Category: MLB

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.

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.

One last time, with feeling. #untuck MT @JamesWagnerWP Rafael Soriano, who had a MiLB deal with Toronto, is retiring pic.twitter.com/wWbVOAn9T7

— Pinstripe Alley (@pinstripealley) March 18, 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.

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See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.

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?

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!

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.

In our last pairing of the “Last Man In” tournament, Brad Miller easily surpassed Neil Walker.

Onto the next matchup:

5. Jose Contreras, 2010

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.

Phillies #52- Jose Contreras, P (2010-12)

– 101 Games, 3.74 ERA, 9 SV, 85 K

pic.twitter.com/ABoNYYWQ5C

— 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.

Who should advance? Vote now!

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.

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 3, 2026

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

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) February 3, 2026

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.

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.

BROCK. RODDEN. AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/YD4I00xVkr

— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) May 11, 2025

Grant Jay – C/OF

2025 Statistic of Note – Has not debuted

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?

Oh myyyyy Grant Jay… 2nd deck tank

DBU finally gets on the board pic.twitter.com/Q5aqV0oijS

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) February 27, 2025

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

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) September 7, 2025

Victor Labrada – OF

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!

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!

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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)

The 2026 community nights are as follows:

• Tuesday, April 14 — 414 Day (local artist t-shirt giveaway for first 10,000 fans)
• Friday, June 12 — Pride Night
• Friday, July 17 — Noche de Cerveceros, presented by Aurora Health Care®
• Friday, August 21 — Black Culture Fest, presented by Aurora Health Care®

The team has not yet announced any regular promotional giveaways for the season, so stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

Friends, fear not. The bottom of the bullpen churn will continue in some fashion.

Daniel Robert agrees to return to Phillies. Minors deal for the RHP. MLB camp invite.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 3, 2026

Listen, Robert wasn’t deserving of a major league deal. He works well as minor league depth, someone who has had at least a modicum of success at the major league level. Having those kinds of players at Lehigh Valley has value, so why not bring him back.

It’ll add more players in case the team wants to do different things later on in the season. Maybe an injury, maybe a trade, maybe a release. At least they’ll have players to help in those case.

More Mets pitchers and catchers continue to funnel into the team facility in Port St. Lucie with the start of 2026 spring training drawing closer. 

On Tuesday, right-hander Christian Scott was among the pitchers to throw a bullpen session. 

Scott, 26, pitched in nine games for the Mets as a rookie in 2024, posting a 4.56 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 47.1 innings. 

Unfortunately for the young right-hander, Scott would undergo Tommy John surgery later that year, missing all of the 2025 season as a result.

But Scott is now said to be a full-go for 2026 spring training, and very well could be an important piece of the Mets' pitching plans in 2026.

Here are some of the sights and sounds from Tuesday's action, with Scott, Freddy Peralta, pitching coach Justin Willard, and others in attendance...

Christian Scott tosses a bullpen session pic.twitter.com/7XdKXHrXXj

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

👋👋 @chscott8pic.twitter.com/TfRSZRgTv9

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes chat with new Mets pitching coach Justin Willard pic.twitter.com/y3OXRozqO4

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 3, 2026

Nate Lavender is back with the Mets pic.twitter.com/GVrdBmIG3N

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

All smiles again from Freddy Peralta 😁 pic.twitter.com/PJcWxUX8Ja

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

New Mets pitching coach Justin Willard is in Port St. Lucie pic.twitter.com/bl3MZiiSZR

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

McLean & Tong 🤝 pic.twitter.com/k4cETUSzpR

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 3, 2026

Star players are exciting to watch, no doubt, but baseball seasons are long, and there is plenty of time to build up an affection for just about every type of player.

Miguel Rojas is entering his 13th and final major league season, before he transitions into a front office role with the Dodgers. He’s never made an All-Star team, but was a dependable regular at shortstop for five years with the Miami Marlins before returning to Los Angeles in more of a reserve role over the last three seasons.

Rojas had done everything that’s been asked of him, including playing all over the infield and even helping tutor star Mookie Betts or then-rookie Miguel Vargas about the finer points of middle infield play. Rojas isn’t a star, but he’ll be remembered forever for his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

“It’s coming on your feed every single day. You’re seeing the homer, you’re seeing the plays, you’re seeing the whole series,” Rojas said on SportsNet LA during Dodgers Fest on Saturday. “And then the feedback from the people on the streets. When they come to you and say, ‘That was the most memorable World Series,’ ‘That was the best game I’ve ever seen,’ it’s really impactful, because you were part of something really cool in baseball. That’s a moment you will never forget.”

