Category: MLB

At this time of year, I tend to start thinking through what my expectations are for the coming season. Having a base model in my head helps me avoid overreacting to early-season noise. Part of that process includes looking at the AL Central, the main competition the Royals need to beat to reach the playoffs. It is not typically considered a very strong division, as the coastal, big-money teams are in the West or East in both leagues, with the possible exception of the two Chicago teams, who play in big media markets but have not traditionally acted like it.

I’m going to start with the weakest team and work through the other non-Royals clubs before getting to how Kansas City matches up.

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Chicago White Sox

AL Central/playoff odds
Fangraphs: 0.4% / 1.1%
BP: 0.5% / 1.1%

Both systems agree that the White Sox are going to need some very fortunate bounces to compete for even the last wild-card slot. They have some individually talented players, but there are simply too many holes in the roster to take them seriously as a contender. They don’t really have a unit that qualifies as a strength.

Their rotation features Shane Smith, who had a genuinely nice 2025 season but profiles more as a solid third starter than an Opening Day, top-of-the-rotation arm. After him, there are several back-end types who are really fifth or sixth starters unless Anthony Kay learned something in NPB that unlocked another level, or Erick Fedde rediscovers the weird magic that made him good for that stretch in 2024. Maybe Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith can come up from the prospect ranks and improve things.

The bullpen is very similar. I think Grant Taylor is really good, and there are a few other decent arms, but not enough, and none who are true back-end anchors. Seranthony Domínguez as your seventh-inning guy is probably fine; as your closer, it leaves a lot to be desired. His inconsistency over the years is concerning for that role. The pitching staff is almost certainly going to be in the bottom half of the league.

The offense is not much better. They again have a couple of interesting bats. Colson Montgomery had a very nice debut at age 23. Projection systems don’t believe he can come close to repeating it, but there’s some hope. Kyle Teel is similarly interesting as a catcher who should provide value at the plate. The outfield, outside of Luis Robert Jr., is rough. When Andrew Benintendi (still only 31!?) is hitting in the middle of your lineup, things are probably not going well. This unit is going to need a lot of luck to score enough runs to be competitive.

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Cleveland Guardians

AL Central/playoff odds
Fangraphs: 5.9% / 13.3%
BP: 5.4% / 9.4%

I still don’t really get how the Guardians did what they did last season, and the projection systems seem to agree. This is a flawed team — especially offensively — that somehow rides its pitching well enough to reach the playoffs on a recurring basis.

They don’t have anyone you’d call a true ace, but Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams are both good. Maybe Parker Messick can give them a reliable third option at the top of the rotation, but this is not a scary group. There’s enough depth and competence to be middle-of-the-pack or slightly better, though.

The bullpen has been their strength the last few years and might continue to be. Cade Smith is a beast, though Hunter Gaddis backed up quite a bit last year after his dominant 2024. And of course, there’s no more Clase. I could see a scenario where this ends up below league average, but I’ll give the organization the benefit of the doubt, given its track record of building bullpens. They have eight or so other arms from which they’ll likely cobble together a third and fourth option, plus depth.

The lineup, on the other hand, is just bad. They’ve struggled to score runs for years. José Ramírez and Steven Kwan give them stability, and I think Kyle Manzardo provides a third consistently above-average bat. After that, it’s a lot of wishing. Can they find a way to score enough runs to stay competitive? They may need Travis Bazzana, Cooper Ingle, or maybe Ralphy Velazquez to come up and add a quality bat, but none of them are sure things. (Still love the name Ralphy.)

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Minnesota Twins

AL Central/playoff odds
Fangraphs: 17.1% / 32.6%
BP: 17.3% / 26.8%

Projection systems consistently seem to love the Twins. And the Twins love disappointing them — at least that’s how it has felt in recent years.

After the fire sale at last year’s deadline, many would assume they have little to no shot, but these probabilities disagree. I think it’s mostly a function of a very good rotation. Pablo López and Joe Ryan make a nice one-two punch. Add quality depth behind them, and you have one of the better starting fives in baseball.

For me, the problems arise in the bullpen. There’s no clear top-end arm anymore. Maybe Taylor Rogers or Justin Topa recaptures some of their previous dominance, but I wouldn’t bet on anyone in this bullpen as a true slam-the-door option. The depth was also thinned out at the deadline. It looks like an inconsistent group.

There are talented hitters. Byron Buxton is very, very good — and we also know he tends to disappear from the lineup. You can realistically hope for 100–110 games of his production. Luke Keaschall had a good 2025 debut and looks like a nice long-term piece, but he’s more of a table-setter than a top-tier bat, especially since that .340 BABIP is unlikely to repeat. Matt Wallner and Ryan Jeffers are solid, and maybe Royce Lewis finally pulls it all together (I sincerely doubt it).

They’ll score some runs, but I doubt they’ll finish in the top half of the league offensively. Left field, shortstop, first base, and DH are all considerable issues that bringing in Josh Bell does not fix. His projections are odd — I’m not sure why systems expect his best season since 2022 at age 33, but they do. One true middle-of-the-order bat is not enough, and there’s always the threat of ownership shedding more payroll.

