There is no Athletics baseball today, as the team has a day off to right the ship and regroup. The A’s have been outscored 33-4 through their first four spring games — all losses by sizable margins. Last season, the A’s offense was one of the best in the league, yet this year they have not scored in half their games and have yet to hit a home run.
That said, it is far too early to panic. It is still February, and spring training results are always taken with a grain of salt. Starting position players only play half the game if at all before sitting to let the youngsters play. The pitching staffs are like turnstiles with new pitchers entering the game every inning to showcase their abilities against opposing hitters. Those factors make this part of the MLB calendar a more relaxing atmosphere for players and spectators alike.
However, that does not mean teams and fans cannot evaluate players during preseason action to see who has improved over the offseason and who looks ready for Opening Day. For instance, has a pitcher decided to use a new pitch and if so, how does it look against hitters? Pitching will be the focus of camp. The offense is strong, but the staff must improve for the team to take the next step. So far, the A’s have not had many positive pitching performances aside from J.T. Ginn and Luis Severino’s stellar spring debuts against the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians.
At the moment, the A’s offense is lagging behind, but that could be due to the likes of Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom needing to get their timing back and shake off any offseason rust. Fortunately, the A’s have nearly a full month of spring training remaining to sort out any kinks, get the offense rolling and prepare for what they hope will be a successful 2026 campaign.
Jamie Arnold will make his A’s debut on Friday. Can he quickly ascend to the Majors like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson did or will the left-hander need more time to develop in the minor leagues?
Luis Severino is one of many A’s players representing their countries in the World Baseball Classic, which starts March 5. He will toe the rubber for the Dominican Republic when they play Netherlands.
Estos serán los abridores de República Dominicana para la primera ronda del World Baseball Classic 2026, según anunció el dirigente Albert Pujols:
Cristopher Sánchez vs. Nicaragua Luis Severino vs. Países Bajos Brayan Bello vs. Israel Sandy Alcántara vs. Venezuela pic.twitter.com/WKHPLBsYT8
Oct 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) and pitcher Blake Snell (7) and pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) celebrate with the Commissioner's Trophy in the clubhouse after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
After four consecutive years of running out of starting pitchers in October, the Dodgers last year saw the other side of that coin, with all of their top four starters healthy and thriving during the postseason.
There isn’t one cheat code to win in October — after all, the Dodgers had three-ish starting pitchers healthy in 2024 but rode a strong bullpen and monstrous offense to a championship anyway. In 2025, the postseason bullpen and the offense was functional but not dynamic, but they had Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani make all 17 starts. Then all four starters pitched in Game 7 of the World Series to close it out.
Glasnow makes his first start this spring on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch, coming off of a regular season that saw him make 18 starts and 90 1/3 innings. The last three seasons have the top three start totals of his career — 21 starts in 2023, 22 in 2024, before 18 last year, averaging 114 2/3 innings during those three seasons.
Snell might not be ready to start the regular season, but the Dodgers will likely be conservative in making sure he’s fully ready before joining the rotation. That’s how they treated the shoulder-related stints on the injured list for both Snell and Glasnow last season.
Ohtani during his three full two-way seasons with the Angels (2021-23) started 23, 28, and 23 games, the latter cut short in August with the elbow injury that led to his second career Tommy John surgery. This spring, his pitching build up will be on the back fields both in spring training and at least through his time with Japan in the World Baseball Classic. We saw last year as Ohtani was eased into the rotation, the Dodgers are comfortable with having their extra 14th pitcher start games even if he’s not fully stretched out, as they’ll usually have a full complement of bullpen arms to back him.
Mar 1, 2025; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the second inning during spring training at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
With Shane McClanahan hopefully returning to the rotation for the first time in two seasons, the Rays will need to manage his workload carefully to ensure he’s healthy for October – both this year and beyond. The goal isn’t necessarily to restrict or limit him, but to preserve his health while also allowing him to provide value in a structured way.
The most effective way to do that while maximizing overall rotation performance may be to abandon the traditional five-man model altogether.
Optimizing Performance
Below I’ve listed wOBA-against for starting pitchers by the number of days between starts for the league across the last decade including the postseason. For instance, two days since a pitchers most recent start would mean they had one day of rest (Player A pitched on a Monday, rested on Tuesday, and then pitched again on Wednesday):
Number of Days Rest Between Starts
wOBA-against
1 Day
.338
2 Days
.325
3 Days
.326
4 Days (Traditional 5-man rotation)
.319
5 Days (Proposed 5.5-man rotation)
.316
6 Days
.321
7 Days
.318
8 Days
.321
Two points of wOBA is worth roughly one run per 600 plate appearances. Over 3,600 batters (about what a rotation faces in a season), a three-point improvement translates to roughly nine runs, or about one to two wins. Of course, with off-days, rainouts, injuries, etc. not every start in a season will be made with five days between starts, but there’s still a clear benefit to aiming for that amount of rest. A one-win edge may seem marginal, but teams routinely spend millions of dollars in free agency to gain that same advantage. While these are marginal performance gains, the primary benefit would be sustainable usage/workloads and – as a byproduct of that – possibly reduced injury risk.
A six-man rotation would also maximize the number of starts made on five days of rest. However, it can limit bullpen flexibility unless there are multiple, optionable multi-inning relievers available on the 40-man. Unlike a six-man rotation, this approach intentionally caps McClanahan’s workload per outing while maintaining five traditional starters.
What a Rays 5.5-Man Rotation Could Look like
The deepest area of the roster may be the starting pitching group. They’ve got 10 guys on the 40-man roster who could realistically start games in the majors this season:
Among this group, Rasmussen, Pepiot, and Martinez are all guys who will likely start without many limitations. The rest will have limitations in some capacity due to a variety of factors (recovery from injury, previous season’s workload, strike throwing consistency) but are still valuable in bulk and starting roles. Any shift away from the traditional five-day cycle would require buy-in from pitchers accustomed to routine.
There are also a handful of guys not on the 40-man roster who are capable of pitching in bulk and starter roles if needed: Chase Solesky, Jake Woodford (who we recently profiled), and Logan Workman.
The health of the group coming out of spring training will largely determine who is on the Opening Day roster. If the Rays were to go with a 5.5-man rotation, they would carry six pitchers from this group. The obvious counterargument is that it would shorten bullpen depth. However, if they carried a seventh pitcher capable of 3-4 inning outings in tandem with the “half” starter, they could avoid overusing their short-relief options. Those innings would be planned and assigned to designated multi-inning arms, rather than spread across high-leverage relievers. Boyle, Seymour, Englert, and Scholtens all have options, so they could easily rotate in and out of that role throughout the season to help keep the bullpen fresh.
