new with a big shoutout to Ted Turner. I keep waiting for these to drop in price. Now I understand why they aren’t.

Terry McGuirk is pleased with the roster

While there were no shoutouts to Fangraphs or professed admiration of some stats over others, McGuirk seems very content with the state of the organization. In his words:

I want to be clear about how I see this season. It was real progress. We went from missing the playoffs to winnings the division and a postseason series. Our core is in place. Our young players go better and our new manager’s first year was a success. Our minor league system is stocked with future major league talent. We’re pleased with where this organization is headed and will keep working to build on it in 2027.… Coming into this season, we made a deliberate decision to invest in our roster and our major league payroll was meaningfully higher as a result.

This doesn’t sound like someone who is getting ready to turn over the roster. And I got the sense on the call that he was not looking to move on from Tim Hyers, either. We reportedly got confirmation of that hunch earlier. They did increase payroll this season. But they basically made the team deeper and not necessarily gave it a higher ceiling. (which hey, I wanted a deeper bench too and have been griping about it for years) But outside of the higher salary absorbed in a trade for Utility Gold Glove Mauricio Dubon, they didn’t get much return from Ha-Seong Kim, Aaron Bummer, Mike Yastrzemski, and Joel Payamps.

BravesVision is proving to be a great move

The Braves owning their own network was always the way forward. This year they are trailing their media revenue by 8 percent from last year. There are a few things to consider here, though. The payouts that the Braves receive for their product differ from last year. They used to basically get monthly payments while the season was on, but nothing in the offseason. Now the payments come directly from advertisers, and those will be spread out over the course of the year. Another thing that will spread out over the course of the year are payments from cable companies. They can offer 12 months of programming, and they recently told us what that would be.

The Braves led in league in streaming viewers this season. I take that to mean that more people are buying Braves.TV versus any other <insert team here>.TV. But we expected that with how the last rights holder considered the Braves versus everyone else. I would be curious to know how the Braves did versus the Yankees and Cubs. It’s pretty outstanding considering all of the confusion in March around where fans could see the Braves.

Tax bill should go down next year

The Braves, as a public company, have tax issues around employees making a million plus a year. Which is not great, considering they have about 25-30 of them. But Braves Development Company President and CEO Mike Plant said that there is pending legislation to correct this. “We are aware of the recent legislation introduced and continue to lobby and have had discussion with a number of interested parties, including members and leadership of the House and Senate administration and Treasury” said Plant. I believe this might be the legislation he is referring to here. The Braves have been very mysterious about this and it’s hard to tell. They’re not talking about the CBA negotiations either. Because, yeah.

Mostly not great news

The Braves had a lot more game attendance this year. BravesVision is trucking along. Mixed-use development aka The Battery and Pennant Park is still very profitable. But any revenue growth in the real estate portion would come with more debt and scrutiny. But they are making a very good argument about the idea of teams spending money (in the form of higher player salaries) to make more money. The Braves can’t really hide from these numbers, unless you consider how they report BravesVision numbers. But they will go on the report sometime.

For a twenty-year-old playing his first full season as a professional, Easton Shelton was magnificent, destroying pitches in the California League on his way to an MVP award. Four games with the High-A squad were all the exposure that Shelton had to pro ball in Great Lakes at the end of the season. And it certainly didn’t show, with the left-hander presenting himself as not only the Tower Buzzers’ most menacing hitter but also the entire league’s.

Shelton’s career path is a fascinating one, choosing to forego the opportunity to play in UNLV to sign with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent back in 2023—granted, he did so for a hefty signing bonus worth upwards of $200k, but seeing the work this organization has done in its player development evidently also played a role in him choosing them.

After a couple of seasons in rookie ball, Shelton opened the year with the Ontario Tower Buzzers and was phenomenal, but early on there was an adjustment period for the tall first baseman. Shelton wrapped up April with just a .727 OPS, but the Tower Buzzers stuck with him, and from May onward, the results were overwhelmingly positive—Shelton’s power started to appear on a regular basis, with him smashing at least nine home runs in each of the next three months.

Highlighting just how impressive his season was, Shelton alone (37) hit more home runs than the next two highest-ranked Tower Buzzers combined (36). The long ball number 37 certainly wasn’t a cheapie, a grand slam that traveled over 500 ft.

Not only the team leader in most, if not all, offensive categories, Shelton also set Dodger records in the California League with his 37 home runs and 112 RBI—not to mention securing the second-highest OPS in the entire minor leagues, at 1.047.

While the summary of Shelton’s performance begins and ends with his power output, he made the most of that threat to be a complete hitter, which is why we’re standing here with him as the undisputed MVP of the California League.