The home run by Rojas to me was similar to that of catcher Mike Scioscia in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS. Down 4-2 in the ninth inning against Mets ace Dwight Gooden, the Dodgers were three outs away from a 3-1 series deficit against a 100-win team. But after a leadoff walk, Scioscia jumped on a first-pitch fastball for a game-tying home run that was so shocking even Al Michaels on ABC noted that Scioscia to that point hit only 35 home runs in his nine-year career, while Scioscia was still rounding the bases.

Rojas has 57 regular season home runs in his 12 years to date. Scioscia made two All-Star teams with the Dodgers so perhaps he doesn’t fall into the underrated or unheralded category.

Eric Karros never made an All-Star team, but is generally well-regarded as the Dodgers’ home run leader since moving to Los Angeles, and is still broadcasting games for the team on television from time to time. I’m not sure he is underrated, but maybe he is. To each their own.

There can be many reasons for having an affinity for a non-star player. Maybe it was a specific moment from a game you watched as a kid. Maybe they have a penchant for earning three-inning saves. Who knows?

Today’s question is who is your favorite underrated or unheralded Dodgers player, past or present, and why?

Though it was stunningly cold this past Saturday, plenty of Kansas City Royals fans showed up to the fourth annual Royals Rally event. Fans who bought tickets received access to autograph sessions and could listen to select roundtables throughout the day. 

Additionally, just like last year, this event served as the first big media event of the year, with a variety of Royals players, coaches, and front office members sitting down to field questions from the group. I was there during media availability and got a few questions in–including one that had been burning a hole in my proverbial pocket that I finally asked principal owner John Sherman. 

This year, we’ll look at some quotes that I jotted down that I found noteworthy as we look ahead to the 2026 season.

“Stability” and “Reach”

Ok, this isn’t a quote per se, you got me. But they are two words that Cullen Maxey, the Royals’ new president of business operations, repeatedly said in regard to Kansas City’s broadcasting situation. 

With FanDuel Sports Kansas City and its parent company, Main Street Sports Group, traversing the thorny path of financial ruin, the Royals have faced a choice in how to proceed: stick with FanDuel or transition to MLB. Just two days after the event, the Royals confirmed they were ditching FanDuel for the season in favor of an in-house MLB broadcast. All the broadcasters will remain on board.

When Sherman was available for an interview, I asked him about the instability with FanDuel and if that had impacted revenue or their ability to field the payroll they wanted. Sherman said that there has indeed been some revenue “erosion” and that a non-FanDuel option would result in further revenue erosion. Interestingly, Sherman also said that they considered it a short-term impact, and as such, they were simply eating the monetary difference so it wouldn’t impact the team.

So, why then did the Royals go with MLB if it meant even lower revenues? Maxey and Sherman believe that maximizing reach is the best and most profitable way in the long haul. That’s why they did it.

“We got away from our identity.”

It was a mostly quiet offseason for Kansas City, with a young core in place surrounded by a starting pitching staff with high-end and depth talent. Still, Picollo says that there were some growing pains last year and said that the team “got away from our identity.” 

Interestingly, JJ said that this identity wasn’t about any individual playing factor, but that their identity was about putting pressure on other teams. And if you watched the 2025 Royals very often, you know that some things plagued the team all year long: a lack of getting on base, baserunning blunders, and defensive miscues. 

If you’re wondering why the Royals didn’t grab another bat, Picollo said that there were “few available hitters to make us significantly better,” and it is that “significantly better” part that stands out for me, because the implied part of that is “for the cost.” Picollo knows the Royals would ideally like to add another bat, and Sherman said later that there still could be opportunities to add a bat–after all, it’s only February and we’ve got two months before Opening Day. 

So if the Royals do add a bat, it’ll mean that they found that piece to make them significantly better at a cost that they agree with. 

“We’ll match up and move guys around.”

The Royals acquired Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas in the offseason, and they’ll have Jac Caglionone from opening day. What will the outfield look like?