Below is an example of what it could look like in practice.
The exact names at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen are less important than the conceptual part of how this could all fit together. The greatest area of depth (and possibly the roster’s greatest strength) on the roster is their starting pitching/bulk options, so why not leverage that in a creative way to get the most out of the pitching staff as a whole? The swingman in the bullpen would primarily be used in combination with the half-starter but could be deployed in tandem with another starter depending on the context of a game.
SP: Drew Rasmussen
SP: Ryan Pepiot
SP: Nick Martinez
SP: Yoendrys Gomez
SP: Joe Boyle
Half-starter: Shane McClanahan
Bulk/swingman: Steven Matz
RP: Griffin Jax
RP: Edwin Uceta
RP: Garrett Cleavinger
RP: Bryan Baker
RP: Hunter Bigge
RP: Steven Wilson
A 5.5-man rotation wouldn’t be a gimmick. It would be a structural hedge against injury and fatigue through workload management – and a way to ensure McClanahan is at full strength when the games matter most.
The Rays have long embraced incremental edges, even when they challenge convention. This would simply extend a philosophy that has already produced openers, bulk relievers, and fluid roles.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - JULY 22: Colorado Rockies 2025 first round draft pick, Ethan Holliday participates in his first work out at Salt River Field at Talking Stick on July 22, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ethan Holliday is a name that has been well-known to Rockies fans for a long time, if only from the connection to his father, Rockies great Matt — not to mention his brother, 2022 number one overall pick Jackson. Those connections made it extremely likely the Rockies would call Ethan’s name on draft day if he were available at pick number four, but the 6’4”, 19-year-old (as of this week) lefty-hitting shortstop from Oklahoma is much more than just a famous name.
Mid-season 2025 Rank: 1
High Ballot: 1 (6)
Mode Ballot: 2
Future Value: 55, above average infielder
Contract Status: 2025 First Round, Stillwater (OK) HS, Rule 5 Eligible After 2029, three options remaining
MLB ETA: 2029
Holliday was the number four pick and received a record (for a high schooler) $9 million signing bonus because he has plus raw power that should translate into games and good pitch selection while playing a premium defensive position very well. Scouts are concerned that Holliday’s size might limit his range at shortstop in the long-term as well as the swing-and-miss in Holliday’s game that accompanies his long, powerful swing.
Scouts are also concerned that Holliday wasn’t more of an elite performer in the summer showcase circuit where many highly regarded prospects travel to play each other. In high school though, Holliday was monster, hitting .611/.743/1.295, a cartoonish 2.038 OPS, with 19 homers and 64 RBI. He was named the Gatorade Oklahoma Baseball Player of the Year and Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year. In both of those awards, he beat out number one overall pick and fellow Oklahoma prep shortstop Eli Willits.
As a pro, Holliday was assigned to Low-A Fresno, where he was 3.2 years younger than league average. In 84 plate appearances (all against older pitchers), Holliday hit .239/.357/.380 with two homers and four doubles (an above average 108 wRC+) with four errors in 17 games at shortstop. It’s a small sample size, but Holliday struck out in a worrying 39% of his plate appearances, though he did also walk in 14% of them.
Holliday might have as much raw and usable power as anyone from the class of ‘25. When at his best, the 6-foot-4 left-handed hitter can get to it without a ton of effort. He already has strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing while continuing to add physicality to his frame. Worries about swing-and-miss cropped up when he was on the summer showcase circuit, and he expanded the zone too much, and there were a lot of whiffs during his brief pro debut, but he has the chance to be a solid all-around hitter with big home run totals.
A shortstop in high school like his brother, Holliday is agile for his size with average speed. His arm works from the position, and he has decent actions, but he’s unlikely going to be able to stay there because of his range. A move to third base would make the most sense, where his power-hitting profile should fit well.
Holliday was the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft and probably the most famous name selected, thanks to his dad, his brother Jackson and years of hype around Ethan’s easy power and potential to be more of an impact hitter than Jackson. He’s a shortstop now, with really good hands and a plus arm, but he has no chance to stay there given his size and lack of lateral range, with third base the best-case scenario and right field a realistic outcome.
As a hitter, he has plenty of bat speed and the raw power is probably a 70, but last spring, he seemed to be trying too hard to launch the ball to his pull side, so his front side was flying open and he had a hole on the outer third as a result. Holliday struggled mightily in his pro debut, as the Rockies sent him to Low A and he struck out 33 times in 84 PA (39.3 percent), even having trouble against good fastballs and looking stiffer and slower in the box. While that doesn’t undo everything he did before the draft, it’s very concerning for someone picked that high, and at the very least, he’s going to need more time to develop than the typical high school hitter taken in the top few picks of any draft class. He knows the strike zone well, and even in that stint in Low A didn’t chase pitches out of the zone excessively (25 percent overall, 16 percent on pitches well out of the zone), consistent with what he showed as an amateur.
I had Holliday ranked at the top of the 2025 draft class, which was a weak one at its uppermost echelon, based on the 30-homer upside and good instincts all around, but the near-universal sentiment after his pro debut is that he’s a much higher-risk prospect than it seemed a year ago.
Holliday has absurd raw power and a long swing that has limited his ability to make consistent contact. He might need an adjustment to break out, and he has 40-homer ceiling if he does.
Holliday’s physicality stands out immediately. Four inches taller and a few dozen pounds of muscle bigger than his brother, Ethan has the strength and the build of a player in his mid-20s. He’s no stiff either, a fluid mover who should be just fine at third base given time and reps (he has played shortstop thus far but likely won’t stick there). He has a fast bat and there’s loft in the path, which feeds the immense power projection listed above. He even shows a little feel for manipulating the bat head and using the whole field.
But while Holliday hammers the ball when he does connect, it’s the lack of contact that looks most worrisome here. His numbers weren’t particularly good on the showcase circuit, and anybody who hoped that a cameo at Low-A would render that moot will have to keep waiting: Holliday’s .239/.357/.380 line in 18 games at Fresno is more than fine on its own, but 33 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances suggests that there’s a long path ahead. Speaking of long paths: Holliday’s bat travels a considerable distance from the time his hands get going. He has a long and deep load with a hand loop, and then long levers on top of that. Once he starts, there’s real venom in the swing, but right now pitchers are throwing pedestrian velo right past him.
