FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Minnesota Twins suffered a major setback during their first full-squad workout, an elbow injury that likely will sideline ace Pablo López for the entire season.
General manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters at the club’s spring training facility on Tuesday that López has a “significant tear” in his right ulnar collateral ligament. He was seeking a second medical opinion but expected to need Tommy John surgery, Zoll said. López ended his bullpen session early on Monday after experiencing soreness in his throwing elbow.
The team’s opening day starter in each of the last three years, López was grappling with a double disappointment with the probable loss of not only the upcoming major league season but the World Baseball Classic next month, when he was scheduled to pitch for his native Venezuela.
“I already feel I’m letting a lot of people down,” said López, who was limited to 75 2/3 innings last year because of injuries. “I’m letting myself down. I’m letting the Twins down. I’m letting my family down.”
López, who turns 30 on March 7, is making $21.75 million this season. He is signed through next year.
“We know injuries are part of the game. You’re always trying to get through spring training as healthy as possible,” Zoll said. “It’s definitely a blow, but we’re going to just do the best we can to push forward.”
López made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2018 and spent five seasons with them before being traded to the Twins. López made the All-Star team in his first year with the Twins and helped the franchise end an all-time record 18-game postseason losing streak for North American professional sports, going 2-0 with an 0.71 ERA in two starts in the 2023 playoffs.
When López was in the Seattle Mariners organization, he had Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2014 minor league season.
“We’re not designed to throw things that hard for an extended time,” López told reporters at the Lee Health Sports Complex. “Having done it once, I can do it again. Doesn’t mean I want to, but I’m going to have to and I know I can.”
López missed about three months last season with a shoulder injury. As the Twins were slashing payroll, he was mentioned often as a prime trade candidate, but the front office opted to keep him and right-hander Joe Ryan at the front of what was expected to be a strong rotation.
Now the Twins are missing their most important piece, with Ryan, an All-Star in 2025, now the ace and right-hander Bailey Ober under pressure to bounce back and be a reliable No. 2 starter.
Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews and David Festa are all 25-year-old right-handers who have combined to make 98 starts over the past two seasons, with at least one or two of them likely to make the opening rotation. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel were acquired in the flurry of trades during the week leading up to the deadline last summer and also are firmly in the mix.
“In a lot of ways, we view this as a real opportunity for someone to step up and take advantage of that,” Zoll said. “We’ll pick up the pieces once we have a better handle on things.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Jason Flores #4 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
After a weekend sweep of the UC-Davis Aggies, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns are back at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday to host the Lamar Cardinals looking to extend their series winning streak to six games.
Led by longtime head coach Will Davis, now in his ninth season with the Cardinals, Lamar enters Tuesday’s game at 2-1 on the season following a home series win over Oakland on opening weekend, missing a chance at a sweep because a 3-2 loss in 10 innings on Sunday.
Shortstop AJ Taylor is off to a hot start for the Cardinals at the plate, hitting .444 with two doubles against Oakland while second baseman Beau Durbin and center fielder Tab Tracy came up clutch with five RBI apiece.
The Lamar pitching staff held Oakland to a .204 batting average, but behind the plate Texas State transfer catch Theo Kummer had some issues controlling the base paths, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to steal five bases without throwing a runner out. And despite the poor batting average, Oakland recorded the only two home runs of the series.
Senior right-hander Blayne Fritcher, a reliever at McNeese last year, will receive the start for Lamar.
For Texas, sophomore right-hander Jason Flores is set to make the sixth start of his career after going 4-2 with a 2.78 ERA while holding opponents to a .205 batting average last season. Schlossnagle praised Flores’ maturation during the offseason, which helped him win a stiff competition to open the season as the midweek starter.
Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner also want to get a look at a number of young arms out of the bullpen on Tuesday with freshmen right-handers Brett Crossland, Sam Cozart, and Brody Walls all expected to make their collegiate debuts after strong starting pitching to only use five relievers in the weekend sweep of UC-Davis.
The Longhorns want to get some players going at the plate, too, like junior catcher Carson Tinney, who was able to draw seven walks, but only had one hit in six at bats. While Schlossnagle appreciates Tinney’s ability to work deep in counts, he also wants the powerful Notre Dame transfer to be more aggressive attacking early strikes.
