Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) looks on against the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Spring training is underway, and we are finally hearing from Rays players, coaches, and front office personnel for the first time in 2026. Junior Caminero spoke with the media and discussed his role on the team, and that discussion started to touch on a potential extension. Caminero says that’s up to his team and the agent, and his job is to just play baseball, but we debate whether or not we could see a new deal for the star third baseman before Opening Day.
Caminero and several of his Rays teammates will compete in this year’s World Baseball Classic, so we break down how each Ray fits into their respective country’s roster, and who has a chance to do real damage at the tournament.
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 14: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox watches live batting practice during a workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 14, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season. We’ll start with the starters, because if we didn’t start with the starters, they wouldn’t be starters, and that doesn’t make any sense.
I’m grouping the Sox’ starting pitching options into tiers because that’s how my brain works. Don’t think of them as rankings, but rather buckets based on some similarities I see. Stay tuned for more installments on the new guys, the young guns, and the vets battling out at the bottom of the rotation.
Tier One: Pig
It’s Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, and Paul Skenes. They’re the three best starting pitchers in the world. Put them in any order you want; I won’t argue with you. For the Red Sox, Garrett Crochet is in a tier of his own.
2025 in a sentence: Crochet would have won the Cy Young if it weren’t for the other dominant big lefty in the American League.
Crochet’s fastball is in the high 90s with seven feet of extension. He’s got a devastating cutter and a wipeout sweeper. He added a sinker at the end of 2024 that he carried into 2025, and it made him virtually unhittable against lefties. Seriously, he used the pitch 37% of the time, getting 72% strikes overall and 70% groundballs on contact. Ahead in the count, he went to a high four-seam or a sweeper away, putting lefties away with ease. They went 24 for 145 against him, good for a .455 OPS. Against a lefty-heavy lineup, Crochet will cruise every time.
Righties had more success, but only because it’d be hard to have less. Early in counts, he used his fastball and cutter to get ahead. Both pitches returned strikes at a high clip, though the ideal contact rate against each was on the high side. The damage came when he couldn’t get the ball inside. Fastballs and cutters on the inner third of the plate and inside returned ICR rates of 26.5% and 32%, respectively, while those over the middle and arm side returned rates 56% and 50.6%. Nitpicking one of the best pitchers in the sport is silly, and he’s already working to alleviate that issue.
With two strikes against righties, Crochet primarily turns to his four-seam and his sweeper. The four-seam lives upstairs, while he buries the sweeper at the back foot. Both pitches put away hitters at a high rate; he struck out 31.5% of the righties he faced. Still, there’s one element that could take his arsenal to the next level: a changeup. Last season, he threw a changeup 5% of the time to righties, almost entirely in two-strike counts. The 17.9% swinging strike rate was solid, but the pitch was never in the zone and was really only a surprise pitch. He’s tinkering with a new changeup that’s showing some crazy movement, and could help keep hitters off his other pitches.
Right now, almost everything with two-strikes is inside, moving towards a righty. Having a changeup that he can command off the outside edge would be one more thing for righties to think about, which could help him sneak more fastballs by hitters. We’ve seen two changeups (indoors, in a tunnel), and I wonder if it might be too slow, but the lefty seems excited about his new offering. Regardless, if he does what he did last year, no one can complain. If he takes it to a new level, he’ll add a trophy to his mantle.
Movement profile looks to be somewhere in there. The gap between his fastballs (96ish) and this new splitter (80ish) is insane. I almost wonder if it's too different. https://t.co/sSB3P7D4lOpic.twitter.com/jda9wOIlVJ
The new face of the franchise, Colson Montgomery, sports the pinstripes on Photo Day as he prepares to lead the youth movement in 2026. | Getty Images
Spring Training in Glendale is officially in full swing, and if you haven’t already muted the “Chris Getz is building a team of 2023 roster castoffs” jokes on X, now might be the time. The biggest buzz at Camelback Ranch isn’t just the desert heat; it’s the arrival of Munetaka Murakami. While most of the roster is easing into their routine, Murakami is ramping up for the World Baseball Classic. The Sox are banking on that high-stakes environment keeping his timing sharp, which is a bold strategy for a guy adjusting to MLB velocity. But hey, seeing him and Colson Montgomery side-by-side in the infield at least gives us something to dream about while we wait for the Cactus League opener against the Cubs this Friday.
On the “project” front, Erick Fedde is back for a second act on a one-year flyer, and the early reports suggest he’s already tinkering with his hand break to fix the mechanical mess that was his 2025. Meanwhile, the front office continues its quest to collect every available depth piece with a recognizable last name, apparently signing DarrenBaker (son of Dusty) to a minor-league deal.
Darren Baker, the son of future Hall of Fame manager Dusty Baker, is working out on the back fields of the Chicago White Sox. He officially signed a minor league contract after being with the Washington Nationals and likely will open the season at Triple-A Charlotte.
Whether any of this translates to more than 60 wins is a conversation for another day. For now, the pinstripes looked crisp at yesterday’s Photo Day, and the optimism is palpable.
Yes, it’s early, and we all know the drill. It’s mid-February, the sun is hitting the back fields at Camelback Ranch, and hope is really the only thing we have in abundance before the actual games start exposing the flaws. But with the LuisRobert Jr. era officially over (still feels weird seeing him in Mets blue), the 2026 iteration of the White Sox is definitely leaning hard into the “Youth” movement, which does bring some excitement. And one thing is for certain, manager Will Venable has a lot of pieces to move around, with the general consensus being that the kids are finally getting the keys to the South Side. Between the high-OBP profile of Chase Meidroth, the sheer “juice” Murakami and Montgomery bring to the middle of the order, and the All-Star caliber catching duo of Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero, the 2026 lineup might actually — dare I say — force a pitcher to break a sweat in the fourth inning.
So, grab your sunscreen and settle in. If Murakami’s power is as real as the desert heat and the kids can maintain that second-half swagger from a year ago, we might actually find ourselves enjoying South Side baseball again before the 162-game marathon is through.
From left, Detroit Tigers starting pitchers Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Justin Verlander, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize pose for a photo during Verlander’s introductory press conference at the 34 Club of Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
World Series or bust y’all! Ok, this is baseball. It’s a rare team that can actually expect to win a World Series title in a given year. Even the highest projected odds for the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series again this year are only 27.3 percent, and by baseball standards those are incredibly good odds. Only the Mariners, Mets, and for some reason, the Braves, even have odds a little over seven percent to win the World Series.
Of course, fan isn’t short for “reasonable observer” and there’s no reason not to let your hopes fly as high as possible, as long as you can deal with the likelihood of them getting dashed on the rocks as usual. In the past two weeks, the Tigers have added roughly 3 wins to their projections, depending which system you ask, by replacing Reese Olson with Framber Valdez and then bulking up the rotation with Justin Verlander. The effect of that influx of talent and depth should improve the bullpen as well and keeps replacement level pitchers from having to cover innings.