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Detroit Tigers

AL Central/playoff odds
Fangraphs: 54.3% / 69.8%
BP: 36.1% / 49.7%

Now we get to the favorites. The Tigers have a lot going for them and have added a couple of large pieces to get even stronger.

Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez might be the best one-two punch in baseball, and a back end of Jack Flaherty, Verlander, and Casey Mize is solid. I have concerns about Verlander, but he really just needs to be serviceable. The Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe injuries reduce their depth, which does hurt, but they’re still positioned to have one of the best rotations in the league.

The bullpen is significantly less intimidating. Will Vest was dominant for stretches last year, but counting on that for a full season feels risky. Any team planning on Kenley Jansen as its closer at this stage has questions. Nothing against Jansen, but last year feels a bit like fool’s gold statistically. Can they get reliable back-end production from Tyler Holton, Kyle Finnegan, and others? It feels like they’ll have a lot of serviceable arms without true top-end dominance. That creates risk — and it contributed to their inability to hold the division late.

The other issue was consistent run scoring. That’s a theme in the Central: solid starting pitching, inconsistent bats. The Tigers probably have the most stable lineup top to bottom. Riley Greene has become a stalwart, and Spencer Torkelson finally put it together to add thump. I believe in those two, and adding Gleyber Torres helps.

It’s the Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Wenceel Pérez, and Zack McKinstry group I’m less sold on. Most outperformed their underlying metrics last year. Javier Báez had a strange renaissance before reverting to below-average production. This is a good offense if those supporting pieces hold. If not, it becomes pedestrian. If Kevin McGonigle or Max Clark forces the issue, that would help considerably.

Given the rotation strength, they have to be considered favorites, regardless of BP slightly preferring the Royals.

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Kansas City

AL Central/playoff odds
Fangraphs: 22.3% / 39.9%
BP: 40.7% / 55.8%

After looking at everyone else, I’m more optimistic about the Royals than I was initially.

Their starting pitching strength and depth match up well within the division. Injuries are the biggest risk, as we saw last year. Cole Ragans likely needs to return to Cy Young-level form for this team to reach its ceiling, but the rotation should be second or third in the division at worst.

I also like the bullpen more now. The back end of Carlos Estévez, Lucas Erceg, and Matt Strahm is better than any other in the division. I don’t even think that’s particularly arguable, though I do have mild concerns about both Erceg and Estévez. The depth — John Schreiber, Nick Mears, possibly displaced starters, and Luinder Avila focusing solely on relief — gives them the strongest bullpen depth in the Central. This may be the best bullpen KC has had in some time. Hopefully that’s not just spring hopium.

Bobby Witt Jr. is clearly the best player in the division, and Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Maikel Garcia give the Royals the strongest top-of-the-lineup core in the Central. The questions come at leadoff and in the back half. There aren’t as many internal solutions as Detroit has, and there aren’t elite prospects waiting in the wings. Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone may determine whether this lineup is good enough. Isaac Collins, Jonathan India, and Lane Thomas matter too — but mostly they just need to be useful and outproduce last year’s black holes.

I’m probably closer to the Fangraphs division odds – around 25% – because I think Detroit is slightly better overall. But I also believe this front office will add if needed, which could push that toward 30–35%. On overall playoff odds, I’m closer to BP.

The AL as a whole feels open. I see only five clearly better teams: the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Mariners. That puts the Royals somewhere near 50% to make the playoffs — and I’m ready for the season to begin.

What do you think?

Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic dropped a surprising note that the Rays lone lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger is evidently drawing strong trade interest this week, in sourcing likely derived from a couple teams pushing for the acquisition.

In a vacuum, this is totally something the old Rays would do, as Cleavinger is a short-arm reliever making $2.4 million with yet another pay increase coming next season in his final year of arbitration. Short of paying for a lights out closer, the Rays usually build their bullpen in a cave with some scraps, and Cleavinger has eight saves since his 2020 major league debut.

The modern Rays, at lease of the last couple seasons, wait and see how the season will go before removing any key pieces. The logic would go: If there’s a 20% chance this team is competitive for the playoffs, you see if you’re in that 1/5 chance before moving on from your best relievers.

Rosenthal doesn’t throw his weight around lightly, and given that this rumor is here at all, it would seem to indicate the Rays also think they have enough left handed support to part with a fireman southpaw and that the team didn’t give a hard no upon inquiry.

If the Rays acquiesce, it could indicate that 40-man left-handed starters Ian Seymour and Joe Rock might start getting more swing-man assignments or time in the bullpen to maximize their value on the roster. In camp the Rays will also have journeyman LHP Cam Booser, who I’m willing to bet already had a strong shot to make the Rays roster this Spring.

Cleavinger sported a 2.35 ERA last season over 61.1 IP, his second consecutive season of sixty innings thrown, with a 33.7% strikeout rate (96th percentile in MLB) with a 36.0% whiff rate (97th percentile) and 7.4% walk rate (63rd percentile).

Mets owner Steve Cohen addressed a number of topics Monday morning in Port St. Lucie…

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Shaking up the core

Change was needed with this core simply because…

“We haven’t won, and I really want to win,” Cohen emphasized. “Each year that goes by, I get more annoyed. It’s hard to know what to make of those chances, and sometimes they happen in a way that you don’t fully anticipate or expect.