Only three other players accumulated more hits than Shelton’s 121 in the California League, culminating in a near .300 batting average (.297 to be exact). And the plate discipline, which is what often separates good power hitters from the great ones, was also a key part of his record-setting performance, one of two hitters with an OBP above .400.

Despite all of this success, it’d still be fair to say that Shelton is on the outside looking in in the prospect community. Look no further than his absence from the recently released Baseball Prospectus’ top ten Dodgers prospects here, Shelton thrived under the radar for the better part of 2026. And he’ll need to keep proving himself heading into a higher level in 2027 with the confidence of a player who has conquered his first challenge.

2026 particulars

Age: 20

Single-A Stats: .297/.403/.644, 37 HR, 112 RBI, 26 2B, 88 R, 109 G

Game of the year

In mid-July, Easton Shelton put up one of the more memorable performances of the 2026 minor league season. He went 5 for 6 with a pair of homers and drove in five to help the Tower Buzzers not just weather the Storm but also send it packing in an 11-5 victory.

It was just one of two two-homer games for Shelton, who, for someone with so many long shots, kept them well distributed.

The Washington Nationals had a great offensive season in 2026. They finished tied for 3rd in OPS, 6th in homers, 3rd in runs, 4th in doubles, 12th in average and 3rd in slugging percentage. That production did not go unnoticed. Stars James Wood and CJ Abrams were both nominated for Silver Sluggers. The Nationals were also nominated for the best offensive team in the National League.

While I am happy for Wood and Abrams, the team award is what has me most excited. For the Nats to be nominated alongside the Dodgers, Cubs and Brewers is a great achievement. Those teams have been developing into offensive machines for years now. In Paul Toboni’s first season running the Nats, they are now in that company.

Obviously the players deserve a lot of credit as well, but this is a huge player development win. The Nats have star players like Wood and Abrams, but it takes more than that. This award is due to guys like Keibert Ruiz, Jacob Young, Andres Chaparro, Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. all taking big steps in the right direction.

There are plenty of teams who had bigger names in their lineup. However, most of those teams could not match the Nats success at the plate. Based on the numbers, the Cubs will probably win this award, but to even be nominated is a huge win for the Nationals organization.

On to the players, I think both Wood and Abrams have strong Silver Slugger cases. Abrams filled up the statsheet in 2026. He led all NL shortstops in home runs, RBI and stolen bases. Abrams broke the Nats record for homers by a shortstop before July was even over.

For the season, Abrams hit .261 with 33 homers, 34 steals, 106 RBI and an .834 OPS. Doing that as a shortstop is wildly impressive. If you got those numbers from a first baseman or left fielder, they would still be in the Silver Slugger mix.

The race between Abrams, Elly De La Cruz and Otto Lopez will be hotly contested. In my opinion, Abrams and Elly are neck and neck for this award. De La Cruz’s red hot finish to the season might get him over the line, but both had tremendous seasons.

I also think James Wood has a decent chance of picking up hardware. Like Abrams, I think this one could go either way. He was the best offensive outfielder in the NL for the first half. However, he slowed down after the All-Star break and missed about a month.

Even with that context, Wood still had the second best OPS in the National League at .891. He hit 30 homers, scored 106 runs, stole 21 bases and drove in 77 runs. When Wood was at his best this season, he was an unstoppable force that pitchers had no answers for.

We will see if that elite first half is enough to get him silverware. When I look at the numbers, I tend to think it should. Besides Pete Crow-Armstrong, all the other candidates are pretty close together. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a great second half, but also went about two months without homering. Like Wood, Corbin Carroll and Jordan Walker had rough second half numbers, but were not as good as the Nats slugger in the first half.

The winners will be announced on November 17th, so that will be something to look forward to. It would be a real shame if no Nats got rewarded with a Silver Slugger given the offensive season the team had. I tend to think Wood will get over the line, but we will find out in a couple weeks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team to keep an eye on during free agency this offseason, as they look to take that next step toward making their first postseason appearance since 2015.

Their 82-80 record this past season provides hope for the future and makes them an intriguing team for free agents to sign with. One player that could be on their radar is San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France.

“The Pirates have more than $20 million coming off the books from 2026, just between Brandon Lowe (who has a qualifying offer to decide on) and Marcell Ozuna. A portion of that could be reallocated to France, in hopes that he can help them build on their first winning season since 2018,” Bleacher Report contributor Tim Kelly wrote.

France, 32, was an All-Star in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, who he helped reach the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. In the years to follow, France’s career took a bit of a downswing, which led to him being designated for assignment by the Mariners in 2024. While he struggled and bounced around the league with the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays, he ended up having a breakout year for the Padres in 2026.

He had a career-high 4.5 wins above replacement while participating in 133 games for the club. He batted .295 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs, making him one of the top free-agent first basemen on the market.