For myself, it’s time the Tigers won the AL Central for one, and it would be a failure of the season if they don’t. Beyond that, they’ve been deep in the ALDS each of the past two seasons. If they could finally win through, I’d ultimately be pretty happy with the season, even assuming that a crushing defeat lies ahead in the ALCS or World Series. If they could even get to the World Series it would be a huge success after a 14 year absence.
How about you? It’s tough knowing this is their likely last shot with Tarik Skubal leading the way. Players have to take a World Series or bust approach publicly, and fans certainly can live or die with their club wanting to win it all. But, what would constitute a successful 2026 season in your mind?
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 7: Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association talks to the media prior to the spring training game between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees at First Date Field on March 7, 2018 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Evan Drellich argues that commissioner Rob Manfred’s biggest problem in the upcoming labor talks may not be with the players but rather with the owners over the control of TV rights. (The Athletic sub. req.) Tom Ricketts is featured as an enemy of Manfred’s plans.
Michael Baumann notest that between the Padres’ signing of Buehler, Griffin Canning and Germán Marquez this past three-day weekend, Preller is casting a wide net in order to find a 4th starter. He also writes about the Padres signing of Nick Castellanos over the weekend.
We are just two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Tokyo. Michael Clair has one key player for all 20 teams.
New Giants manager Tony Vitello said the team will consider calling pitches from the dugout, like NCAA teams do. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Rockies have said they will “experiment” with calling pitches from the dugout this year and the Marlins did for a few games last year.
A 2012 graduate of Olathe North High School in Kansas, Dawson grew up about 25 miles southwest of Kauffman Stadium. He played collegiately at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kansas, but he set his sights on coaching early. He coached the Kansas City Bullets college prep baseball program — a team that included Royals catcher Carter Jensen — and was the hitting coach and strength coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas.
“Coaching is just such a different side of things,” Dawson said. “The one thing I knew I wanted was for players to feel confident at all times. I wanted them to know that I thought they could take on the world. … As a player, I probably didn’t necessarily think like that. There’s a ton of value in having fun and knowing that you can win, and that’s kind of what I want to instill in players.”
He was fine after he came back, but not even remotely dominant. He gave up 40 hits in 38.1 innings. He struck out just 30 batters and he walked 15. Nobody is complaining about a guy with a 3.05 ERA, but he also wasn’t the pitcher he showed he could be at the end of 2024 or the pitcher the Royals needed him to be. He went on the IL again on September 19 to end his season. This time, he had right shoulder impingement syndrome. He and the Royals both said at the time that had they been in the playoff race still that he would have continued on. It’s easy to say that, so who knows if it’s really true? Regardless, he’s healthy now.
But I just want to know why he struck out 19.3 percent of batters in 2025 after striking out 27.1 percent in his rookie year and 28.5 percent in his second year.
As I’m writing this right now, I don’t know the answer. I always like to write the first part of newsletters like this before I dig into the details. If I had to guess, I’d say the injuries didn’t help, but he only had 15 strikeouts in 20.2 innings in those first 21 games when he put up video game ERA numbers. He also only gave up nine hits and two walks, so there simply weren’t runners on. Maybe he was less concerned about contact with nobody on base. But still, while the Royals staff looks to be good once again, the bullpen was badly missing strikeouts. I think there’s a good argument for Estevez to bounce back a bit in his numbers, but the real difference-maker likely comes from Erceg getting back to those punchouts.
Former Kansas City Royals utilityman Adam Frazier has found a new home. On Monday, Frazier joined the Los Angeles Angels on a minor-league deal. Frazier, 34, was a key piece for the Royals. He spent two stints with the organization and fueled their 2024 postseason run. The Royals reacquired Frazier last season as they looked for more veteran leadership in the clubhouse.
He analyzed his performance. The self-report highlighted ways to perform efficiently while maintaining daily availability. It’s a formula that has worked in the past — most notably when Estévez pitched seven times in a 10-day stretch. “Just taking notes on what I did good, you know, attacking the (strike) zone and being available a lot,” Estévez said. “It’s just being able to keep my team in the game and that kind of stuff. I think that’s what I’ve got to focus on.”
In return, the Royals got an on-base machine in Collins, who posted a .368 OBP and 0.61 BB/K ratio in 441 plate appearances. Collins did lose some playing time at the end of the season, but he’s the kind of multi-positional outfielder who gives the Royals the plate discipline and versatility that they’ve desperately needed. Collins doesn’t hit the ball all that hard or barrel balls that much, but he doesn’t chase, and he pulls the ball effectively, two qualities that the Royals were looking for this offseason.
As for Mears, he had an interesting season, especially when compared to 2024. That season, he sported a 5.93 ERA in 57,2 IP. However, his FIP was 3.39, and his K rate was 29.3%. Last year, his ERA was better at 3.49 (in 56.2 IP). Conversely, his FIP was higher at 3.86, and his K rate dropped to 20.8%. Mears had trouble finishing batters off last year in his first full season with the Brewers. That said, he still showed solid TJ Stuff+ metrics and an ability to make batters chase.
I went to this Pirates showcase. They told everyone you had to be there by 10 a.m. to sign in, and I was like, no problem, we’re out early. I rolled up way before that, ended up second on the list. Perfect spot, right?” Estevez recounted. They put me in super late. I threw maybe six pitches total to two Cubans. Got a strikeout and a fly ball to left. Solid stuff. I felt good. I saw the big dawg, the legendary scout who’d signed tons of ballplayers, walking over, and I thought, here it comes. Some real feedback. He’s gonna see what I got.
Instead, in front of everybody, ‘Who brought this piece of shit here?’ In front of everybody! My heart dropped. Then he kept going: ‘Get this piece of shit out of here’.
Following back-to-back 30-homer seasons at the University of Florida, Caglianone was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He hit .337/.408/.617 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 66 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year to force his way into the MLB picture. After taking his lumps at the plate while learning to play right field on the fly, he has the offensive tools to take a massive step forward in 2026.
The Royals traded pitching prospect A.J. Causey to the Athletics this offseason, and he recounted how the process went down to Sports Illustrated.
And then I was getting ready to throw my live BP, and I was in the training room, and our manager came in and was like, ‘hey, AJ, can you come here?’ I was like, ‘What could this be about? We already talked. I guess it’s about my live. BP, and then I walked into the office and just the GM and him, no pitching guys.
I knew it immediately. I was like, I just got traded. I just didn’t know to who. But yeah, I was kind of excited when I heard he was the Athletics. [laughing] Yeah, I guess I’m not throwing my live BP anymore.