That was my question to Matt Quatraro, who agreed that those three will receive a lot of playing time in the outfield. But he followed that up by strongly suggesting that the outfield would be fluid. The first additional name Q brought up as someone who would get outfield time was Michael Massey, and Q also said that Nick Loftin and John Rave would be prepared to play there, too.

Kansas City is in a better place with the outfield, but there’s enough uncertainty that we may see platoons to some degree for all three outfield spots. While the Royals think that Collins is likely going to play a lot of left field, it sounds like there will be some healthy competition and enough plate appearances to go around.

“I want to retire here.”

During JJ’s interview, Salvador Perez’s loud voice could be heard from the hallway. When JJ referred to him as a Hall of Famer, Salvy quipped that he was glad to hear it. Perez’s smile and personality are as big as ever.

Salvy was asked about signing his most recent extension, and he was unequivocal in his happiness as a Royal. He wants to retire here, and he does not want to play for any other team. Will he make it to the Hall of Fame? It’ll be an interesting case. He could get to 350 home runs and 2,000 hits if he continues to play well. But make no mistake: Salvy is going to be a big part of the team this year.

“Last year was a failure.”

Vinnie Pasquantino is beloved by fans, teammates, and media alike because of his big personality, respectfulness, and honesty. It was the honesty that was on full display here. 

When asked about how he felt about the season, he brought up last year and did not mince words, calling it a failure. They felt like they were good enough to make the playoffs, but they didn’t. To Vinnie, that wasn’t just an “aw shucks” situation, but a true failure. He brought up that Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia are on long-term deals and that the time to win is now. 

New and returning Royals pitcher Matt Strahm later mentioned the same thing–that there is a drive and an expectation to win. “I was happy to hear how disappointed they were,” he said about his new teammates’ thoughts on the previous season. Strahm went on to say that he was tired of being a loser and wanted to win.

Somebody asked a clarifying question of Strahm about what would not constitute losing; he replied simply: the World Series. It’s clear that Royals players have their standards set high.

“We wanted to play in a more neutral setting more consistently.”

The Royals are in the process of moving in their fences, a decision that the team made after they crunched the numbers and determined it would help the team more than it would hurt them. During the event, you could clearly see that they were actively at work doing so, as you can see from a few photos I snapped of the snow-clad field:

Sherman put it in terms of a return on investment. Vinnie stated that he was excited about it and that he was looking forward to what it felt like in the regular season. Seth Lugo offered a measured response from a pitcher’s perspective, and said that as long as he does his job in limiting hard-hit fly balls and line drives, he won’t have to worry about where the walls are.

But Quatraro’s statement about playing in a neutral setting more consistently seems to be one of the core reasons for the change. It’s not that Kauffman was a hitter’s or pitcher’s park; it’s that it was so different from the rest of the league. We’ll see how it plays out in the regular season.

“We’re not going anywhere.”

It was during last year’s Royals Rally press conferences where Sherman said that the Royals would have an answer on where they wanted to play by the middle of the year. That didn’t happen, the latest in what has been more than one missed self-imposed deadline.

Since then, there has been very little official information from the club. But with John Sherman himself appearing before the media, Saturday was a rare opportunity to get some answers.

Perhaps taking some lessons from last year, though, those answers were mostly noncommittal. Sherman stated that they “feel good about where we are” and didn’t give a specific timeline.  When asked if the team was trying to get a deal done without a public vote like in April 2024, Sherman did not directly answer, saying that those decisions weren’t up to the Royals and they were focused on what they could control. 

However, Sherman did confirm that the team was no longer looking at the Aspiria campus in Overland Park. Additionally, he said that the team was still looking at sites “on both sides of the state line.” And for the first time that I can recall, Sherman said that extending the lease to stay at Kauffman Stadium was a possibility if necessary, though he preferred not to do that because that amounted to “kicking the can down the road.” 

Sherman was also asked again if the Royals would move away from the metro. He responded, “We’re not going anywhere,” and that if somebody ever moved the team away from Kansas City, it wouldn’t be them. 

Welcome back our countdown of the top 25 prospects in the Cubs system. For an introduction and an explanation of the rankings, check out yesterday’s introduction. Also a reminder. Clicking on the player’s name will take you to their milb dot com page.