France would be a strong upgrade compared to Spencer Horowitz, who played 114 games at first base for the Pirates this past season. If Pittsburgh wants to take that next step, they need to be aggressive in free agency, and signing France could be the move that helps them get closer to their goals.

BD community, what are your thoughts on the potential of signing France? Let us know in the comment section below.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has already taken home three awards this offseason — Player of the Year from Baseball America and the Players Choice Awards, and a Gold Glove.

Thursday, Louisville Slugger announced “finalists” (really just the top vote-getters) for its Silver Slugger awards.

PCA and Seiya Suzuki were finalists for the NL outfield awards. There were seven “finalists” and three will be chosen (regardless of position). The other four: Corbin Carroll, Jackson Chourio, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jordan Walker and James Wood.

Alex Bregman and Max Muncy were the two “finalists” at third base.

It’s entirely possible that all three Cubs “finalists” will win Silver Sluggers this year. For Suzuki and PCA, it would be their first such award. Bregman won a Silver Slugger in 2019 with the Astros and 2026 was clearly his best offensive season since then.

The winners of the 2026 Silver Slugger Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger were officially announced as American League Silver Slugger Award finalists. Award creator and sponsor Louisville Slugger announced the finalists on Thursday morning, with the winners to be revealed on November 17th.

The Silver Slugger Award was created in 1980 to recognize the best hitter at each position in their respective leagues, with the award recently expanded to be given to a utility player as well as one for the best offensive team in each league. Unlike many of the other year-end honors including MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year, the Silver Slugger is not decided by the BBWAA. Instead, coaches and managers from each team cast votes for the winner and are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams.

This is Ben Rice’s second straight appearance as a finalist for the award, getting nominated in the utility category last year before losing out to Zach McKinstry of the Tigers. Despite splitting reps between first base and DH, Rice earns the nod in the DH category this year. Rice led all Yankees position players with 4.2 fWAR this season, finishing third in MLB in slugging (.534) fifth in wRC+ (149) and seventh in home runs (41). Overall, he slashed .264/.363/.534 while also adding a team-high 105 runs and 97 RBIs in 154 games. Should he win, this would be Rice’s first major award of his career — but given his competition, he’s probably a long shot.

As for Bellinger, this is also his second straight nomination as a finalist for the award, missing out last year to Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, and Riley Greene. Bellinger has already secured two pieces of hardware this offseason, winning the AL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award in left field. Despite missing a month to a hamstring injury, Bellinger still finished third among left fielders with 3.5 fWAR and fifth in wRC+ (115). In 121 games, Bellinger slashed .264/.338/.429 with 17 home runs, 73 runs scored, and 73 RBIs. Should Bellinger be voted winner on November 17th, it would be the third Silver Slugger award of his career, the other two coming in 2019 and 2023.

As for the rest of the AL nominees, Dillon Dingler and Carter Jensen are finalists at catcher. Pete Alonso and Willson Contreras are first base finalists after both finished in the top-six in MLB in wRC+. Kody Clemens and Chase Meidroth are the second base finalists. Finalists at short include AL MVP finalist Bobby Witt Jr., likely AL Rookie of the Year Kevin McGonigle, and Zach Neto. At third base is AL MVP finalist Junior Caminero and Miguel Vargas, the pair finishing tied for 12th in MLB in fWAR.

The outfield finalists joining Bellinger are Mike Trout, Wilyer Abreu, Randy Arozarena, Chase DeLauter, Jac Caglianone, Chandler Simpson, Riley Greene, and Tristan Peters. It’s a tight group and Bellinger might well end up outside the top three. Rice also has tough competition at DH with likely AL MVP Yordan Alvarez named as the other finalist. Rounding out the finalists are McGonigle, Sam Antonacci, and Ezequiel Duran at utility, while the Astros, Rays, Twins, and White Sox are your team finalists.

Over on the NL side of the award, Hunter Goodman and Gabriel Moreno are finalists at catcher. NLCS MVP and World Series winner Jake Bauers is joined by Alec Burleson, Rafael Devers, and Matt Olson as first base finalists. NL MVP finalist Brice Turang and Brandon Lowe are finalists at second base. Elly De La Cruz was snubbed as an NL MVP finalist, but is nominated for this award alongside CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez at shortstop. Alex Bregman and Max Muncy are your third base finalists.

In the outfield, presumptive NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the way, accompanied by Jackson Chourio, Corbin Carroll, Seiya Suzuki, Fernando Tatis Jr., James Wood, and Jordan Walker. NL MVP finalist Shohei Ohtani is joined by Kyle Schwarber as DH finalists. Finally, Bauers and Tatis are joined by NL Rookie of the Year finalist Sal Stewart in the utility category while the Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Nationals are your team finalists.

Best of luck to Ben and Cody!