While local politics and the ongoing rivalry between Missouri and Kansas play a significant role in the Royals’ consideration, the club remains intent on surrounding a new ballpark with a large mixed-use development. That concept, popularized to a significant degree by the Braves, has been embraced by many other teams, most recently the Rays.
Sherman also professed a preference for an urban setting, if possible, which lends further weight to the possibility of the downtown site. “I still have a bias for baseball being in the heart of the city, in the cultural center of our city, and to have the ability to make it better,” Sherman said. “If that happens, that’s going to be best for the community and the city at large, but we have to make sure we make the right long-term decision for the club as well.”
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MARCH, 1935. Joe Gordon shows New York Yankee manager Joe McCarthy his leaping prowess in St. Petersburg, Florida in March of 1935. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are so many legends across the history of the New York Yankees that it feels like some members of their teams who were also excellent don’t get the recognition they deserve. Players enshrined in Cooperstown with a certain team’s logo almost always seem to be especially honored by the related club — perhaps a retired number or maybe even a statue.
Alas, though Joe Gordon is a Hall of Famer and was a slam-dunk entry on our Top 100 Yankees series (all the way up at No. 34), you won’t find a trace of him in Monument Park. That’s honestly a shame because the man could really play and was one of the best second basemen in franchise history, winning an MVP and four World Series titles.
Joseph Lowell “Flash” Gordon Born: February 18, 1915 (Los Angeles, CA) Died: April 14, 1978 (Sacramento, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1938-46
Joe Gordon was born in Los Angeles, but he and his family moved to Oregon, where he spent most of his time growing up. He attended the University of Oregon and was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football as a halfback, gymnastics, soccer, and the long jump, while also developing his violin skills in the college orchestra. Gordon joined the Ducks baseball team for the 1934 and 1935 seasons and hit .358 while at Oregon, which ranks him tied for fourth in team history. The team also won the Pacific Coast Conference’s North Division in both seasons he wore the Ducks uniform.
Gordon began his MLB career after signing with the Yankees in 1936, and he immediately began proving his worth at the second base position through the minor leagues. He was initially assigned to the Oakland Oaks in the Pacific Coast League before being moved to the Newark Bears’ Double-A team in 1937. And in 1938 — after one of the best minor-league seasons ever, with the Bears winning 110 of 158 possible games — he was called up to the Yankees to make his debut on April 18, 1938, against the Boston Red Sox.
In his first season, Gordon slashed .255/.340/.502 for an OPS of .843 and an OPS+ of 109 in 127 games. The biggest feat of his rookie season, though, was his 25 home runs, which put Gordon as the American League record holder for home runs by a second baseman 64 years before being surpassed by Bret Boone’s 36 home runs in 2001. In his rookie season, the Yankees also won their third of what would be four consecutive titles.
Gordon’s years up through 1943 were simply fantastic. He collected a total of 31.7 BWAR, slashed .282/.368/.478 for an OPS of .846 and a 128 OPS+ with 117 home runs, good for 23.4 per season. And not only were his numbers good enough to garner attention within the organization as the team’s starting second baseman, but they were good enough to garner national recognition as well.
Through those 1939-1943 seasons, Gordon was a six-time All-Star and the winner of the AL MVP award in 1942, beating out a name every baseball fan will recognize — Ted Williams — for the award. It’s true that Williams almost certainly deserved it since he won the Triple Crown and had a staggering 10.5 WAR season by Baseball Reference, but, well, he and the writers were not very fond of each other, so to Gordon went the spoils! It was still a terrific campaign. In that time as well, Gordon gathered another three championships to his resume.
Outside of baseball, there was, of course, the war going on. World War II required most men to enlist in the military, and as a result, Gordon missed both the 1944 and 1945 seasons. In 1946, though, Gordon was able to make his return to the Yankees lineup, but it was a major struggle. Gordon dealt with tons of injuries that either kept him out of the lineup entirely or made it extremely hard to play at a high level. His numbers dipped to .210/.308/.338 with an OPS of .645 and the first below-average OPS+ of his career at 79.
After some internal discussions within the organization, they decided it would make sense to move Gordon, and they did in October to Cleveland for pitcher Allie Reynolds, which helped both clubs in the end. New York won a slew of championships with Reynolds leading their staff, and Gordon found new life. The second baseman’s numbers returned, playing four years with Cleveland and not seeing a below-average OPS+ for the rest of that time. He was an All-Star three of the four years as well, along with finishing seventh and sixth in the 1947 and ’48 MVP race, respectively. Gordon also won his final World Series (and the last one in Cleveland’s history to this point) in that ’48 campaign, with the six-game win coming against the Boston Braves. Although Gordon was held to four hits, he did put Cleveland up for good in the decisive Game 6 with a solo shot off righty Bill Voiselle.
At the age of 35, Gordon played his final MLB game against the Detroit Tigers, posting just one at-bat. And after his major league career, Gordon became a player-manager with the Pacific Coast League’s Sacramento Solons. After a brief scouting career, he managed four major league teams — Cleveland, Detroit, the Kansas City Athletics, and their successor in KC, the Royals. But all were relatively short stays before he moved into real estate following his resignation from the Royals after their inaugural season in 1969.
Gordon passed away in Sacramento, California, on April 14, 1978, at age 63, due to suffering multiple heart seizures. He wasn’t a Hall of Famer at the time, but the Veterans Committee did grant him posthumous honors in 2009. That July, his daughter Judy accepted his plaque and spoke on his behalf in Cooperstown. We hope that somewhere out there, the Gordon family is toasting Joe’s eleventy-first birthday!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: General view inside the stadium during the NWSL match between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. With 40,091 spectators, this game sets the new all-time stand-alone attendance record for any women’s professional league event in the United States.(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images
Good morning baseball fans!
As we approach the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!
Today’s question goes out to all the armchair GMs out there: If you were the GM for one move and one move only, what would you do to improve the team?
I’m choosing to interpret this question as a blank check for mayhem, rather than a realistic move that the team might actually make.
Because that’s way more fun!
So here’s my idea: A great Dodgers heist. Hear me out. We work with a third team, someone like the Boston Red Sox or New York Mets maybe, to somehow fleece the Dodgers out of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
So the Giants would provide the third team with something they really want (money, prospects, San Francisco real estate, whatever it takes to get the job done) and then that team makes a trade offer the Dodgers can’t refuse, and then they immediately turn around and trade with the Giants. Heck, we could loop in a few other teams to get the right package. I believe in our fictional power to get this done!
Feel free to use this prompt as a blank check for mayhem like I did, or make a more serious proposition! Whatever sounds like more fun to you!
What move would you make if you were GM for a day?
Milwaukee Brewers players warm up in the outfield during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
We’re less than a week from baseball games!