Holliday will likely need to make an adjustment, either to the length of his path or in his load; in his current form, he just looks too vulnerable to velocity. The bet here is that Holliday finds a way to make it work. He’s so strong and talented in other ways in the box that we’re in on him as a potential star, even with red flags lurking. Consider this grade more of a reflection on his upside than our conviction in his likelihood to reach it.
Type: A polarizing player who could be an All-Star or not hit much at all
Some teams/scouts/readers didn’t look past Ethan Holliday’s solid glove, 65-grade power, pretty swing, and last name and penciled him in at No. 1 on their board. Other teams told me his profile “terrified” them and didn’t have him in the mix for their picks in the top 10.
With the amount of information we have on every top draftee and the similarity of most teams’ analytical models, this isn’t common at all. I wrote about this multiple times and more in depth, but the short version is Holliday didn’t hit well in the summer against top pitching then fixed a swing flaw but didn’t face good pitching after it. Teams don’t like having to take performance against good pitching on faith while some others are fine if the other pieces of the puzzle are present.
After signing, Holliday posted a 39% strikeout rate in 18 games, which is a small sample but also is what the analytical teams would tell you is the risk of ignoring his summer performance. If Holliday follows the path he did last year, he’ll dial in his mechanics to adjust for velocity at this new level — this is something Braves star Austin Riley once told me he had to do at each level of the minors — and hit in 2026 like he did in 2025, but the velocity he faces will be much better than high school ball in Oklahoma. As such, Holliday could either be a top-10 prospect in the sport or not in the top 200 quite easily at this time next year.
Holliday has a superstar ceiling, combining raw power, strike zone control, and defense at a premium position (he’s probably going to end up as the long-term starter at third base, but he can still play shortstop). That defensive utility is a big point in his favor vs. top PuRP Charlie Condon and was one of the reasons I ranked Holliday atop my personal list as a 55 Future Value player.
Much is expected of Holliday by fans and scouts — let’s see if he can pass the trials to come as he ascends the minor league ladder. It’s less certain than it seemed at draft time, but I’m optimistic. Holliday will likely be sent back to Fresno to begin 2026 along with fellow PuRP shortstop Ashly Andujar, where strong results could bring a bump up to High-A by the end of the season. If he’s more like his brother Jackson, Ethan could move through the system in two years, though I’m expecting a MLB debut more in late 2028 or 2029.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Pitcher Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone!
In case you missed it, the Mariners played a typically wild spring training game against the White Sox yesterday, losing to those pesky Sox by a 12-10 score.
Whenever the Mariners play the White Sox, I can’t help but think of my parents’ friends Bill and Karen, who have remained diehard fans of the Sox through their absolute garbage play over the last decade. Shout out to them; I hope they enjoy Roch Cholowsky in a few years.
Do you have any special connections to non-Mariners teams through friends or family? Do you keep up with those teams any differently as a result?
In Mariners news…
Logan Gilbert spoke to Daniel Kramer about how being a new father has helped to give the ace right-hander perspective heading into a key 2026 season.
Shannon Drayer spoke to top Mariners pitching prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, who are feeling confident after some strong backfield results against M’s regulars. I really can’t wait until they take the mound in games this spring.
The Braves announced that they have extended the contract of ageless left-hander Chris Sale on a one-year, $27M deal with a $30M club option for the 2028 season.
Speaking of the Braves, the organization announced that it would stream 140 of this season’s games through the brand new BravesVision. Production, sales, marketing, and distribution of broadcasts will be fully controlled by the club.
The Florida state cabinet and governor Ron DeSantis signed off on a 22-acre plot of land in Tampa that will be used to build a new ballpark for the Rays.
MLB No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin homered twice in a spring training game for the Pirates yesterday. Griffin is hoping to become the rare player to make his big league debut in his teens.
Stephen J. Nesbitt at The Athletic wrote about the booming sports town that Salt Lake City is turning into, and explained why people there believe an MLB team could be on its way sooner rather than later. (Shout out to my cousin Erin for being featured in this one!) ($)
J.J. Cooper at Baseball America outlined five key reasons why all prospects are shooting through the minor leagues faster than ever before. ($)
Ben Clemens at Fangraphs calculated the cost of a win in baseball’s 2025-2026 free agency.
There’s absolutely no way they’re actually doing this with Jacob Misiorowski, one of the most volatile command guys in the game, right?
Hoping to link your MLB.tv subscription to your ESPN account this year? Here’s a helpful walkthrough on how to make this work.
Anders’ picks…
During the Olympics, I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole on which countries have the most islands. Before you look at the results, I want you to try to answer this question in your head. Got one? How many islands do you think they have? Alright, now take a large sip of your coffee…
Aug 26, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Ji Hwan Bae (3) drives in a run on a fields choice against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Warning: This piece discusses domestic violence and includes a link to an article that shows visual evidence of domestic violence.
In one of the earliest moves of the offseason, the Mets claimed Ji Hwan Bae off waivers from the Pirates. Bae, entering his age-27 season, appeared in 163 games in parts of four seasons with the Pirates from 2022-2025, but his on-field career is only part of his story.
In 2017, Bae was set to be the second South Korean player to sign directly out of high school with a major league team after Kwon Kwang-min signed with the Cubs in 2015. However, his contract with the Braves was voided after it was revealed that the contract was negotiated with Bae and 12 others under fraudulent terms. The KBO barred him from signing with a Korean team for two years for skipping the draft. The next season, Bae signed a $1.25 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But the more disturbing part of Bae’s story comes from the period between his failed Braves contract and his subsequent Pirates one. An incident occurred on New Year’s Eve 2017, and Bae was accused of domestic violence against his then-girlfriend, including slapping, choking, and kicking her. He was eventually convicted for domestic abuse and was suspended by MLB for 30 games, as the verdict was handed down after he was already a member of the Pirates organization.
“Bae Ji-hwan hit me. He hit me [on New Year’s Eve]. The first time I was (physically) abused was on New Year’s Eve (in 2017). There (also) was verbal abuse. Before the actual physical abuse, I was under critical stress due to him and his family. His family and he repeatedly asked me to ‘endure’ him because he is a baseball player and he needs support.
The alleged incident happened on New Year’s Eve in 2017, when Bae was 18. According to Kim, Bae “threatened me he would die if I didn’t see him again. Also, he squeezed my throat until I (said) that I would love him again.