16. Pierce Coppola. LHP. DOB: 12/17/2002. 6’8”, 245. Drafted 7th round (2025) Florida.

Coppola is a true mystery box prospect because it’s hard to know what the Cubs are going to get out of him. He was one of the top high school left-handers in 2021, but he had a firm commitment to Florida. With the Gators, he managed just 49.1 innings over four years as back and shoulder injuries kept him on the shelf more than on the mound. He managed seven starts in his redshirt junior season in 2025 and struck out 43 batters in just 21.1 innings. That was enough for the Cubs to take him in the seventh round. 

Unlike most pitchers the Cubs draft, Coppola’s low inning total at Florida meant that he made his professional start in Myrtle Beach last year. He only threw eight innings over three games, but Coppola struck out 14 batters and allowed just two runs for a 2.25 ERA. On the downside, he did walk nine batters in those eight innings.

Coppola is a huge left-hander whose fastball sits 91-to-93 miles per hour with good movement and an odd release angle. His best pitch is his low-80s slider that has a lot of movement on it. Maybe too much, as he can struggle to throw it for a strike sometimes. A sinker gives Coppola a third pitch for right-handers. 

It’s easy to dream on what a fully-healthy Coppola could do in a major league rotation. At 6’7”, it’s also not hard to see him adding a little velocity when he doesn’t have to deal with injuries. There’s certainly some mid-starter potential here.

Of course, Coppola staying healthy might not be something he’s capable of. He does have a kind of odd three-quarters delivery and his size works against him there. The good movement he gets on his pitches also works against him because he’s currently not capable of throwing strikes consistently. It’s easy to say there’s a lot of relief risk here and honestly, a profile like this is much more likely to be a reliever. Maybe there’s a chance he can be a starter, but it wouldn’t be terrible if he ended up a a left-handed weapon out of the bullpen. 

Coppola is a work in progress. If he can stay healthy and if he can throw strikes, he’s got some tremendous upside. Whether he starts the season in Myrtle Beach or South Bend, innings pitched and strikeout-to-walk ratio are the two things to look for in Coppola this year. If he takes a step forward, he’s likely a top ten prospect next year.

Here’s Coppola’s highlights with the Florida Gators last year.

17. Brandon Birdsell. RHP. DOB: 3/23/2000. 6’2”, 240. Drafted 5th round (2022) Texas Tech.

Last year at this time we were looking at Birdsell making his major league debut some time in 2025. Instead, Birdsell missed the first two months of the season with elbow soreness. He came back in June and made eight starts—four rehab appearances and four with Iowa—before his elbow acted up again and he underwent elbow surgery. The Cubs were unclear on whether it was Tommy John surgery for Birdsell or something less invasive, but in either case, Birdsell is going to miss all of 2026 recovering. 

At least Birdsell pitched quite well in his four starts for Iowa. He went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA over 18.2 innings. Birdsell struck out 18 and walked eight.

This year’s report on Birdsell is the same as last year’s. He has a four-seam fastball in the 93-to-95 mph. He compliments that with an upper-80s cutter. He also features a curve and a changeup. He’s going to have to improve that change if he wants to retire left-handed batters in the majors. 

But Birdsell’s biggest strength is is command and control. He generally can paint the corners with that cutter and knows how to locate the fastball well. Birdsell generally doesn’t walk many batters. His strikeout totals aren’t bad, but he doesn’t really miss enough bats to be a top starter.

The outlook for Birdsell this year is the mostly same as last year. He’s a potential number 4/5 starter. But beyond moving his timeline back, the surgery complicates things because Birdsell was expected to be a durable innings eater. He was a top ten prospect in the system last spring and he would be again this year if he were healthy. We just have to wait and see what 2027 brings for Brandon Birdsell.

Here’s Birdsell striking out six in Iowa in July [VIDEO].

18. Erian Rodriguez. RHP. DOB: 11/23/2001. 6’3”, 190. Drafted 13th round (2021), Georgia Premier Academy. 

Rodriguez took a big step forward this past year with a solid season at High-A South Bend. In 12 starts, Rodriguez pitched 64 innings and went 6-4 with a 2.81 ERA. He struck out 58 and walked 22. That earned him a short, four start promotion to Double-A Knoxville where he held his own with a 3.54 ERA, although the walk totals went up and the strikeout totals went down.

Despite a high leg kick, Rodriguez has a quick, compact delivery that gives the hitter a different look. He’s mostly a three-pitch pitcher, with a 93-to-95 mph fastball that can touch higher at times. It’s also “heavy” and can induce a lot of ground balls. He combines that with a mid-80s slider that’s his put-away pitch. He has a decent changeup to use against left-handers. Rodriguez is more of a ground ball pitcher than a strikeout pitcher and he does walk a few too many hitters. 