The Brewers get their Cactus League slate underway on Saturday afternoon against the Guardians. It won’t be a typical spring training, necessarily — the World Baseball Classic adds a (fun) twist to the proceedings, and several prominent Brewers will be absent from camp for a week or two while they represent their national teams.
We’re also not really looking at any dramatic battles for roster spots: last week’s signing of Luis Rengifo seemingly answered what was the team’s most interesting question heading into spring training, and likewise, Gary Sánchez’s signing seems to have ended discussion on the backup catcher for now.
So who should we watch? What’s interesting? Where are there still questions left to be answered?
Who is in the Opening Day rotation?
With the obvious injuries caveat, it seems all but certain that Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jacob Misiorowski will be in the Brewers’ starting rotation when they open the season on March 26. But they have a whole bunch of intriguing options for who fills those last two positions — or even whether they’ll go with some sort of piggyback system, given the range of options they have among starting pitchers.
Milwaukee’s two shiny new starter toys, Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat, are obviously going to be a big part of the rotation going forward, but will either of them pitch right away at the beginning of the season?
The first question is whether or not it’s worth it for the Brewers to start them in the minors in order to delay service clocks. In Harrison’s case, this isn’t much of a question: he’s already accrued more than a year of service time, so holding him back won’t really make a difference. Sproat, though, has thrown only 20 2/3 major league innings, so it seems likely that Milwaukee will try to keep him under a full year of service time this season to delay his free agency by a year.
For this reason alone, I would expect Harrison to be with the team out of spring training and Sproat to spend a little time at Triple-A Nashville. But it’s also worth seeing how both pitchers react to the tweaks that the Brewers’ pitching staff is certain to throw at them; both players have multiple options remaining, so if they think both could use a little more seasoning, they could easily go that route, too.
Another part of the “opening day rotation” question is related to who starts and who relieves. The Brewers have been a bit coy on this question and have repeatedly spoken of being open to stretching out multiple players who’ve pitched primarily in relief the last few years: DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, and Ángel Zerpa. There is also the question of where Chad Patrick is deemed most useful: he seems to have the stuff to be a starter, but he was electric out of the bullpen at the end of last season.
Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser are also involved, and at a certain point, we’re just listing a whole bunch of names — especially if you think Harrison is a foregone conclusion for the rotation, we’re essentially looking at four spots spoken for before we get to any of these other guys.
None of these players is particularly affected by the option question; all have at least one option remaining. With Ashby and Zerpa, you would assume that both will be in the bullpen if they are not starting. Hall is a bit more of a question: there’s a numbers crunch, he’s getting older, and it is becoming time for him to stay healthy and prove something.
What about the bullpen?
Okay, more of these numbers — if we say that Woodruff, Priester, Misiorowski, Harrison, Sproat, Gasser, and Henderson are likely to be either in the rotation or in the minors, then the Brewers have to fill eight bullpen spots with the following 12 guys:
Ashby
Hall
Zerpa
Patrick
Grant Anderson
Jared Koenig
Easton McGee
Trevor Megill
Sammy Peralta
Abner Uribe
Craig Yoho
Rob Zastryzny
If we again apply the option question, we see that it most heavily affects one guy on the 40-man roster: Rob Zastryzny. He — and arguably infielder Eddys Leonard, but not really — are the only players who are truly in play for a major league roster spot who do not have any minor league options remaining. Now, the Brewers have designated Zastryzny for assignment before, and he has cleared waivers and returned to the team, but that was during the season, when rosters weren’t as in flux as they tend to be at the end of spring training. I’m not sure they could sneak him through again if he pitches well and looks healthy all spring.
Everyone else has at least one minor league option remaining, though many of them only have one. If you assume that Koenig, Uribe, Megill, and Ashby are locks for the major league roster (a safe assumption, assuming health), then that leaves four spots for the rest. Patrick has, I would say, a decent chance at being the fifth option in the starting rotation. Zerpa, who the Brewers traded two major league regulars for, feels like he’s probably a lock.
Here’s where we’ll see if the Brewers value flexibility. If they opt to give Zastryzny one of the final spots, that’s another lefty, in addition to Zerpa, Koenig, and Ashby. Putting Hall in the bullpen at that point means more lefties than righties. Is that something Milwaukee is comfortable with?
I’m not making a prediction here—just tossing around some of the possibilities. But we know that the Brewers value flexibility in building their roster, and if they think Zastryzny is a contributor, I’d expect him to make the team, even if it feels like another option might be a little more promising.
Is there anything left to determine on the position player side?
As mentioned at the top, the additions of Rengifo and Sánchez seem, on the surface, to lock the Brewers into 13 position players on the roster, again assuming that everyone is healthy (which is usually not the case). Those 13 would be:
Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez Infielders (6): Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Luis Rengifo Outfielders (4): Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell Designated Hitter (1): Christian Yelich
It is conceivable that the Brewers could decide that one of Mitchell, Perkins, or Hamilton starts the year in the minors; all three have minor league options remaining and have not accrued five years of service time yet (which would enable them to refuse an option). But it’s difficult for me to imagine what scenario (again, besides injury) would have to play out in order for one of these three to give up a roster spot. In Hamilton’s case, there is no obvious player to take the spot, if we’re assuming that the Brewers are planning to start Jett Williams in the minors to both get him more reps at Triple-A and to delay his service clock. I guess that maybe either Brandon Lockridge or Akil Baddoo could separate themselves from Perkins and/or Mitchell somehow, but teams put very little stock in spring training performance, so unless there was something that looked truly broken, I don’t really see how that could happen.
In any case, unless someone gets hurt, Lockridge and Baddoo are the only players on the outside looking in that I’d say have a legitimate chance to break camp with the team. Maybe they could find a way to sneak Tyler Black into the majors, but I don’t really see that happening unless at least two of the outfielders above him on the depth chart get hurt. If Yelich has to start the season in the IL for any reason, there might be a conversation to be had about Black.
Which young players should we check out?
There are a ton of interesting players the Brewers will have in spring training with them, and given that several regulars will be out for the WBC, we’ll get to see them in action. Obviously, we’re all excited to see Jesús Made get some run against major league pitchers, but I’m also excited to see whether Cooper Pratt, Brock Wilken, and Jett Williams can get the bat on the ball. Luke Adams could hit some. Luis Lara might make some incredible catches.
On the pitching side, it’ll be great to get our teeth into Harrison and Sproat and the other new starter on the 40-man roster, Shane Drohan. Can Coleman Crow build on his excellent season at Double-A Biloxi? Will Sammy Peralta be another out-of-nowhere success story? Can Craig Yoho get his mojo back?