“Some ask why I didn’t report him right away — the intensity of his physical and verbal abuse was getting stronger,” Seul-Gi Kim wrote. “Because of fear, I just couldn’t go ahead and do it. What I want now is the end of this sickening relationship, a fair trial, and a just punishment.
“I have been pressured physically and mentally and that made me very scared. If you don’t have anyone reliable or good around you, you probably don’t have the courage to report the abuser. I decided to go to this path after a lot of dilemma and mental anguish. It’s a big (mental) scar that can never heal.”
“The Pittsburgh Pirates strongly support Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy and agree with the need for significant penalties for any violation of this policy…The Pirates are committed to a culture that respects women on all levels and across all aspects of our organization. Ji-Hwan has completed a treatment program under the MLB policy.
“We will continue to work with him to ensure that he understands and adheres to the obligations and standards that are required of a professional baseball player and a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.”
Teams sign players with domestic abuse backgrounds just about every season, and it is always a delicate situation. On one hand, many people claim that these players deserve a shot at redemption; an oft-repeated phrase is that no one should have their life ruined because of one mistake. And while people can, and should, admit wrongdoing and change for the better, more often than not, these players speak in vague platitudes and don’t publicly take significant steps towards actually changing their behavior.
Bae’s situation is slightly unusual both due to his prospect status when the event happened and the fact that it occurred overseas. There was not a lot of reporting on the event outside of the Athletic, and very little, if any of it stateside, featured quotes from Bae himself. It is unfair to paint him as either remorseful and committed to change or petulant and unmoved because we have not heard from him on the subject. If Bae has been contrite and done the work, he has done so in private.
All of this makes the Mets’ waiver claim even stranger. Bae’s on-field career has been nothing to write home about. A career .223/.294/.293 hitter in the big leagues, he’s a weak hitter with a decent glove who has some positional versatility. If he sticks with the Mets, he has a minor league option, so he would likely wind up beginning the year in Syracuse and being called up only for injury/27th man status. Bae is a depth piece that has a place in every organization in baseball, but he’s not a superstar either in the current day or in the making.
But even if he was, does an organization really want to bring on someone with a history of domestic abuse in 2026? The Mets didn’t sign him as a free agent, and so they didn’t get to sit him down and discuss his past. He was a waiver claim; he likely found out about the move via his agent once he was back in South Korea during the offseason.
It shouldn’t be the job of fans to find out if the player their team signed is remorseful for his violent past. It is the team’s job to either assure us that he is or to admit that they really don’t care what a player does off the field or did before donning orange and blue. While there may be more to this story, from a fan’s perspective, it’s fairly clear. The Mets looked at a fringy player and decided that this is the guy for whom they were willing to sell their integrity.
The Pirates made a bit of news this offseason by… well, appearing to want to compete. They made an offer to Kyle Schwarber, which… well, it’s uncertain whether they actually thought he was going to sign, or whether this was simply an “open for business” sign.
They did wind up signing Ryan O’Hearn to what was termed the “largest position player free-agent signing in franchise history.” That’s two years, $29 million. Doesn’t seem like a lot in today’s market, but the Pirates haven’t been active at all along those lines. This was a good signing. O’Hearn is a good player.
The Pirates also spent some money signing Marcell Ozuna to a free-agent deal. Ozuna is 35 but still a productive player. What this meant, though, that Andrew McCutchen’s time in Pittsburgh came to an end, and with that, the likely end of McCutchen’s career, though he appeared to want to play one more year.
So it goes. Paul Skenes anchors the rotation and… well, that’s about it for the rotation, the rest is just okay. The bullpen could use some help, too.
The rest of the offense returns from last year, and that’s probably not good because the Pirates finished dead last in runs scored in MLB with just 583 (comparison point: the Cubs were sixth with 793). Plus, who is the real Oneil Cruz?
Key departures: Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Alexander Canario, Colin Holderman, Johan Oviedo
Key arrivals: Ryan O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna, Jhostnyxon Garcia, Gregory Soto, Dominic Fletcher, Noah Davis, Chris Devenski, José Urquidy, Brandon Lowe
At Wrigley Field: April 10-11-12 and Sept. 11-12-13
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 20, 2026: Maikel Garcia #11 of the Kansas City Royals bats during the third inning of a spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on February 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals enter the 2026 season with a problem that has plagued them for the last few seasons; they are looking for a solution at leadoff hitter. The Royals have not had an above-average offensive campaign from their leadoff hitter since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The team attempted to address this issue last season with the addition of Jonathan India, but he had a disappointing first year at Kauffman Stadium. Mike Yastrzemski ended up being a good option, at least against right-handed pitching, for the Royals last season, but Yaz is now a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Matt Quatraro has a few options, and we have seen three different choices at the top of the lineup in the first five games of the season. Let’s take a way too early look at the candidates to see what we can glean about who the Royals will end up choosing to start the season as the leadoff hitter:
The Early Leader: Maikel Garcia
Maikel Garcia appears to be in the pole position for this role, as he has hit leadoff in three of the first five Spring Training contests. Garcia is coming off his best year at the plate, posting a .286/.351/.449 slash line in 2025. The third baseman has a lot of skills that you like to see in a table setter. He rarely chases at bad pitches and is willing to draw a walk. He makes a lot of contact and is willing to shorten up and flatten out his swing with two strikes. He has some power, but you aren’t expecting him to hit 40 home runs in a season; you aren’t squandering someone who can drive in a lot of runs. He is also a good baserunner and can steal a base if you need it. If you subscribe to the theory that your best three hitters should hit in spots 1, 2, and 4 in the lineup in some order, then Garcia makes sense in the leadoff position, as he was the teams second best hitter in 2025.
There are a lot of reasons to like Garcia in the leadoff spot, but I will admit I am a bit apprehensive about Garcia in that role, and it’s more emotion-based than logic-based. The third baseman had 467 plate appearances at the top of the lineup in 2024 and had a terrible offensive year. He hit 27% below league-average out of the leadoff spot that year and generally had a miserable offensive campaign. Garcia has made a lot of progress as a hitter since 2024, and it doesn’t seem logical that putting him back in the leadoff spot will make him regress to his 2024 offensive level. He has a leadoff hitter’s approach at the plate, and there isn’t any glaring reason I can see why he would only struggle at the top of the order. If he does start the season as the primary leadoff hitter and starts to struggle, the calls to remove him will come quickly.