“But the other side of it is, we have a really sharp baseball management group, and these guys were prepared and had alternatives, and like I said -- saying goodbye is always tough, but saying hello is kind of fun.”

Say hello to Bo…

One of those new faces the Mets brought in was Bo Bichette. 

They, of course, landed Bichette shortly after losing out on Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers. 

Cohen explained how he went to bed annoyed about missing the star outfielder, but the front office moved quickly to land a strong alternative shortly thereafter.

“The way I describe it is, when the news came down with Kyle, literally the body was still warm and we were getting calls from agents, literally within five minutes later -- I was like ‘the body is still warm here,’” he said. 

“I went to bed annoyed, but the agent for Bo called us right after and discussions started -- you never know how they’re going to go, but they moved real quickly.” 

In Bichette, the Mets pick up one of the league's premier hitters with RISP.

“It’s always better to have players that have performed in the clutch,” Cohen explained. “He’s not a home run guy, but he led the league in doubles last year, and doubles score runs too -- having those players who have preformed under pressure is usually a pretty good sign.”

Them pesky Dodgers…

Speaking of the Dodgers, Cohen was asked if he feels the Mets closed the gap between them and the two-time defending champs.

“They’re formidable, they have the ability to spend -- so do I, by the way,” he joked. “They’ve built a great team, but I think we’ve built a great team too. I think we’re going to be really competitive this year, and the goal is to meet them somewhere along the way.”

Impressions of the 2026 team… so far

Cohen only arrived in PSL on Monday, but he feels a different vibe around this club.

“I feel like there’s a different energy here than last year,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, it just feels really optimistic -- a lot of new faces, so I’m really excited by this team, I’m excited by the energy of this team, and we’ll see what happens.”

His goal for this team, though…

“Table stakes is making the playoffs, gotta make the playoffs,” Cohen explained. “I missed the playoffs last year, missing the playoffs two years in a row, that’s not good -- and then obviously you want to go deep. 

“You can’t lose lose a short series, you can’t control what goes on, anything can happen in those short series -- but I think the idea is keep putting yourself in that position year in and year out, which we haven’t done.

“It’s been off and on, so we have to do better, and those are the goals I’m seeking.”

Confidence in Mendy…

Even after a down 2025 season, Cohen remains confident Carlos Mendoza is the manager they need to achieve his goals.

“Carlos is a great manager, he’s a great guy and a great motivator,” he said. “I believe a manager’s main job is the culture, obviously there are in-game decisions, but it’s really about creating the right culture, and I think Carlos does it really well.”

Mendoza is heading into the final year of his contract with the club. 

Thoughts on Carson Benge...

Benge is one of the young pieces who could help Mendoza and the Mets return to the postseason.

The top prospect is being given every chance to make the Opening Day roster out of camp this spring...

"Obviously there's a great deal of expectation with Carson," Cohen said. "You've got to give him a bit of a break, right? He hasn't played in Triple-A yet, so it's hard to know how that's going to go, but he certainly has preformed in a way that would make you excited about the possibilities." 

Benge, and the organization's other young pieces, will certainly benefit from being around the club's veterans. 

Thoughts on a potential salary cap...

Cohen insisted he is solely focused on the 2026 season, and isn't worried about what may come in 2027. 

As far as where he stands on a potential salary floor/cap...

"I'm listening to all of the arguments, but I've always been a league-first owner," he said. "I haven't made up my mind yet, but we'll see where it goes -- sometimes I put the league's interest above my own interest."

Can Roman Anthony carry the Red Sox offense in 2026? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Roman Anthony will have plenty on his shoulders this upcoming Boston Red Sox season, and the budding superstar arrived in Fort Myers prepared to carry the load.

Anthony showed up to spring training with noticeably more muscle on his 6-foot-3 frame. After flashing MVP potential as a rookie last season, he’ll be counted on to supply much of the power for a Red Sox lineup that isn’t expected to hit many balls over the fence in 2026.

ZiPS projects the Red Sox will be the only MLB club without a player hitting 20-plus home runs next season. Anthony, Trevor Story, and Wilyer Abreu are tied for the team lead with a projected 18 homers, and Anthony also owns the highest projected OPS (.812) among Boston hitters.

The Red Sox front office’s inability to land another big bat this offseason has put the burden on Anthony to exceed even those lofty expectations. Fortunately, the laid-back 21-year-old appears unbothered by the spotlight.

“That’s fine. Like I said earlier, we have so many great players, so I’m not really worried about that at all,” Anthony told reporters at Fenway South on Monday.

“I’m not really worried about anything like that, never really was. Just going to continue to learn from my teammates around me and find ways to make everyone better.”

Vote for Roman Anthony in our “Best Boston athletes under 25” contest

That mindset is part of what makes Anthony such a compelling centerpiece for Boston’s future. With elite bat speed, advanced plate discipline, and power to all fields, his talent has never been in question. His even-keeled approach may prove to be just as valuable as the production itself. If the Red Sox are going to outperform their modest power projections, it will likely start with their former No. 1 prospect taking another leap mentally and physically.