The buildup to spring training tends to be very exciting, and then you wind up watching nine players you’ve never heard of with numbers in the 70s on their backs by the fourth inning of the second game, and it can be easy to lose interest. But the Brewers boast one of the strongest farm systems in the league, if not the very best one, so embrace the guy wearing number 82 or 66 this spring: they might just be a big part of Milwaukee’s future.
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 24: Blaine Crim #16 of the Colorado Rockies rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Nik Pennington/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last week, we explored some storylines concerning pitchers and catchers in spring training for the Colorado Rockies. Now that full-squad workouts have officially begun and games are right around the corner, we can turn to the position player group. Believe it or not, there are even more questions surrounding the position players, as battles and competitions for spots will be prevalent throughout Cactus League play. How the puzzle pieces fall into place is going to be interesting to watch, so let’s look at a couple of storylines to keep an eye on.
Who’s on First?
This is perhaps the storyline to monitor in camp this season. After the Rockies released former top prospect Michael Toglia and late-season darling Warming Bernabel, the team was suddenly without a first baseman to pencil in for Opening Day. Sure, Blaine Crim had some impressive moments down the stretch to end the season, but is he the right answer for 2026?
The team has spent the offseason ironing out the candidates for the position. Joining Crim is Troy Johnston, who joined the club via waivers and presents a left-handed option. Charlie Condon (No. 2 Mid-Season PuRP) will likely be given as many opportunities to win the job in spring training, but it’s more likely he starts the year in the minors, having only reached Double-A in his first full season.
T.J. Rumfield was acquired from the New York Yankees and is a toolsy first baseman who is near big league ready and will definitely be in the mix as a non-roster invite. Then, the team acquired Edouard Julien from the Minnesota Twins. Julien is more of a second baseman, but picked up first base with the Twins, though his experience is limited.
No single candidate stands out as the runaway favorite for the position, meaning it’s going to be one of the more contested positions in camp. They all offer similar tools in one way or another, so every at-bat and play matters even more. Of course, the team could throw us a curveball and acquire a first baseman, rendering this discussion moot. Regardless, first base is wide open, and it’s up to the best man to win.
Outfield Looking In
The Rockies’ outfield seems fairly straightforward in its lineup. Jordan Beck is expected to be in left field, Brenton Doyle in center, and a combination of Mickey Moniak and newly-acquired Jake McCarthy in right. Of course, Tyler Freeman can also fit into the mix as a utility outfielder, but he could see more time on the infield dirt this season. Then, the addition of Willi Castro presents another corner outfielder option alongside Johnston, who is capable of playing the outfield.
From a big league roster perspective, the outfield is pretty crowded while being set, and it’s going to make it a little more difficult for roster hopefuls to crack. Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), who has entered camp in brand new shape and mentality, is a top candidate to try and force his way back onto the roster after a rough cup of coffee last season.
Veen’s transformation this offseason to overcome his substance abuse issues is incredible. Now, the hope is to see if he can make himself relevant for the big league club again, to get back in their good graces and reach the potential that led them to draft him with their first pick in 2020. It’s an uphill battle for him on both fronts, but it’s going to be fascinating to watch if he can replicate the spring training electricity he created last year.
What’s the offensive strategy?
Even before the disaster of 2025, which saw the Rockies field one of the worst run-scoring teams in MLB history, the offense in Colorado had struggled as a whole for quite a while. Since 2019, the team has seen a steady decline in its offensive ability. Strikeouts reigned supreme while power numbers diminished. Sure, there were some standout individual performances, but unlike other sports, a great year from one or two guys doesn’t move the needle.
Hitting coach Brett Pill has his work cut out for him to help the offensive unit start clicking. Once games start on Friday, we’ll get our first look at some of the work starting to be put in. Are we going to see more disciplined hitters with an emphasis of getting on base by any means necessary? Or will there still be aggression by the offense to attack hitters, but it’s a more controlled and methodical form of aggression? If nothing else, we know contact has to be an emphasis.
Need for Speed
After the team gets on base, what’s the plan? We saw hints of Warren Schaeffer’s preferred style of play. He loves small ball and the art of stealing bases. The Rockies have a fast team, yet stolen bases haven’t been a great team function for years. Causing chaos on the bases for opposing teams helped the Rockies out a bit last season and it could be something Schaeffer emphasizes even more now that he has the official manager title.
I’d like to see how often the Rockies are attempting to steal, something they actually do quite a bit in spring training, and how successful they are in their steal attempts. Even more important, it will be watching how they steal. By that, I mean are they getting better jumps and bigger leads, timing up opposing pitchers earlier than in the past? Speed is a valuable tool, and the Rockies could afford to run wild in 2026.
Rebound Candidates
The struggles of Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle last season were due to injuries and underperformance, and truly hurt the club. Doyle started to iron things out in the second half of the season, but Tovar was never on the field long enough to find a rhythm. Having both healthy in camp is going to be paramount to righting the ship in 2026.
But the new acquisitions of Castro, Julien, and McCarthy present rebound candidates that would be a huge boon for the lineup if they can click. All three have one or two good seasons under their belt offensively, but injuries or other slumps have put them in a position to be hungry and prove themselves again. Schaeffer has a lot of new tools in his toolbox to deploy, but some of them need to be sharpened before they are useful again and so a strong rebound showing in spring training will be something to watch for.
Conclusion
These are just a few storylines to watch, as we know there are several more position battles unsettled and plenty of individual questions to solve for players. The main takeaway is that spring training is going to be more interesting than it has in the past for pitchers and position players, and it should hopefully be an enjoyable ride for the fans.
What position players’ questions do you want answered for spring training this year? Keep things rolling in the comments below.
Jordan Beck had some flashes of what he can do to contribute to the Rockies last season. However, consistency in production is going to be at the top of his list of goals heading into 2026.
Kris Bryant talked to the media on Tuesday morning, basically talking about how much pain he is still in with his back issues and that he is just hoping to find some sort of breakthrough in a rehab process.
NORTH PORT, FL - FEBRUARY 23: A general interior view of CoolToday Park during the Spring Training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on February 23, 2020 in North Port, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Braves 5-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While the TV situation for the Atlanta Braves is currently in flux heading into the 2026 season, there are still games to be played and we at least know that 15 of them will be televised by your local Gray TV affiliate.
We’ll keep this updated as more information comes out but for now, here’s the TV and radio schedule for the 2026 Grapefruit League campaign for the Atlanta Brave.s
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Dominic Smith #7 of the San Francisco Giants hits a two run home run a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 8, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves made a minor move on Tuesday and added infielder Dominic Smith on their list of non-roster invites to spring training. Smith, 30, spent the 2025 season in San Francisco, where he appeared in 63 games. He spent the majority of his time at first base, but also appeared in right field and briefly filled the DH role.
He debuted with the New York Mets in 2017 and in his early career, logged most of his innings in the outfield.