The Embattled Incumbent: Jonathan India
Jonathan India was brought in from the Cincinnati Reds last season in a trade for Brady Singer to accomplish one main purpose: get on base in front of Bobby Witt Jr. India’s 2025 campaign was not as disastrous as Garcia’s 2024 campaign, but it was still below league average and not acceptable from a top-of-the-order bat. There are good reasons to be optimistic about the second baseman having a bounce-back season at the plate; I wrote an article about those reasons earlier in the offseason. He still has an elite approach at the plate, doesn’t swing at bad pitches, and makes plenty of contact. The ingredients for a good leadoff hitter are still present; India and the Royals’ hitting staff just need to help him unlock it.
The Royals may be hesitant to put India right back at the top of the order after watching him struggle in his first season in Kansas City. The former Florida Gator had a lot on his plate last season: moving to a new city and team, learning a new position while hitting leadoff for a team with expectations of success. The Royals have tried to set him up better for success in 2026. The team is ending the India to the outfield experiment and is planning on him being their second baseman this year. He now has one year under his belt with the Royals, and the fences moving in should help make Kauffman Stadium a less intimidating park to hit in. India even cut his hair, and we all hope that it will have a reverse Samson effect for the infielder. India will likely get some plate appearances at the top of the order and could theoretically win the job with a monster spring, but right now it seems more likely that he will hit in the lower part of the order in order to give the Royals lineup some length.
The New Guy: Isaac Collins
Isaac Collins appeared in a Spring Training game for the first time on Tuesday, and Quatraro had the outfielder hit at the top of the batting order. Neither India nor Garcia were in the starting lineup, which left Collins as the logical choice for that slot. Collins went 0-3 with two strikeouts before being removed for Carson Roccaforte, so obviously, he’s going to be a bust, and we should just cut him now.
Collins, like India and Garcia, has the prototypical approach of a leadoff man. He is patient at the plate, sporting a .368 OBP in his first season in the big leagues. He rarely swings at pitches outside the strike zone and has an above-average contact rate. Collins is also a switch-hitter, which would help with lineup balance and give the Royals the platoon advantage to start every game. The outfielder mostly hit towards the bottom of the Milwaukee Brewers lineup last year, hitting leadoff only twice. It would be quite the vote of confidence in Collins to install the second-year player right at the top of the order. I wonder if India’s struggles moving teams last season will make the Royals want to put less pressure on Collins right away; hitting towards the bottom of the order would be a slower onboarding process. Still, it will be interesting to see if Collins keeps hitting at the top of the order even when sharing a lineup with India or Witt.
Wildcard Options
Bobby Witt Jr is a great hitter and would be a great leadoff hitter. He previously stated that his preference is not to leadoff, but told Anne Rogers that he is willing to do “whatever the team needs.” Witt has the #2 slot locked down; the No. 2 hitter is generally the best hitter on the team, and Witt is definitely the best hitter on the Royals. So I would be very surprised to see him move out of that spot.
Carter Jensen looked great as a rookie at the plate and definitely has the approach of a great leadoff hitter. He likely wouldn’t get you as many steals as Garcia would, but Kyle Schwarber was a great leadoff hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies last season, reminding us that there is more than one way to be a successful top-of-the-order bat. Jensen will have a lot on his plate as a rookie catcher, and pitchers will adjust in how they pitch to him now that he’s shown some initial success. It would be an extreme vote of confidence to put Jensen in the first slot in the order, one that feels just a little too aggressive even for those who are bullish on his future
Vinnie Pasquantino clearly adjusts his approach based on where he hits in the lineup and what he understands his role to be. Hitting leadoff might bring out the best version of the first baseman as a hitter; he would likely take more pitches and draw more walks than he would as a heart of the order bat. I highly doubt the Royals have seriously considered moving him up, and I highly doubt that Pasquantino would want to move from his middle of the lineup spot.
Are there any options that I missed? Who do you think should get the first crack at the top of the Royals order? Let us know in the comments.
Spring training is officially here, and while it still feels a lot like winter in a lot of places, Florida and Arizona have been buzzing with activity this week.
The Detroit Tigers are already four games deep into their spring training schedule with three losses and a tie, and have their first split-squad game scheduled for Wednesday. They have only scored eight runs against 35 runs surrendered (yikes), but it is still way too early to show any concern.
Eventually, the offense will get going, and when it does, we can expect at least one player to stand out above the rest. Which leads us to today’s question: “Who will be the best hitter in Detroit this summer?”
There are a few obvious options like Riley Greene or even rookie Kevin McGonigle and his 80-grade hitting skill. Javier Baez could have another resurgence that lasts all summer; maybe Spencer Torkelson finally puts it all together. Or perhaps someone unexpected rises to the occasion?
So Tigers fans, who do you think will lead the hit parade for the Olde English D this season? Let us know in the comments below.
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 27, 2025: Riley Cornelio #29 of the Harrisburg Senators pitches during an Eastern League game against the Akron RubberDucks at FNB Field on July 27, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Senators beat the RubberDucks, 7-0. (Photo by Thom Wood/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Last year the Washington Nationals had one pitcher who was the story of camp, and that was Brad Lord. After a breakout year in 2025, Lord showed up to camp with increased velocity and earned a spot on the big league roster. It looks like lightning may have struck twice because Riley Cornelio is following a very similar path.
Like Lord, Riley Cornelio was drafted in the 2022 class. He was taken in the 7th round, while Lord was selected in the 18th round. However, Cornelio’s breakout came a year after Lord. He gained three ticks of velocity according to Baseball America, averaging 94 on his heater.
The velocity gain led to much better results, with Cornelio posting a 3.28 ERA in 134.1 innings across three levels. It looks like the right hander has added even more velocity this spring, averaging over 96 MPH in his first outing of the spring. In his first inning of work, Cornelio averaged over 97, but he was sitting more in the 95-96 range in his second inning.
Woah. Riley Cornelio enters the game touching upper 90s. A velo bump could go a long way towards helping him make the same leap Brad Lord did last year, which ultimately earned him an OD roster spot. 1-2-3 inning with a K
That velocity led to dominant results. In two innings of work, Cornelio allowed one hit, walked nobody and struck out three batters. He looked really sharp and could challenge for a roster spot. Cornelio was actually added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so the prospect of the righty winning a bullpen spot is on the table.