Anthony earned his long-awaited call-up to the big leagues in June. After raking at every minor-league level, he wasted little time making his presence felt in Boston, slashing .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 71 games before an oblique strain ended his season prematurely in early September. He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year race.

Roman Anthony DESTROYS a home run off of Paul Skenes 😮 pic.twitter.com/WkyKHlngCJ

— MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2025

If he stays healthy in 2026, it isn’t a stretch to say Anthony could be in the AL Most Valuable Player conversation. An MVP-level season from Anthony may be necessary for the Red Sox to compete in the tough AL East and make a deep postseason run.

Although much of the commentary surrounding this year’s Red Sox squad touts the improved pitching staff while questioning the lineup, Anthony is a believer in the group.

“I think we’ve got a great squad offensively,” he said. “I haven’t really looked into it much as to what people have to say about us, but I think we know what the end goal is, and we know how we’re gonna try and piece it together to make everything work.

“I think we have a very complete lineup. It just feels very tight-knit in there. So I think as far as the offensive side goes, I think we’re gonna be just fine.”

Even if Anthony is confident the Red Sox offense will surprise people, there’s no question the club is asking a lot from him heading into his first full season. He ranks near the top of the list of players they can’t afford to lose to injury, which makes his addition to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic a polarizing topic among Sox fans. While it’ll be fun to watch the future face of the franchise perform on an international stage, it will also come with understandable anxiety.

Ultimately, the Red Sox are placing a significant bet on growth. When it comes to the lineup, they’re betting that internal development, more than offseason spending, will power their next postseason push. At the center of that wager stands Roman Anthony.

He doesn’t need to be perfect, nor does he have to do it alone. But if he continues on his current trajectory, it’ll go a long way toward quieting the critiques of the lackluster offense, and it could make all the difference between another letdown season and October baseball in Boston.

No pressure, kid.

Vote for Roman Anthony and other Sox players in our “Best Boston athletes under 25” contest

Today, for our daily question, we are going to ask you to look back on your history with the Cleveland baseball team.

I will not be surprised if you have multiple memories you want to share, and that’s fine, but tell us which one stands out above the others, if you can.

Whether it’s:

-Games you saw in person
-Games you saw from your couch
-Encounters with players or coaches
-Life experiences that intertwined with the team and its accomplishments
-Memories from trips to the stadium and city

We want to hear about it all in the comments below. Share some Indians/Guardians memories with us!

Zack Meisel published a great article today about Chase DeLauter’s debut and his approach to this coming season. He, again, emphasizes that the organization was planning for DeLauter to break camp with the major league team in 2025 before his injury. So… one would have to assume the plan is for him to break camp this season. Right? Right?!

There was a rumor that Ty France was on the Guardians’ radar. He signed a minor-league deal with the Padres today. Rhys Hoskins is still out there. The Guardians will not sign him.

In case you missed it, Hoynes had a quote from Stephen Vogt saying that David Fry isn’t going to play right field or third base yet. This complicates the roster situation and will be interesting to follow.

Will Brennan signed a split contract with the San Francisco Giants. We wish Brennan all the best.

The Guardians have their first full-squad workout tomorrow. Jose Ramirez was the only player not yet in camp, but should be there as of today.

After signing Cionel Perez a couple days ago, the Nats picked up another veteran reliever on an incentive-laden minor league deal. This time Paul Toboni and the Nats picked up Drew Smith, who was a mainstay in the Mets bullpen for a few years. From 2021 to 2024, Smith featured prominently in the Mets bullpen, but missed last season recovering from Tommy John.

Former Met reliever Drew Smith stays in the NL East agreeing to a minor league deal with the Nats. $1.75M if he makes the team, with $1.25M in performance bonuses, according to sources

— Michelle Margaux (@mmargaux8) February 16, 2026

However, he should be ready to go right away. The surgery was back in July of 2024, so plenty of time has passed. This is Smith’s second Tommy John, so it is not a given that he looks like his old self. If he does bounce back, the $1.75 million price tag if he makes the team could be a steal.

Back when he was on the Mets, Smith was known for his swing and miss stuff. His fastball sat around 95 MPH and he had a strong feel for spin. Smith throws a cutter, a slider, a curveball and an occasional changeup to go with his lively heater. He can be susceptible to hard contact, but he makes up for it by getting swing and miss.

Nats sign reliever Drew Smith pic.twitter.com/qn38X4MUze

— Kev (@klwoodjr) February 16, 2026

Earlier this offseason, I actually brought up Smith as a potential under the radar target. His career 3.48 ERA and his ability to generate whiffs stuck out to me. It seems like Toboni was also impressed by those skills. 

Spring Training will be huge for Smith though. He will need to prove that his stuff is still good after a second major surgery. There are examples of pitchers who have succeeded after a second Tommy John, but there are also plenty of guys who struggle to bounce back from that second surgery. Hopefully Smith can be part of the former group.

Importantly, he will be ready to go immediately. There was some optimism that he could return at the end of the Mets season, but he just could not quite make it. Given how far removed he is from the surgery, this offseason was probably relatively normal for Smith. 