It is an under-the-radar addition for Atlanta, but Smith gives the Braves another experienced option in camp and a potential source of depth, should he make an impression this spring.
More Braves News:
Skipper Walt Weiss caught up with the media, discussing the pitching staff, Ronald Acuña Jr., and more.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses for a photo during the St. Louis Cardinals Photo Day at Roger Dean Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Originally, I was going to write about the Cubs last, but I feel more threatened by Milwaukee overall. So, I am saving them for last. There is some small chance I might move to Milwaukee, so it’s not the city. It’s the team that annoys me. I’ll probably stick here in St Louis, yeah. But maybe some day I will have to change my name to Cards Fan in Brewtown or whatever it’s called, since long ago on VEB I was known as Cards Fan In Chitown. Miltown just doesn’t sound right. But this is about Chicago! A place I lived in for over 20 years, it was a love/hate thing.
Chicago is too cold, too little parking for residents without private parking, parking tickets are expensive, and they charge you like $100/yr for a sticker to put on your car so you don’t get tickets from the police for simply not having a Chicago sticker. That said, I never understand why people say Chicago is violent and scary unless they’re looking for heroin in the wrong neighborhoods, and even then, it’s survivable. I once was pulled over by a cop in a bad west side neighborhood, and the first thing that came to my mind was that he probably thought I was a kid from the suburbs looking for the h.
Nope, I am and was an artist/musician, and another artist had bought a building in a dangerous area to house artists. If you avoid these bohemian zones or whatever you want to call it, Chicago is filled with cops and security and cameras… it’s just a whole media lie to manipulate people about Chitown and to force a narrative. The rate of crime is average there. There’s just more counting numbers to scare people with. If anything, there are too many cops and order there. At least in the Chicago I experienced from the late 90’s until 2019.
I used to drunkenly ride my bike through Wrigleyville yelling “Cubbies!” in the most mocking tone possible. Everyone else was walking between bars or after the Cubs game, drunk too. No one cared or maybe it didn’t even register that I was mocking them, but regardless, these were more carefree times. I used to enjoy going to the Gingerman, a bar near Wrigley. I saw the Cardinals on the 4th of July there, and my friend and I were able to walk to Wrigley Field because I lived in Uptown, just one neighborhood past Sheridan, which was just north of Wrigleyville. I lived right by Graceland Cemetery, one of the world’s greatest places for the dead, I guess?
I spilled a beer on a Cubs fan on accident that 4th of July, but not his girlfriend. So I didn’t feel too bad about it. I had brought my best friend, friends since grade school, with, and we will always have a chuckle over that one.
OK! So yeah, the Cubs this year… my gut tells me last year was their peak window, and they didn’t do enough. They blew it, whether it was the players on the field or the owners not putting forth the funds to compete with the coasts. Or maybe we could just say, the two Big Cities. LA & NY will almost always outspend anyone. They usually do. Ironically enough, the Dodgers were originally from NY, but empires go coast to coast.
Sometimes I just get into this writing mode and words gonna churn like butter. The Chicago Cubs are the best of the midwest, the cream of the crop? Let’s check that out.
The Cubs best infielder is Dansby Swanson. In December, 2022, the Cubs signed Dansby Swanson to a 7 year, $177 million contract. He should put up around 3.7+ WAR this season. Dansby was maybe a sleeper pick because he’s athletic in not the offensive way: he’s good at defense and a fast runner. Sort of their Masyn Winn. I think the two players will be rather similar this season.
Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman round out their really good infield. Bregman is projected to be close to the same value as Nico, according to the consensus of projections. ZiPS actually says Hoerner is the superior player. Dansby, Nico, and Alex are quite the left side of the infield! Not a world beater, but pretty damn good. Over at first base, Michael Busch ain’t no slouch either. He’s not supposed to be much better than Alec Burleson, but still, that’s good! Two and a half plus WAR ain’t nothing to scoff at.
Oh but the Cubs have a Pete Crow-Armstrong, their best player! Will he be a legend like he was the first half of 2025, or more like the second half? Maybe him and Victor Scott II will both be better first half players, not to compare the offense but in a most general sense, they both did not have as good of second halfs. For Pete Crow Armstrong, he seems a little bit difficult to predict: 3.3 to 4.9 is the difference in floor vs ceiling projections here. I will do a final article comparing projection systems without any outlier projections involved, later on. Still, he is a key factor in what sets the Cubs ahead of the pack. He is more than likely going to be the Cubs best position player, like it or not. That’s how important it is for a defensive center fielder to be able to hit a little bit. They just become super valuable.
It’s time (for me) to admit the Cubs are going to be good. They have installed a 13.5ish WAR infield with a somewhat fantastic outfield because of PCA, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ. The corner outfielders are no slouches, either. Ian Happ has always been annoying, and Seiya Suzuki should be around a 3 WAR player!
It’s their starting pitching *especially at Wrigley, that doesn’t seem to be very competitive. They will predictably trade for a better starting pitcher around the all star break (maybe?) but Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, and Jameson Tailon aren’t projected to break 10 WAR. That’s better than the Cardinals rotation, but maybe not by as much as many people think. If OOPSY is right about the Cubs rotation and The Bat is correct about the Cardinals rotation… they’re almost the same. Both teams will certainly not rely on the same top 5 all year, so it’s just spitballing, but I was a little surprised.
A conclusion to derive from the Cubs starting position players is that they absolutely blow away the Reds, Cardinals, and Pirates lineups. I am guessing, the Brewers too. I don’t think much sticks out about the Cubs bullpen, and I don’t know much about it, so I’ll just leave it at that.
Matthew Boyd should be the best Cubs starting pitcher, but Shota Imanaga is the most famous name on the staff. They don’t have bad pitching depth, but it’s not too impressive either. The Cubs will rely upon health among their position players to compete, is what I am reading in the tea leaves.
I’ll just lay the Cards on the table: none of the Cardinals, Pirates, or the Reds have the firepower to compete with the Cubs position players. They may have shot themselves in the foot with lackluster pitching at Wrigley field, plus if any of Swanson, Armstrong, Hoerner, Bregman, Busch, or Suzuki go down, they may be hampered quite a bit. Carson Kelly – Miguel Amaya are a good catching tandem, as well, but they kind of back each other up pretty well. The two will equate to a pretty decent catcher.
*Pirates updated but not finalized, Cardinals still in raw form… I switched from ZiPS to ZiPS DC and updated all
Will the Cubs be the projected favorite to win the division? Only the Brewers might compete.
***
There is something about the Cardinals, though, that you cannot predict: they’re one of the youngest teams in all of MLB! Also, if you dive into the linked ESPN created average age chart, a mystery 38 year old player is listed: Ryan Tapera! So maybe we are the youngest team, idk, you tell me.