This story really is so similar to Brad Lord. Both came into camp coming off breakout years, but were on the outside looking in. Last year Lord showed up with better stuff and won a roster spot. Based on his first outing, it looks like Cornelio could do the same.
Lord himself actually had high praise for Cornelio in an interview with Grant Paulsen. He called Cornelio the most underrated player in Nats camp. I think Lord might be on to something there because Cornelio looked like a big leaguer in his outing last night.
I asked Brad Lord what player at Nats camp is the most underrated. He said RHP Riley Cornelio.
Cornelio shined in his spring debut tonight. He struck out three over two scoreless innings, retiring 6 of 7 batters faced. Touched 97, got 9 whiffs on 23 swings. Exciting outing. pic.twitter.com/RRbBxAv9Dc
While the added velocity is the headliner for Cornelio, his fastball just sets the table for his best pitch. Riley Cornelio has always been known for his wipeout slider and he showcased that last night. He got five whiffs on the slider and threw it just as much as his fastball. Despite added velocity, Cornelio seems to be moving away from his fastball, a common trend in Nats camp.
Like Lord, Cornelio can pitch in multiple different roles, but I think he would be best suited to the bullpen. His fastball tends to lose steam as the game goes on and he is mostly a fastball-slider guy. That feels like a bullpen arm to me, but he can also start. Cornelio has proven to be durable in the minors, so he can serve as an innings eating starter.
If the Nats wanted to be creative, Lord and Cornelio could be a tandem. Both are at their best in two to three innings spurts. Maybe they could piggy back each other and each go three or four innings. Instead of having one person take up a rotation spot, it could be a duo.
Cornelio still has to keep up the strong performances if he wants to make the team. There are guys ahead of him in the pecking order, so he will have to out-perform them. He also was not totally perfect last night. Cornelio made a fielding error, which probably frustrated manager Blake Butera. So far this spring, Nats pitchers have been shaky defensively.
Two impressive innings from RHP Riley Cornelio, who struck out 3 with a fastball that averaged 97 mph. He did, however, commit the latest in a string of E1's by the Nats pitching staff. All the PFP's apparently can't simulate real game situations.
With that in mind, Blake Butera is probably going to amp up the PFP work. The Nats already have defensive question marks, so they need their pitchers to be able to field their position. That is a secondary concern though.
Overall, it is great to see an arm really impress early in camp. In this new regime, there are going to be some unexpected pitchers who find lightning in a bottle. We are already seeing a new pitching philosophy from the Nats. The team is dialing back fastball usage in a big way.
Even with the team moving away from fastballs, velocity remains important. It is still very helpful. Fastballs are not the only pitch that benefits from extra velocity. Adding velocity to breaking balls also helps improve those pitches. Riley Cornelio has added velocity, and that added heat could win him a roster spot.
Diamondbacks infielder LuJames Groover (91) celebrates a double against the Rangers during a spring training game in Surprise on Feb. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
[Dbacks.com] Soroka fans 3 in D-backs debut with World Baseball Classic approaching – Soroka allowed one run on two hits over two innings while walking one and striking out three in the D-backs’ 6-4 win. “Felt good for the most part,” Soroka said. “Just a little bit stiff early, trying a little bit too hard to make everything do what it’s supposed to do. I think I settled in a little bit and just got right to it and we made our adjustments, and made some good pitches, and some that I want to forget, so we’ll move forward. “I threw a really good fastball for a take there in the second inning. I had some good finish pitches, threw a couple of good breaking balls that were executed and the cutter was great today.”
[SI] Crucial Change Could Make Taylor Clarke a Weapon For D-backs Bullpen – The right-hander made tweaks to his mechanics and reintroduced his sinker ahead of 2025, which paid immediate dividends. He posted a career-low 3.25 ERA over 55.1 innings last season. “Last year, tweaked some things. We added the sinker back and I think that’s helped out a lot,” Clarke said. “It’s just something to run in on righties, give them a different look than a four-seam, because I feel like I was getting a little bit too predictable with four-seams up, sliders away. “But the largest, most impactful difference is to his changeup. [Cross “added new pitch” off your Soring Training Bingo card!]
[AZ Central] Here’s the latest on Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly’s back injury – Lovullo said Kelly, who underwent an MRI earlier in the week, also had a CT scan, in hopes of finding more clarity on the specifics of the injury. “It’s a wide range,” Lovullo said. “I’m not going to lie. We’re being very thorough with what we’re doing. We’re taking every test necessary to make sure that we get everything in the bag before we start to pass that information along. We’ve got to figure out exactly what’s happening in there.” Kelly is the Diamondbacks’ scheduled Opening Day starter. The back issue raises questions about whether he will be available to make that March 26 start vs. the Dodgers.
[Denver Post] Arenado ‘will be a force’ in NL West, Rockies’ Warren Schaeffer says – The former Rockies and Cardinals star might not rise to his former glory in the desert, but he’s confident he’ll make the D-backs a better team. He padded that confidence with a solo home run in his first Cactus League at-bat, punishing a hanging sweeper from Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela.“ My expectations are high, and they are high for this group,” Arenado said after taking batting practice at Salt River Fields. “I think this team is really good. This is a top-10 offense without me, but I think I can really help it. I think I’m making adjustments that will really help me. You know me, I like to keep goals to myself, but I do have hefty goals. I don’t think I am ever going to change that.”
[Fangraphs] No Room at the Infield: Jordan Lawlar Moves To Center Field – As far as Lawlar’s ability to play center field, I have no doubt about his physical tools. While the orthodox move would’ve been third base, the shortstop-to-center field path has been well-traveled. Jackson Merrill did fine. So did Mickey Mantle. Lawlar absolutely has the speed for the position; he hit 30 ft/sec in sprint speed last year, putting him in capital-e Elite territory. A shift to center field might actually bring out the best in Lawlar. One of Eric Longenhagen’s few gripes about Lawlar’s defense was his tendency to make awkward throws on the run, especially off his backhand. He got the job done, it just looked a little janky.
[Arizona Sports] Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte are top D-backs in ESPN Olney’s top 10 MLB positional rankings – The top-ranked D-back in Marte produced what Olney equated to “about $135 million in value” over the last three years. His 2025 fWar of 10.9 was more than two full points ahead of Hoerner’s 8.7 in second, while his batting value on FanGraphs of 65.8 was more than double that of Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve (31.2) in second. “He excels offensively, and while the numbers suggest he is just average defensively, he continues to be the preeminent player at this position.”