It's still far too early to know with any certainty, but Mets reliever Drew Smith (recovery from Tommy John surgery) has some optimism that he'll be able to return in late September or October. He's on track to begin throwing bullpen sessions next month — a good sign.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 26, 2025

Due to his injury status, Smith is less likely to break camp with the team than Cionel Perez. However, he might have more upside to his ability to generate whiffs. This is another worthwhile dart throw from Toboni. If Smith does not look like the same pitcher, he can just be a depth arm in Rochester. However, if the stuff does return, he could be an important veteran in the Nats bullpen.

At 32 years old, Smith should have gas in the tank if he is fully recovered from the injury. He also provides some experience and veteran leadership to a Nats bullpen that does not have much of that.

If Smith can pitch to a 3.48 ERA, which is his career mark, this would be a great pickup. There is also no risk because this is a minor league deal. I like these small bullpen moves Toboni has made in the last few days.

The newest addition to the Team USA World Baseball Classic roster is also its youngest.

Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony was officially named to the roster on Tuesday, Feb. 16. He replaces the Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll, Team USA announced after it had been reported last week. Anthony, who debuted with 71 games in 2025 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, batted .292 in Boston with eight home runs and an OPS+ of 140.

REQUIRED READING: Padres elated to land 'baller' Nick Castellanos after his Phillies divorce

While Anthony may be a bit of a downgrade in terms of outfield coverage from Carroll, he will bring a stronger arm and he can make up for the difference in bat pop. Anthony joins teammate Garrett Whitlock, one of the best aces in baseball, on the WBC roster.

Anthony signed an eight-year contract worth $130 million with the Red Sox last August, and the deal has escalators up to $230 million. Though he missed out on $1 million for not finishing top two in Rookie of the Year voting, he can make $2 million for winning MVP, $1 million for finishing second or third in MVP voting, with descending numbers down to top-10 in voting.

The USA outfield will now have Anthony, Byron Buxton, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and captain Aaron Judge.

How old is Roman Anthony?

Born May 13, 2004, Anthony is 21 years old and will be 22 in May. He is the youngest player on the Team USA roster.

Anthony became the youngest Red Sox player to make his debut since Rafael Devers at 21 years and 27 days on June 9 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Roman Anthony stats

Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463 last season with eight home runs.

In terms of other metrics, the only spots where Anthony fell under league average at the plate were in whiff percentage and strikeout percentage.

Team USA World Baseball Classic roster

The World Baseball Classic roster is again filled out now, with Anthony joining Buxton, Crow-Armstrong, and Judge in the outfield.

Pitchers

• Paul Skenes (Pirates)
• Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
• Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox)
• Joe Ryan (Twins)
• Michael Wacha (Royals)
• Matthew Boyd (Cubs)
• Garrett Cleavinger (Rays)
• Clay Holmes (Mets)
• Logan Webb (Giants)
• Nolan McLean (Mets)
• David Bednar (Yankees)
• Griffin Jax (Twins)
• Brad Keller (Phillies)
• Mason Miller (Padres)
• Gabe Speier (Mariners)
• Clayton Kershaw (Retired)

Catchers

• Cal Raleigh (Mariners)
• Will Smith (Dodgers)

Infield

• Bryce Harper, 1B/DH (Phillies)
• Paul Goldschmidt, 1B/DH (Yankees)
• Brice Turang, 2B (Brewers)
• Gunnar Henderson, SS (Orioles)
• Bobby Witt Jr., SS (Royals)
• Alex Bregman, 3B (Cubs)
• Ernie Clement, Utility (Blue Jays)

Outfield

• Aaron Judge (Yankees)
• Byron Buxton (Twins)
• Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs)
• Roman Anthony (Red Sox)

Designated Hitter

• Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Roman Anthony replaces Corbin Carroll on Team USA's WBC roster

Listen, I really liked the idea that the Phillies recognized that developing their own starters and relievers is the proper way to build and develop. Spending at the top of free agency each year is fine, but there has to be some counterbalance to what is being done. So spending higher draft picks on pitchers that fit best in the bullpen? I’m fine with that.

Cody Bowker – 137
Zach McCambley – 25
Cason DeMartini – 16
Alex McFarlane – 13
Yoniel Curet – 12
Griffin Burkholder – 12
Keaton Anthony – 9
Seth Johnson – 8
Mavis Graves – 6

As stated in previous articles, the team definitely took the right step in trying to develop arms themselves rather than having to trade for them each deadline. The hope is probably that if they can hit on one, maybe two arms, that can be used in major league bullpens, that’s a solid win.

Obviously, the hope would be there were more to develop and that’s possible. Getting two arms from this past draft to the major leagues with the belief that they could be successful is the dream. But after years of neglect, it’s at least refreshing that arms like Bowker, one who might start but is more likely to be a reliever, are in the system to provide depth when/if they are needed

2025 stats

Did not debut

Fangraphs scouting report

Bowker has an extreme drop-and-drive, low-slot delivery. His right shin is practically scraping the ground as he delivers, creating extreme uphill angle on his pitches. Bowker sat in the 91-94 mph range all year even as he blew through his career innings high, and he throws fastballs for strikes (70% strike rate with plus-plus miss and chase) despite mechanical funk. Though his secondary pitch feel is not as crisp, Bowker has a bunch of them. He changes speeds on two breakers — a mid-80s cutter and low-80s slider — that play nicely off his fastball near the top of the zone, and he can turn over a changeup in the low 80s if he wants something to finish low. It’s a starter’s pitch mix in a mechanical package more commonly seen in the bullpen, which is why Bowker is projected to slot into multi-inning big league role.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

In this special Spring 2026 preview episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco sit down with Kansas City Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how the organization is building its staff for the upcoming season.