“He’s a good baseball player, and the hitting stuff is going to come around,” Schlossnagle said on Monday. “He’s going to constantly be earmarked as the guy that has to be pitched to in a certain way and pitched to carefully, which is why we need somebody around him to maybe even get some pitches to hit.”
In the weekend batting order, that player was junior first baseman Casey Borba, who has started the season 2-for-11 (.182) because he’s narrowly missed multiple home runs that were pulled foul and had another big swing that resulted in a ball hit well to center field that he just got under.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 18: Zack Gelof #20 of the Athletics catches the ball during the game between the Athletics and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, September 18, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Looking to give him more chances to play, the A’s are reportedly set to get second baseman Zack Gelof some time on the grass this spring in an effort to boost his versatility.
Which makes sense! Offseason acquisition Jeff McNeil looks like he’ll be getting the majority of the reps at second base (with an occasional appearance at third in the cards as well). That means unless Gelof is hoping for an injury, he’s not going to be lining up at his primary position anytime soon.
In the majors second base is the only position Gelof has played. He did begin his professional career as a third baseman so he has some experience there in the minor leagues. While the A’s are still unsettled at the hot corner he hasn’t gotten meaningful playing time at the position since ‘22.
Getting him some reps at the hot corner this spring seemed like a no-brainer entering camp but the A’s are apparently thinking bigger than that. With the recent departure of Max Schuemann the A’s don’t have a super-utility player on their roster. If the A’s can add some outfield (namely center field) to Gelof’s bag of tools that makes the Athletics’ roster all the more flexible. It’d also add another layer of security in case a younger guy like Colby Thomas, Carlos Cortes or Junior Perez isn’t ready for a part-time role.
Several players have made a successful conversion from the dirt to the grass in recent years, most recently the Padres’ Jackson Merrill (formerly a shortstop, now an elite center fielder) and our very own Tyler Soderstrom (once a catcher, then a first baseman, now a Gold Glove finalist in left field). The Diamondbacks are attempting a position switch with their own prized infield prospect as well, getting shortstop Jordan Lawler reps in center field this spring. Lawler and Merrill are fast guys but Gelof’s no slouch himself, swiping 25 bags just two years ago.
The transition that Gelof is going to attempt to make has been done in the past, and Gelof is enough of an athlete that he should be able to handle himself decently well as he gets used to an unfamiliar position. How well he hits will be the ultimate factor in how long he holds a roster spot but adding more positions other than second base can only help boost his value to the club this coming season.
So how do you guys think the Gelof-to-the-outfield experiment will work? Discuss and debate below in the comments!
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies covers as Addison Barger #47 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to first base on a pick off attempt during the second inning of a spring training game at BayCare Ballpark on March 17, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Something vaguely resembling a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game will occur on Saturday. Until then, we’re in grainy cell phone video of batting practice land. I’ve actually never been to the Jays’ spring training home in in Dunedin (the Cactus League in and around Phoenix is much more accessible from here in Calgary), but I know a lot of our commenters have and I’m sure a few are planning to check it out this year.
Given that, I thought today I’d open things up for a bit of an advice thread. For those of you who’ve gone down to Florida, do you have any advice about where to stay, what to eat, where to sit in the stadium? And anybody considering going down this spring, what would help you to plan your trip? Let’s try to share some info and make sure anyone flying down this year has as much fun as possible.
Tim Neverett and Rick Monday call a Dodgers spring training game for SportsNet LA on February 20, 2025.
The Dodgers on Tuesday announced the broadcast schedule for spring training, with 29 of 31 exhibition games televised by SportsNet LA, plus an extra game that serves as a tuneup for the World Baseball Classic.
The only two Cactus League games not televised by SportsNet LA are on split-squad days. On Saturday, February 28, the Dodgers will televise their game against the Cubs at Camelback Ranch, while their game in Surprise against the Rangers won’t be televised. Same for Sunday, March 15, with the home game against the Rangers on TV locally, but their road game in Mesa against the Cubs not on SportsNet LA. That March 15 Dodgers-Cubs game will be televised by the Marquee Sports Network, which means that Cubs broadcast will be available to watch on MLBtv.
SportsNet LA will also televise the Dodgers’ exhibition game on Wednesday, March 4 against Team Mexico in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.
Tim Neverett and Rick Monday are back for the television call for the Dodgers games in Arizona. For the exhibition Freeway Series against the Angels from March 22-24 in Southern California, Stephen Nelson will call play-by-play for SportsNet LA.