[SI] Diamondbacks Release Young Reliever – According to the transaction logs on his player page, the Arizona Diamondbacks have officially released right-handed reliever Christian Montes De Oca. He had been previously outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason. Montes De Oca, 26, figured to be a developmental arm in the D-backs’ system worth keeping an eye on after making his major league debut in the 2025 season. However, an injury shortened that campaign and prevented him from making more than one appearance in the majors.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Marco Gonzales #32 of the San Diego Padres pitches during a Spring Training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on February 24, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres made a bid for their second comeback win of the week against the Chicago Cubs in their Spring Training Cactus League matchup in Mesa, Ariz. on Tuesday, but they came up short and lost, 6-5. It is well-known that teams do not put much stock into the final scores of Spring Training games, instead they focus on the approach at the plate or the execution of pitches on the mound. With that being the case, Padres manager Craig Stammen would have to be pleased with the individual results of guys like Nick Castellanos, who had a two-run double in the game, and Jose Miranda, who keeps playing a major role with regard to offensive production. The best thig about this time of year is a lot of players et to see a lot of time and the Friar Faithful get the benefit of seeing the regulars gear up for the season and the bubble players battle it out for a roster spot.
Padres News:
Samad Taylor is one of the players fighting for a chance to make the San Diego roster out of Spring Training. Despite his 0-for-3 result on Tuesday, he has been hitting well to start the spring season. He also has the added benefit of speed, which is why Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball thinks he will be in competition for a roster spot until the end of camp.
Michael King re-signed with the Padres after testing free agency and it was the feel-good moment of the offseason. Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and Yu Darvish had offseason surgery, which will cost him the 2026 season. The thought of losing King as well was almost too much for San Diego fans the handle and that is why his return to the organization has created hope for a successful season that sees the Padres return to the postseason.
There is still debate among Padres fans about whether trading top prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics for Mason Miller was worth it. De Vries is an unproven prospect who is projected for stardom and Miller is a proven big-league closer. The debate will wage on, but Miller filled an immediate need with the loss of closer Robert Suarez in free agency and he will officially step into his new role this season.
Gavin Sheets had a strong Spring Training in 2025, which allowed him to earn a spot on the San Diego roster. He had a strong season and had big moments and was integral in helping the Padres reach the postseason. Sheets is being asked to perform once again as a first baseman/designated hitter platoon for 2026.
Free agent pitcher German Marquez said he spoke with his former Colorado Rockies manager and now Padres special assistant to A.J. Preller before signing with San Diego. Black gave him insight as to how he could fit with the Padres and what he could get from the organization. This is one of the benefits of having Black back in San Diego. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune looks at what Black can and does mean for the organization.
Stammen revealed some bad news regarding starter Matt Waldron. He said the knuckleballer was going to be shut down after having surgery to treat an infection on his “rear end.” Stammen admitted this was a difficult time of year for Waldron to be sidelined, but that it was out of anyone’s control.
Baseball News:
A day after it was revealed that Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal was only planning to make one start in the World Baseball Classic, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes said his plan is to make just two starts in the WBC.
The Atlanta Braves and pitcher Chris Sale agreed to a contract extension for the 2027 season that will pay him $27 million dollars. The deal reportedly includes a club option for 2028 for $30 million.
Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Surez hit back-to-back home runs on Tuesday providing a preview of what Cincinnati Reds fans can expect this season.
Fantasy baseball draft season is here and everyone is looking for sleeper picks to win the draft room. The Rotoworld Baseball staff is on the case.
The term "sleeper" means different things to different people and it can also vary depending on the depth of your league, but the best way to look at it is each player's ability to outperform their average draft position. The names you'll see below all have the potential to do exactly that.
⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Called up at the end of last season to join a Reds team full of average hitters, Stewart immediately stood out, no matter how little manager Terry Francona wanted to admit it. He arrived having hit .309/.383/.524 with 20 homers, 17 steals and a modest 16% strikeout rate between Double- and Triple-A, and he went on to add five more homers in just 55 at-bats for the Reds. That's as many as Gavin Lux had in 446 at-bats. 21 of his 40 balls in play were hit hard. He slugged .545, about 100 points better than any Reds regular, and he probably could have done better; Statcast gave him an expected SLG of .626.
Since then, there's been some debate about where and how much Stewart will play. None of the projection systems are treating him as a full-timer, but it'd be nuts for the Reds not to give him that opportunity. Elly De La Cruz is the only other guy on the Reds with this kind of offensive ceiling. Stewart should hit for average and power, while he'll surely bat lower than Eugenio Suárez for now, he'll probably finish the season as the teams' cleanup hitter. He's a top-10 fantasy first baseman, and he'll be even more valuable if and when he becomes eligible at second base. - Matthew Pouliot
Cade Horton — SP, Chicago Cubs
It’s odd to classify one of the best pitchers of the second half and N.L. Rookie of the Year runner-up as a sleeper. Yet, it seems the fantasy community is projecting far too much regression with an ADP just inside the top 200. While I wouldn’t bank on a repeat of a 2.67 ERA, don’t discount the growth potential for the 24-year-old right-hander. Horton’s strikeout totals might’ve been uninspiring, but his strikeout rate improved in the second half behind a pair of secondaries in his changeup and sweeper that generated outstanding whiff rates. Add in a 6.9% walk rate and elite defense behind him, and the regression could be a lot softer than the projections indicate. - Jorge Montanez
Okamoto arrives with an extensive track record of power production in Japan, supported by enough contact skill to suggest his transition to the majors may be steadier than the typical leap of faith attached to international imports. The 29-year-old third baseman immediately slots into the heart of Toronto’s loaded lineup, creating ample run-producing opportunities with the defending American League champions. Projecting Okamoto for 25 homers with a respectable batting average and strong counting stats doesn’t feel like wishcasting – it feels like a reasonable translation of a proven power bat stepping into a favorable lineup environment in the hitter-friendly AL East. For context, Eugenio Suárez, Junior Caminero, Manny Machado, and José Ramírez were the only third basemen to eclipse 25 homers last season. He’s been drifting beyond pick 275 in early NFBC drafts – nearly 100 selections after Matt Chapman – which feels like a familiar market reflex: when uncertainty looms, fantasy managers instinctively default to familiarity instead of embracing the riskier unknown. - George Bissell