Sweeney walks us through his daily routine during spring training — from 6 a.m. physicals and data review to individualized bullpen sessions and game-day preparation. Sweeney’s candid stories about player personalities, in-game adjustments, and clubhouse culture provide rare access to the human side of pitching development. For fans who want more than surface-level analysis, this episode delivers insider insight into how the Royals are preparing to compete in 2026.

Jacob and Jeremy also dive into bullpen construction, including why Lucas Erceg is viewed as a high-ceiling, swing-and-miss weapon, how Carlos Estevez factors into late-inning strategy, and which emerging arms — including Steven Cruz, Alex Lange, Nick Mears, Luinder Avila, and others — are pushing for meaningful roles in 2026.

Whether you’re a longtime Royals supporter or a baseball enthusiast interested in pitching strategy and player development, this conversation offers a valuable perspective on what it truly takes to build a modern MLB pitching staff.

Email Jacob directly at: jm17971047@gmail.com

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at infielder Cody Freeman.

Cody Freeman spent more time in the major leagues in 2025 than I think any of us expected to be the case. Or wanted to be the case, for that matter.

Freeman had a short stint in the bigs right after the All Star Break when Sam Haggerty went on the injured list, and then was sent back down after about a week when Haggerty returned. A little less than a month later, Freeman was called back up again in mid-August, once again taking the place of Sam Haggerty, and ultimately sticking around until the end of the season due to, you know, everyone being injured.

Freeman had the role of “young-ish guy in AAA who can play a lot of positions who can be pressed into duty in the big leagues if need be” in the second half of 2025. That role had previously been held by Jonathan Ornelas, who was designated for assignment in May and then sold to Atlanta, because that’s where all the players DFA’d by the Rangers end up.

Freeman’s time in the majors in 2025 was relatively uneventful. he slashed .228/.258/.342 and played a variety of positions, none of them particularly well according to the advanced defensive metrics.

Freeman wasn’t on the 40 man roster until he was summoned in July, and would have been a free agent at the end of the season had he not been added to the 40 man at some point before season’s end. He ended up with a -0.3 WAR of both the f and b varieties. He seemed to generate a degree of enthusiasm among Rangers fans that was disproportionate to his actual performance.

Really, though, what is more interesting to me than Freeman’s 2025 major league performance is Freeman’s 2025 minor league performance. He appeared to be a completely different hitter in AAA than he had been throughout his entire minor league career up to that point.

In 71 career games in low-A, Cody Freeman has slashed .247/.357/.383.

In 196 career games in high-A, Cody Freeman has slashed .235/.308/.384.

In 124 career games in AA, Cody Freeman has slashed .262/.318/.428.

In 97 career games in AAA, Cody Freeman has slashed .336/.382/.549.

That’s a big jump! And yes, the PCL is a great league for hitters, and yes, Freeman had been one of the Rangers’ infielder-to-catcher conversion projects and was catching at least some of the time until the 2024 season, and so not catching anymore probably helped him.

But even so…that’s a big, big jump in performance.

In looking at his historical minor league data, one can see how that change manifested. Here’s Freeman’s K rates in the minors by year:

2021 — 15.8%

2022 — 16.1%

2023 — 18.4%

2024 — 18.1%

2025 — 8.7%

That’s a huge drop in Freeman’s strikeout rate in 2025 compared to prior years. And its at AAA, where he is seeing more experienced pitchers, and where one would expect his K rate to go up rather than down.

One would expect that Freeman was swinging less frequently once he got to AAA, but that wasn’t the case. He swung at 44.4% of pitches with Round Rock in 2025, compared to 44.2% and 46.3% the previous two seasons.

The difference is in contact rate — after putting up contact rates a little above 80% in his career prior to 2025, with a high of 82.8% in AA in 2024, Freeman had an 89.9% contact rate at AAA in 2025.

To put these numbers in perspective, Steven Kwan had an 8.7% K rate in the majors in 2025, which was the fourth lowest K% among qualified hitters.

Nico Hoerner had an 89.9% contact rate in the majors in 2025. That was the fourth highest contact rate among qualified hitters.

Freeman was able to maintain an elite contact rate — 88.5% — in his time in the majors. His K rate jumped up to 15.7%, which is still well above average in terms of avoiding strikeouts.

The problem was, though, that Freeman didn’t walk in the majors — he had a well below average 4.1% walk rate — and he didn’t make quality contact. His hard hit rate and average exit velocity were both near the bottom of the league, and almost 60% of his balls in play were either ground balls or infield pop ups.

Freeman has two options remaining, and seems most likely to start the year back at AAA as infield depth. It will be interesting to see, should he be in Round Rock for the bulk of the year, whether he can replicate the offensive success he had there in 2025.