The Dodgers-Reds game on March 5 will also be televised by ESPN, a non-exclusive broadcast. Same for March 23 against the Angels from Dodger Stadium, but streamed on ESPN Unlimited.
AM 570 will simulcast the SportsNet LA call for 17 spring training games. KTNQ 1020 AM will broadcast eight games from spring training, with José Mota and Luis Cruz on the Spanish-language call for the first five games in the Cactus League as well as the three Freeway Series games in Southern California.
Walker Buehler of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after he closes out the 9th inning. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees 7-6 to win the World Series.
From one side of the rivalry to the other.
Maybe.
Walker Buehler agreed to a minor league deal with the Padres, hoping to make their Opening Day roster the rotation as a starter.
“It’s a really good opportunity to be a part of a talented ball club and looking forward to seeing what we can make of it,” he told reporters in Arizona on Tuesday morning while donning the brown and yellow Padres colors for the first time. “I think it’s the way I’ve viewed every spring, come in and try and make the team, contribute anyway I can. Obviously I’m a starter and want to start so here to try and make the rotation.”
It’s been a far fall from grace for the 31-year-old Buehler.
He was widely regarded as one of the better pitchers in baseball during his early years in Los Angeles, winning the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers while being named a two-time All-Star and having two top-10 finishes in Cy Young voting.
But injuries have greatly derailed his career.
He had Tommy John surgery in 2022, resulting in him missing the entire 2023 season. He returned in 2024 with the Dodgers but looked far from who he was pre-surgery. He posted a 5.38 ERA in 16 appearances, though he did close out the 2024 World Series against the Yankees.
He spent the majority of 2025 with the Red Sox, posting a 7-7 record and 5.45 ERA before he was designated for assignment.
Boston Red Sox Walker Buehler throws a pitch during the first inning when the New York Yankees played the Cleveland Guardians Thursday, June 5, 2025 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Phillies took a chance on Buehler late last season and he rewarded them with his best stretch of games since his early career years with the Dodgers. He went 3-0 in three appearances with a 0.66 ERA.
“I liked a lot of the stuff I was working on in Philadelphia, just kept throwing and working through some stuff,” he said. “I feel like the delivery is a lot closer to what it was kind of pre-’22. I threw the ball well over there, and getting the velocity back as well as the delivery has kind of been the big thing. The second half of last year was relatively successful compared to the first half.”
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Finally gaining some momentum going into this season after the way last year ended, Buehler tried to capitalize on that momentum by making small changes to his offseason program.
“My elbow and my body have kind of been through some stuff,” he said. “I kind of took a different approach and moved out here for the offseason, then got my body in a little better spot.”
Obviously there’s some stuff we want to build on there and get some of the velocity, the explosiveness, whatever you want to call it, back. But I took this offseason just a little bit different and I feel like it’s worked out well.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler throws in the second inning of game three of the NLCS against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Buehler’s signing comes at an ideal time for the Padres as they’re dealing with rotation issues heading into spring training in Arizona.
The Padres have a top three of Nick Pivetta, last year’s breakout star, Michael King, who signed a three-year, $25 million deal to return to the Padres after injuries limited him to 15 starts last season, and Joe Musgrove, who’s coming off Tommy John surgery. But the cupboard is pretty bare after that.
Randy Vásquez has the inside track on one of the final two spots in the rotation.
Yu Darvish, a staple of the San Diego rotation over the past five seasons, had elbow surgery in October and is out for the season. Other options include Kyle Hart and JP Sears.
Enter Buehler.
He’ll be awarded every opportunity to earn a spot in the Padres rotation. And if so, maybe he’ll open up about being on the other side of one of baseball’s best rivalries.
“Yeah it feels a little weird … obviously some familiarity with the division,” he said with a laugh. “I imagine five years ago it would’ve been a lot more weird but, this is a crazy game and this is a great opportunity for me to again be a part of a really talented baseball club. It’s what I’m here to do.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media following Tuesday's workouts in Tampa…
Cam Schlitter back on the mound
The lack of concern the Yankees expressed over Schlittler's mid-back inflammation was validated on Tuesday, as the right-hander returned to the bullpen mound in Tampa for the first time since being slowed down late last week.
Schlittler, whose minor back-lat issue emerged a few weeks ago, was limited to flat ground throwing over the weekend. But the 25-year-old's precautionary break from mound work has ended, and the Yanks don't believe the interruption to his program put him behind schedule for Opening Day.