Francisco Alvarez — C, New York Mets
Given the hype attached to Alvarez as a prospect a few years ago, it’s a little crazy that he’s considered a sleeper entering his fourth full season in the majors, but here we are. It’s been a bumpy road for the 24-year-old, including multiple hand injuries and a demotion to Triple-A Syracuse last season, but he was a different hitter upon his return to the majors. After adjusting his swing mechanics in Triple-A, he slashed .276/.360/.561 with eight homers and 21 RBI across his final 41 games. Alvarez had surgery to repair a torn UCL in his thumb after the season, but he had no limitations going into the spring. The optimism for Alvarez lies in his quality of contact, which ranked among the league’s best in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity last season. Alvarez might begin 2026 in the bottom third of the Mets’ revamped lineup. That’s understandable given his injury history and fits and starts offensively, but there’s still a potential 30-homer hitter in here somewhere. At catcher, that upside plays in all leagues. - D.J. Short
Bubba Chandler — SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
There’s an exciting group of young starting pitchers who debuted last season that are taking fantasy drafts by storm. Managers are tripping over themselves to draft Nolan McLean (97 ADP), Chase Burns (113 ADP), Jacob Misiorowski (130 ADP), Cam Schlittler (141 ADP), and Trey Yesavage (152 ADP). Yet, Bubba Chandler (154 ADP) is the last of the bunch to go off the board and has a good chance to be the most effective from this crew. His call-up was delayed last season first by the Pirates manipulating his service time and then by his own poor performance as frustration potentially mounted. Still, his seven-game audition was excellent. Over 31 1/3 innings, he struck out 31 batters, walked four, and had a 0.93 WHIP. His 4.02 ERA was a bit high, but came with a nine-run blow up against the Brewers. Without that, it’d would’ve been a 1.57 ERA and his helium would be out of control. A fastball that flirts with 100 mph sets up a hard slider that dominates righties and a changeup that stymies lefties. There’s a curveball that’s potentially on the way too. It’s not difficult to envision him as a top-30 starter with room for more and his place as the 41st starting pitcher off the board leaves more room for profit compared to most of that second-year starter cohort. - James Schiano
Jordan Lawlar — 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
This is the year. I feel it. Lawlar came into the 2024 season as the 11th-ranked prospect in baseball after hitting .278/.378/.496 with 20 home runs and 26 steals in 105 games at Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. However, he had thumb surgery at the beginning of that season and was out until June, and then injured his hamstring when he returned. As a result, he was limited to 23 games that season. He then got off to a hot start in 2025, but hamstring injuries again limited Lawlar to 91 total games. His injuries and his paltry .182/.257/.288 slash line with a 35% strikeout rate in 28 MLB games has his ADP outside of the top 300, but I still have faith. For starters, he slashed .313/.403/.564 with 11 home runs and 20 steals in 63 games at Triple-A last season. He posted a 10.8% swinging strike rate at that level and had just a 13.7% mark in his MLB debut, and his Triple-A zone contact and overall contact rates were solid. He has a patient approach (perhaps overly patient at the big league level) and not only pulls the ball often but pulls it in the air as well. That will allow him to get to more power than you think, especially since he had a 113 mph max exit velocity in Triple-A. Lawlar should get every chance to win a starting outfield job this spring, and I think he has the chance to be a 20/25 guy in a full season. - Eric Samulski
Quinn Priester — SP, Milwaukee Brewers
It's tough to gauge what is or isn't a sleeper, but it doesn't seem like Priester is getting enough attention. Even if you ignore his 13-3 record, he's a right-hander who posted a 3.32 ERA over 157 1/3 innings while helping Milwaukee to the best record in the National League. There were very few starters in baseball who did a better job of keeping the ball on the ground last year with a 55.7 percent rate, and he avoided hard contact at a strong rate as well. The one thing Priester didn't do was fan many batters as seen in 132 punchouts in those aforementioned innings, but his 24.5 percent whiff rate suggests that the 20.2 strikeout percentage had at least a smidgen of bad luck. Priester is not an ace, but this is a 25-year-old who has had success, and considering he's a former first-round pick and someone who was widely considered one of the 50 or so best prospects in baseball not that long ago, it shouldn't shock anyone if he takes another step in 2026. - Christopher Crawford
García may not fit some definitions of a sleeper as all fantasy managers know who is, but he doesn't get anywhere near the respect that he deserves. It feels like he has been around forever because he broke into the big leagues as a 20-year-old and is entering his seventh MLB season, yet he still won't be 26 until August. Over the past two seasons he has hit .267 while averaging 17 home runs and 18 stolen bases and his contributions in the counting stats should be positive as well hitting near the middle of the Nationals' lineup. He qualifies at second base -- perhaps the single most shallow position in fantasy baseball in 2026 -- and will also gain eligibility at first base as that's where he'll be stationed for the Nationals this year. He quietly and capably delivers contributions in all five categories and it's incredibly likely that we have yet to see his true ceiling. When you can grab that type of player after pick 225, it's an absolute win on all fronts. - David Shovein
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 15: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during live batting practice during the first full squad workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 15, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Red Sox lost to the Pirates yesterday, with Ranger Suarez giving up a homer to the number one prospect in baseball, Konnor Griffin. Luckily, absolutely nothing that happens in a spring training game in February matters one stinking bit. In fact, if anyone remembers anything at all about yesterday’s game, it will be this:
For years, New England dads of a certain age have been regaling the world with a story about Jim Rice breaking his bat on a check swing. They don’t build ballplayers like that anymore!
So, sorry dad, by they do in fact make ballplayers like that these days, and Wilyer Abreu is one of them. So the question of the day is: how many homers do you think Wilyer is going to hit this year? 73 is probably a bit too much to ask for. So I’ll go with 72.
Talk about what you want and be good to one another.
Carson Benge is starting in right field and leading off, with prospects A.J. Ewing, Nick Morabito, and Ryan Clifford set to enter in the middle innings
Adbert Alzolay and Luis Garcia are expected to pitch after Tong
CARDINALS
METS
JJ Wetherholt, SS
Carson Benge, RF
Jose Fermin, 2B
Juan Soto, LF
Nolan Gorman, 3B
Francisco Alvarez, DH
Nelson Velazquez, RF
Mark Vientos, 1B
Leonardo Bernal, C
Hayden Senger, C
Nathan Church, CF
Christian Arroyo, 3B
Joshua Baez, DH
Vidal Brujan, SS
Blaze Jordan, 1B
Cristian Pache, CF
Chase Davis, LF
Grae Kessinger, 2B
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Matthew Pouliot
George Bissell