With the Rangers needing a righthanded bench bat, there’s been talk about Freeman possibly filling that role. However, Freeman has not performed especially well against lefties — in fact, he has reverse splits over the last three seasons. That makes it hard for him to have value in a big league bench role at this point.

2025 was a big step forward for Freeman. He had a successful year at AAA and got regular playing time in the bigs in the final six weeks of the season. Now we just need to see if he can build on that for 2026.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

Dylan Moore

Michael Helman

Evan Carter

Cole Winn

Rowdy Tellez

Dane Dunning

Marcus Semien

Billy McKinney

Jose Corniell

Jonah Heim

Francisco Lindor is now widely considered the leader of the Mets as their longest-tenured hitter, but seniority doesn't guarantee captaincy.

In fact, there isn't any player on the roster who should expect that title and status under Steve Cohen's watch, as the Mets owner revealed Monday he'll never appoint a captain while in control of the franchise.

"As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain," Cohen said at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie. "That was my decision. My view is, the locker room is unique and let the locker room sort it out, year-in, year-out. There'll never be a captain. I've felt that way all along."

Following the exit of slugger Pete Alonso, who became the Mets' all-time home runs leader before signing with the Orioles in free agency this winter, all signs pointed toward Lindor -- their de facto captain -- eventually earning the rank officially.

Lindor was an obvious candidate, considering the leadership traits and responsibilities he's assumed since joining the Mets in 2021. Just last spring, when the Mets reportedly mulled the idea of naming him captain, the veteran shortstop expressed the possibility as "an honor and a privilege."

"The captain thing is not up for me to decide. If it does happen, it would be fantastic, an honor and a privilege," Lindor said a year ago. "Something I would never take for granted. Something that would put me next to the greats of this organization forever and It would be very humbling."

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza even admitted to having captain conversations. He told WFAN last February he shared feelings on Lindor to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, contending, "he doesn’t have the ‘C’ on [his uniform], but he’s doing a lot of the things that a captain will do."

Lindor also received an endorsement from Mets legend John Franco -- the third captain in franchise history -- who ran into the switch-hitter last spring training and told him he wants to see that 'C' on his uniform.

The only wrinkle was Mendoza never talked to Cohen on the matter then, which explains the change in tune now and why the Mets aren't inclined to name a fifth captain in franchise history and their first since David Wright.

"The way we see it is we have a bunch of guys there who are part of that leadership group," Mendoza said. "We lost a few guys who were part of that group, and then we gained some guys who have done that -- so I think when you're talking about a major league locker room, you need to have not only one guy, but a few guys."

The story of Cohen's reign can't be told without Lindor, however. He was acquired by the Mets in a blockbuster trade with the then-Indians five winters ago, and their commitment to a long-term relationship was cemented when Lindor signed a10-year contract extension prior to Opening Day.

Since then, Lindor has slashed .261/.338/.462 with 148 doubles, 141 home runs, and 445 RBI across 758 total games with the Mets. He nearly captured NL MVP honors in 2024, finishing second in the race, and earned Silver Slugger awards in 2023 and 2024.

There have only been four official captains in Mets history -- Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter,Franco, and Wright -- and the exclusive group isn't accepting new members, according to the boss.

PORT ST. LUCIE — The debate over who the next Mets captain will be is over, at least for the foreseeable future.

It won’t be anybody.

Mets owner Steve Cohen said Monday that as long as he owns the team, the title “captain” won’t be bestowed on a player.

“There will never be a captain,” Cohen said.

He added the decision is based on how he would like to see the clubhouse run.

“Every year a team is different,” Cohen said. “And let the team figure it out in the locker room rather than have a designation. Having a captain in baseball doesn’t happen often — it’s actually unusual. Whatever previous ownership did, that was their way of doing things. I look at things differently.”

In recent seasons, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso had emerged as potential captains. Nimmo and Alonso departed the organization after last season, which appeared to clear the way for Lindor to potentially land the title.

David Wright, who played his final game for the Mets in 2018, was the team’s last captain. Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and John Franco have also worn the title for the Mets.

Since getting called up to the Dodgers in April 2018, Max Muncy has been a fixture in the Dodgers infield at three different positions, and has yet to reach free agency. The contract he signed Thursday — his fourth extension — keeps Muncy under contract through 2027 with another club option for 2028.

Muncy has expressed multiple times in recent years of his desire to stay in Los Angeles, and did so again on Saturday at Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch.

From Jack Harris at The California Post:

“I know I’m leaving some money on the table,” Muncy said Saturday. “But I want to be here. I want to end my career here. I know who I am as a person, and I wouldn’t be happy trying to chase money somewhere else. I’ve never been comfortable trying to do that. And I wouldn’t be comfortable now.”

Also revealed on Saturday were some further details of Muncy’s latest contract, which added $10 million guaranteed for 2027 to his existing 2026 deal. Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic shared some of Muncy’s contract incentives, as did Robert Murray of FanSided, the latter shown here:

The 2026 incentives were included in the option that was picked up from the previous contract. It includes $15K in performance bonuses with each plate appearance from 401 to 550, with a maximum of $2.25 million.