The top 5 aging rosters are the Padres, the Mets, the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Cubs! Only the Marlins, Nationals, and White Sox have a younger average roster age than the Cardinals. The Guardians and the Cardinals have the same average age of 26.5. This puts us on the same page as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, and of course Cleveland. The top three youngest teams are not much younger, overall.
If you look at these projections through an age lens, it would appear that the Cubs flubbed the most this offseason. They should have done more. Maybe they will, but time runs out soon on their offseason endeavors. But Atlanta did not do much either, comparable to Chicago. Neither did Toronto.
Texas, Kansas City, Houston, and Baltimore are all aging teams when you get to the middle. The Orioles need to do something now. Hopefully they’ll compete in the AL East. Seattle, Detroit, Boston, Arizona, and San Francisco are also probably in the “better do something” boat. Philadelphia seems to be set up pretty well to compete with a slightly younger average age than you might think. But they’re also the same age as the Angels.
Age vs price of aging player contracts is such a huge factor and disparity within baseball. Perhaps what everyone needs to go through is a leveling of the playing field, a jubilee of sorts. Contracts and wages are all out of whack everywhere within out society and economy. Everything is stagnant. And it has been for a while, but things are grinding to a halt, it would feel. Maybe the system needs a whole revision, on every level.
So, the Cardinals are now a very, very young MLB team. Let’s take a look at our team’s players’ ages…
Pitchers
Ryne Stanek is now the older brother in the clubhouse, oldest Cardinal at 34 years old (also, he was born in St Louis!)
Riley O’Brien will surprise some at 31! He doesn’t seem that old, does he
Nick Raquet is 30… we have 3 rostered players who are 30+
JoJo Romero is 29… maybe when he’s 30, he will be traded
Dustin May, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Pushard, Chris Roycroft, & Justin Bruihl are all 28 year olds
Matt Svanson, Andre Pallante, Zak Kent, and Ryan Fernandez are 27
Matthew Liberatore, George Soriano, Richard Fitts, and Hunter Dobbins are 26
Michael McGreevy and Gordon Graceffo are 25
Roby, Mautz, & Hjerpe are all 24 years old
Tink Hence is the youngest rostered pitcher at 23
Catchers
Yohel Pozo is the godfather of the catchers at 28
Pedro Pages is 27
Ivan Herrera is 25
Jimmy Crooks III is 24
Leonardo Bernal is one of the youngest rostered players at 22!
Infielders
Sir Alec Burleson is the eldest infielder at 27 years old
Jose Fermin and Cesar Prieto are 26
Nolan Gorman is 25
Masyn Winn and Thomas Saggese are only 23!
Outfielders
Lars Nootbaar is the same age as Bryan Torres: 28
Victor Scott II and Nathan Church are both 25
Jordan Walker is the same age as his buddy Masyn Winn: only 23
Up and comer Joshua Baez is only 22!
Nelson Velasquez is 27 in case anyone was wondering (I was!)… if he perseveres, it will be his first MLB appearance since 2024. His MLB career had some ups and downs but ended at .719 OPS, not bad, not great. In his last MLB stint, he was with the Royals, and had a .640 OPS in 240 PA. You can’t really hope he’s any kind of answer to the outfield equation, but maybe he will surprise.
1978
Here I am, writing about the last 50 years of my life. Back in 1978, things were just as topsy turvy as they are now, or I’d like to think of it that way, anyway.
Roman Polanski skipped bail in the US and fled to France after pleading guilty to sexual relations with a 13 year old girl. Charlie Chaplin’s remains were stolen in Switzerland. Dallas the tv show debuted on CBS, and gave birth to the genre of modern primetime soap opera. Jimmy Carter decided to delay production of the neutron bomb. May 25, 1978 featured the first Unabomber attack at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Al Unser won his 3rd Indianapolis 500 (my favorite racing event other than drag racing). June 25th, 1978 was the debut of the LGTB rainbow flag.
Angels outfielder Lyman Bostock was shot to death in Gary, IN while visiting friends during the season. He was another 27 guy. On October 14, 1978, Jimmy Carter signed a bill into law that allowed the home brewing of beer in the U.S. The first Superman movie was released. In Chicago, John Wayne Gacy was arrested. My friend rented an apartment in that house years later!
1978 was a Yankees Dodgers World Series, the Yanks somehow overcoming multiple issues to win everything. Those types of World Series are really annoying, but hey, I suppose they’re bound to happen sometimes. The Yankees were the only 100 game winner in 1978, and they ended up winning it all. The Dodgers were nearly as good, winning 95 games that season. The Big Red Machine was still running strong at 92 wins, more than the NL East leader, the Phillies, who only won 90 games. The Cardinals and Mets were terrible in 1978, winning under 70 games! The Red Sox finished only 1 game back of the Yankees at 99 wins.
It must be serendipitous that I was speaking of Chicago at the beginning of this article, because my favorite album of 1978 is an album that was part of an overarching soundtrack to my life in Chitown. Sun Ra’s masterpiece album, ‘Lanquidity’. I listened to it often while living there.
#1 Sun Ra – ‘Lanquidity’ One of the most subtle and deep groove albums of all time! Parts acid jazz, classic jazz, funk, world music, and space rock, it is among the best albums of Sun Ra’s entire discography! It works both as an introduction to Sun Ra and as advanced Solar Arkestra listening. They’re both more focused and tight here than usual, but also more detached and machine-like. This is Sun Ra still at his peak. Total pure genius. A stunningly deep work. Sun Ra and His Arkestra invented Afrofuturism, not just music, an art movement. And we will see several other cultural movements arise in 1978, a time of change.
#2 Rush – ‘Hemispheres’ is just as close of a life soundtrack to me as Lanquidity, so one could consider this a tie… but I feel like Sun Ra runs a little more deep. Rush is also super deep, but in a very prog rock way. And this is probably the most exemplary prog rock album of all time. It far outdoes ‘2112’, and King Crimson isn’t quite as well known as Rush. Hemispheres vs Court of the Crimson King would be an interesting debate about best prog rock album ever, but you could also enter Yes – ‘Fragile’ into that conversation as well. However, ‘Hemispheres’ is the best prog rock album released in my lifetime, and there’s not much doubt about that. And despite it being known as a bloated prog rock extravaganza, it’s actually very concise at just over 36 minutes.
#3 Captain Beefheart – ‘Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)’ could easily be #1, I would basically consider these top 3 albums a tie for first. Shiny Beast is Captain Beefheart’s sleeper beast of an album. Troutmask Replica gets most of the attention, but I’d argue that there are a few better Beefheart albums, nothing against Troutmask it’s just that the good Captain’s discography is absolutely stacked. I also love ‘Lick My Decals Off Baby’ and his very first album ‘Safe As Milk’, and I’m rather fond of his later era trio of albums ‘Shiny Beast’ (which is also known as Bat Chain Puller, which could get confusing because there’s another version of the album recorded in 1976 and released in 2012), ‘Doc At The Radar Station’ (I have both of these albums on remastered vinyl), and ‘Ice Cream For Crow’. Captain Beefheart is THE weirdo musician, and isn’t it supremely weird that him and Frank Zappa went to the same high school, concurrently?