Rodriguez has a chance to be a number-five starter, but he’s more likely destined for the bullpen. There, he might be able to add a little velocity and get a few more swings and misses on his four-seamer.

In any case, Rodriguez should return to Knoxville to start the season. If the Cubs decide to move him to the bullpen, he could move up to Iowa fast and be in line for a major league debut later this year. If they leave him as a starter, he’s a longer-term project. 

Here are highlights from a seven-inning complete game shutout that Rodriguez threw in June.

19. Angel Cepeda. SS/INF. B:R, T:R. DOB: 10/29/2005. 6’1”, 170. International free agent (2023) Dominican Republic.

Although Cepeda was born in the Dominican Republic and moved back there to avoid the draft and sign as a free agent, he’s actually spent the majority of his life in New Jersey and played for Team USA’s under-14 team. The Cubs gave him a $1 million bonus as an international free agent in 2023. 

Cepeda is toolsy young player with a fair amount of projection left in him. He has average power right now, having hit eight home runs in 100 games for Low-A Myrtle Beach last year, but there does seem to be room for him to add power as he ages and become and above-average power hitter. Even eight home runs in a challenging hitting environment like the Carolina League and Myrtle Beach is pretty impressive for a 19-year-old. 

Last year he spent the entire season with the Pelicans, going .249/.339/.375 with eight home runs and 27 steals. He could afford to pull the ball more as a lot of his hits (and home runs) are going to right field. He’s not a burner on the base paths, but he is an intelligent base runner who plays faster than his raw foot speed. 

Defensively, Cepeda is losing a step as he adds weight. He can probably still play a decent shortstop, but third base seems to be his long-term position. He does have a strong enough arm to handle the hot corner. He would also do well as a second baseman. 

The biggest issue with Cepeda right now is his contact skills as he struggles with breaking pitches from right-handed pitching. A 31 percent strikeout rate in Low-A simply isn’t going to cut it as he moves up the ladder. He also has a pretty wide platoon split, as he destroyed left-handers last year and struggled against righties. Were it not for these red flags, Cepeda would rank a lot higher. 

Cepeda will take on South Bend as a 20-year-old in 2026. If he can learn to make more contact, he very well could be a top ten prospect this time next year.

Here’s Cepeda muscling out an opposite field home run last April.

20. Brett Bateman. OF. B:L, T:L. DOB: 3/19/2002. 5’10”, 170. Drafted 8th round (2002) Minnesota.

I still feel that Bateman was born 40 years too late. In the mid-eighties, Bateman would have been a strong center field and leadoff hitter prospect with strong contact skills and the ability to steal 50 bases a year. But in the Year of our Lord 2026, Bateman’s complete lack of power likely dooms him to a reserve outfielder role.

Bateman’s game is making contact, mostly on the ground, and drawing walks. In his first season in Double-A last year, Bateman played 94 games ands hit .261/.376/.307 with two home runs and just nine doubles. While Bateman makes a lot of contact when he swings (and he rarely swings at bad pitches), he doesn’t make a lot of hard contact, even on the ground. That’s become more of a problem as he moves up the system and he can no longer take advantage of poor infield defenders. 

But Bateman’s strike zone judgment means his on-base percentage stays high, even when the hits aren’t falling in. He’s also a plus defender in center field, even if his arm is below average. Maybe he doesn’t cover as much ground as Pete Crow-Armstrong (who does?), but he certainly gets to a lot of fly balls that other center fielder don’t. 

Bateman has 70 speed (on the 20-to-80 scale), but he needs more experience stealing bases, He was caught six times in 25 attempts last year. With his raw speed, Bateman should be stealing a lot more than that and at a much higher success rate. I’m confident he will, assuming he gets on base enough to get a chance.

Bateman will likely start 2025 back in Knoxville. He needs to make more hard contact and improve his stolen base percentage to get promoted to Triple-A Iowa. He projects out as a fourth outfielder with a lot of value as a defensive replacement and a pinch runner. If he can make a little harder contact, he could be a valuable pinch hitter as well. 

Here’s a three-hit game that Bateman had last May. [VIDEO]

Tomorrow: Prospects 11 through 15.