From the extension: 2027 salary escalator based on 2026 plate appearances. $20K for each plate appearance from 401-500 and $35K for each plate appearance from 501-550, with a maximum of $3.75 million. The 2028 performance bonuses (if the option is exercised) includes $20K for each plate appearance from 401-500 and $35K for each plate appearance from 501-550, with a maximum of $3.75 million.

Let’s run through the history of Muncy’s contracts with the Dodgers, beginning when he was first eligible for salary arbitration after the 2019 season.

February 2020: three years, $26 million, plus club option

Covered all three arbitration seasons (2020-22), after Muncy and the Dodgers exchanged salaries for his first time through arbitration. Muncy was at $4.675 million and the Dodgers were at $4 million, with a midpoint of $4.3375 million. Muncy got a $4.5 million signing bonus and a $1 million salary in 2020, $7.5 million in 2021, and $11.5 million in 2022, with a $13 million club option and a $1.5 million buyout for 2023.

Muncy’s club option had salary escalators based on his placement in MVP voting, and his 10th-place finish in 2021 added $500,000 to his 2023 club option base salary.

August 2022: one year, $13.5 million, plus club option

The base salary for 2023 matched Muncy’s club option salary, with another club option for 2024 at $10 million and no buyout. The 2024 option salary had escalators based on 2023 playing time, and Muncy earned all $4 million with his 579 plate appearances, putting his club option at $14 million

November 2023: two years, $24 million, plus club option

This contract was signed on the first day of the offseason and four days before the club option decision was due. Instead of $14 million for one year, the Dodgers signed him for $12 million per year over two years, plus a 2026 club option. This time around, the Dodgers exercised Muncy’s option on November 6 without an extension. Yet.

February 2026: one year, $10 million, plus club option

Already signed for 2026, Muncy’s extension pays him $7 million for 2027, plus a club option worth $10 million for 2028 with a $3 million buyout.

The Dodgers have paid Muncy $37.5 million over the last three years, what would have been free agent seasons had he hit the open market. That’s a relatively modest sum for someone who has been an integral part of the Dodgers lineup who has been productive even while missing time with injuries the last two seasons.

Muncy in 2024 missed four months with a right oblique strain, and played only 73 games during the regular season. Last year he missed a month with a left knee bone bruise, then another three and a half weeks with an oblique strain, finishing the year with 100 games played and 388 plate appearances.

Muncy can earn up to $2.25 million in bonuses for 2026 and add to his 2027 option base salary based on playing time, but those bonuses don’t start until 401 plate appearances, something he hasn’t reached since 2023. He can max out those bonuses with 550 plate appearances, something he’s done four times in his career — 2019, plus 2021-23.

It is interesting, and potentially advantageous, that the Mets signed so many middle infielders during the offseason. As we all cross our fingers for a speedy recovery from hamate surgery for Francisco Lindor, we’ve been highlighting some of the potential players who may take some at-bats during spring training and (hopefully not) during the early days of the regular season.

Today’s spotlighted middle infielder is Grae Kessinger. A third-generation major leaguer, Kessinger was drafted in the second round by Houston in 2019. Much like Christian Arroyo, Kessinger was a top prospect who showed promise at times in the minor leagues, but he never had a slam dunk season on the farm, but his 2023 was solid, hitting .283 .397 .429 across AA and AAA. Later that season, he got his first shot in the big leagues. In 26 games for the Astros, he hit .200/.289/.325 with one home run while playing all four infield positions.

2024 saw Kessinger mostly playing in Triple-A, but he made 23 appearances for the Astros, but didn’t collect a single hit in 25 plate appearances. After the season, the Astros traded Kessinger to the Diamondbacks for minor league pitcher Matthew Linskey. However, after just 11 games for Triple-A Reno, Kessinger was designated for assignment.

While minor league releases happen all the time, it’s odd to see a relatively young (27) year old who made the majors in the prior season be released after less than a dozen games. Not that these are Babe Ruth numbers, but Kessinger collected 8 hits in 11 games, only to be released. MLB Trade Rumors was similarly surprised by the move:

It’s a bit surprising to see Kessinger released, as most DFA’d players are either traded or placed on outright waivers. An injured player can’t be placed on outright waivers, so a release is sometimes an indication that a player is hurt, though there’s been no reporting to suggest that’s the case with Kessinger. Another possibility is that he has been released to pursue an opportunity overseas, though that’s entirely speculative.

He was not signed by another club all season, either stateside or elsewhere. No official statement was ever released by either the club or Kessinger to explain his departure and lack of signing elsewhere.

Of all the potential middle infielders we’ve discussed so far, Kessinger’s story is the least conventional. While the money and minor league roster spot aren’t exactly a big deal to Steve Cohen’s budget, it’s rare to see a player who wasn’t playing organized ball of any kind for 90% of the season last year get signed at all.

But the same ‘former top prospect’ caveats that applied to Arroyo apply to Kessinger. He’s a versatile player with options remaining who isn’t terribly far removed from some moderate minor league success. As long as whatever led to his mysterious release in 2025 doesn’t pop up again, Kessinger seems likely to play a lot in Syracuse this season, maybe popping up to the majors for a cup of coffee.