#4 Weidorje – ‘Weidorje’ is funky alien music with basslines that not only conjure disco and funk but also Jaco Pastorius and the sound of early 70s King Crimson bassist John Wetton. This is another spinoff band from another more well known band. That band is fellow Zeuhl movement powerhouse, Magma, who also make this 1978 top 10 list. So now you know two prog rock movements: Zeuhl and RIO (rock in opposition). Canterbury Scene is another. Anyways, you may wonder where I find this stuff, but I have been a fan of this album for at least a decade. Just a big prog rock fan! This is honestly one of my favorite albums of all time. This is a very fun listen, mostly instrumental but some fun made up language vocals occasionally keep things interesting. And that album cover is absolutely amazing.
#5 Various Artists – ‘No New York’ Pretty much right after the punk explosion hit, punk rock started to splinter into new movements and subgenres. One of the earliest and most punk subgenre of all was No Wave punk, an alternative to the smoother sounds of New Wave. ‘No New York’ is exemplary, a blueprint for a whole movement, which was primarily based in New York City, but also branched out to Philadelphia, Chicago, and the Kansai region of Japan, cities with creative musicians who wanted to be on the cutting edge of culture. The term was a reaction to New Wave, and it became not only a music scene but an art movement in NYC. Glen Branca started to deconstruct the sound of guitars, bands started to do the same, and detune guitars or make certain instruments sound absurd. Rather than technical playing, reinventing sounds and displaying raucous energy were the focus. The bands on this super punk album sound really ahead of their time and had names like The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Mars, and DNA. As this was largely a nihilistic cultural movement, the sounds of the music are usually abrasive, noisy, dissonant, and/or absurd. What is most interesting is how the movement branched out to incorporate so many different, disparate genres into its sound, making the genre more about a spirit, style, and attitude that is not easy to describe unless you’re already familiar it. This album (produced by Brian Eno) is a good intro to no wave music.
#6 Magma – ‘Attahk’ French Zeuhl progenitors update their sound with more funk, more jazz fusion, and even gospel. This album would be ranked a little higher because I love them, but I think they’re stretching a bit here. It makes the list because it features three of their best songs in album opener “The Last Seven Minutes”, “Lyric Necronomicus Kant”, and the lovely “Dondai”. This is one of the best live bands you’ll ever see, so if they tour again, it’s a must. They bring a full band with multiple guitarists, bassist, a choir of singers, and keys plus the incredible talents of drummer and bandleader Christian Vander. I’m don’t think they will be touring again because Vander is going to turn 78 years young in a couple days, but you never know.
#7 Devo – ‘Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’ Speaking of New Wave, Devo are my favorite new wave punk band! If they were even a little less structured and pop, and a little more noisy, I think they’d be considered no wave (or maybe they just had to live in NYC instead). Devo were certainly a little weird themselves, and were one of my first favorite bands. I had a cool older sister who listened to them, and they always looked fun on MTV in their hats. While Devo were formed back in 1973, they didn’t release their first album until 1978! Devo went on to release an album every year from 1978 to 1982! And yet another album in 1984. This is one of the few bands I never got to see live, that I’d like to see. They’re so fun! Devolution.
#8 Art Bears – ‘Hopes and Fears’ is the sound of one band disintegrating into another band during the recording sessions. At the same time half of ‘Hopes and Fears’ was being recorded, the final Henry Cow album was also laid to tape. The swansong album was not released until 1979, however. The world got to hear the new band Art Bears, first. The second half of the album was recorded in March 1979, just a month or two after the first half was recorded, but now with only a trio of musicians, including singer Dagmar Krause. She absolutely steals the show here, who along with guitarist Fred Frith and drummer Cris Cutler created next level avant art rock. They became (along with Henry Cow) the originators of the Rock In Opposition movement, which aligned European outsider prog rock bands, and the English Art Bears/Henry Cow. They even had a festival based around these bands no record label dared to promote. If you enjoy oddball, weird music, this is a must-listen.
#9 Siouxsie and the Banshees – ‘The Scream’ I did not know this album even existed before I did my research, but I’m glad I found it! I’ve always liked what I have heard from Siouxsie, but I had no idea that they went all the way back to 1978. As it turns out, they’ve been around as long as Devo. While new wave and no wave were also around, Siouxsie was getting post-punk started. While they had been around a couple years before their debut album, they were not signed right away. But eventually a label released their tunes to critical acclaim and even were said to have created a new sound. The late 1970s were a very interesting time in music where old ideas were dying out and new ones emerging constantly. It was a good idea to be in a band back then as it could be your career. And you could create new ways while doing it.
#10 Magazine – ‘Real Life’ and to round out my top 10 albums of 1978 is Real Life by Magazine, and eclectic collection of songs that could also be filed under post-punk. People have also described this album as new wave or art rock, but you get the picture. If you want to know a band that influenced Radiohead, here you go. My standout track is “The Light Pours Out Of Me” which one of my favorite bands Ministry covered really well, I might add!
I could go on forever writing about music and baseball. Let’s cut if off until next week though, thanks for reading!
TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during Spring Training Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have asked a lot about favorites – time for the other end of the spectrum?
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
1922 – Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis resigns his federal judgeship, claiming the two jobs (judge and Commissioner) take up too much time. (2)
1943 – New York entrepreneur William D. Cox purchases the bankrupt Phillies from the National League. The 33-year-old new owner will be banned from baseball in November by commissioner Landis when he admits to making some “sentimental” bets on his team during the season. (1)
1944 – Fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game. The Reds had been scouting his 34-year-old father. (2)
1998 – Longtime baseball announcer Harry Caray* dies at the age of 84 after suffering a heart attack four days earlier while having Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife, Dutchie. The colorful “Mayor of Rush Street” started his career in 1945 with the Cardinals and also did play-by-play for the A’s, White Sox, and the Cubs during his 52 years in the broadcast booth. (2)
1268 – Battle of Wesenberg: Livonian Brothers of the Sword fight the forces of Novgorod and Pskov, led by Dmitry of Pereslavl near Rakvere in modern-day Estonia; both sides claim victory.
1478 – Duke of Clarence George Plantagenet is convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England and is privately executed in the Tower of London, allegedly by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine.
1745 – Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops occupy Inverness, Scotland.
1856 – The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore.
1930 – American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers the dwarf planet Pluto.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