"Went good. Something we weren't overly concerned about, just being where we are in the calendar," manager Aaron Boone said. "Just wanted to make sure it didn't turn into something bigger. Everything went well, accordingly. Keep moving forward."
The Yankees are relying on Schlitter to be a rotation mainstay, considering their regular season will start with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt on the injured list.
Schlittler, who made his big league debut last summer, registered a laudable 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts across 14 starts (73.0 innings). He delivered his most impressive performance in the AL Wild Card Series, when he punched out 12 in an eight-inning shutout over the Red Sox.
All Jazz'd Up
While the offseason trade rumors involving Jazz Chisholm Jr. never intensified, his long-term value to New York became a hot topic of conversation.
The veteran infielder, who avoided arbitration with a $10.2 million deal for 2026, is currently slated to test free agency next winter. Chisholm hopes his career continues in pinstripes, even though the status of extension talks is unclear.
When asked about Chisholm's mindset entering a contract year, Boone sounded extremely confident in the reigning Silver Slugger embracing team and personal expectations without any hitches.
"I feel like he's in a really good frame of mind. He's incredibly confident, for good reason, in his ability to go out there," Boone said. "If he goes out there, goes to the post and does his thing, and hopefully keeps improving his game, he's going to put himself in a real good position."
Chisholm is coming off a highlight 2025 season, in which he slashed .242/.332/.481 with a career-high 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 130 games. He finished as one of just seven players to produce a 30-30 campaign.
Boone chuckled when he heard Chisholm's latest goal is to achieve a 50-50 season, but he tried his best not to rule out the two-time All-Star's lofty plan.
"We'll be in a good spot if he does," Boone said with a smile. "It's hard to put a ceiling on him. He went 30-30 last year and missed a month and didn't run for two months. He's capable of some special things between the lines."
Grapefruit League opener revealed
While there was some speculation on rising prospect Carlos Lagrange starting the Grapefruit League opener, Boone announced Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz will get the ball on Friday against the Orioles in Sarasota.
Rodríguez-Cruz, named the Yankees' Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 by Baseball America, registered a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts across three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In 2025 the starting pitching was a bright spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with 2025 CY young winner Paul Skenes being the headliner and with young pitchers looking to make an impact, the starting pitching could be a force again in 2026.
Skenes is coming off a really strong 2025 season, finishing with a 10-10 record, a 1.97 ERA which led the league, 216 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP over 32 starts (187.2 innings). He also set the franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher. The Cy Young winner will be the face of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation and the clear top guy. The ace is going into his third season with the Buccos with a lot of people expecting him to continue his dominance and to continue to prove that he is one of if not the best pitcher in the league right now.
There is also Mitch Keller who is looking like he is going to be the second guy after Skenes in the rotation. Keller posted a 6-15 record, but that is deceiving. The right-handed pitcher had 4.19 ERA and 150 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.26. Those aren’t terrible stats for Keller, as he struggled with getting run support in his starts. Now those stats don’t match up to what he did in his breakout 2023 season, where he went 13-9 and had 210 strikeouts. Now Keller’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors, but nothing came from that, so expect him to be a big part of this team to start the season.
Another young pitcher who has a clear path to a rotation spot is Bubba Chandler. Chandler is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball right now. He had a 4.05 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate, 0.72 HR/9, and 12% walk rate at Triple-A Indianapolis last season. The Pirates called him up towards the end of last season but in a reliever role where he threw for 31.1 innings and had a 4.02 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 1 save. The young prospect is expected to be thrown into a starting role this year instead of a relief role, and he is expected to make a serious impact with Keller and Skenes.
Braxton Ashcraft will look to build upon a strong rookie season last year. The 26-year-old took the mound 26 times with eight starts and went 4-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 69.2 innings. Ashcraft will likely receive an extended workload and be the fourth or third guy in the starting rotation. Although the Pirates will need to be cautious given his injury history.
Right now it looks like the final spot in the rotation will go to either Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington, José Urquidy or Mike Clevinger. Barco is a top 100 prospect who made his debut at the end of the season, where he played 2 games, struck out 3 and got a win. Harrington also made his debut last season, but he struggled, allowing 15 runs and 18 hits in three games pitched, but is still considered a quality prospect with a lot of potential.
Urquidy recently agreed to a one-year deal. The veteran has had some injuries in the past but was a really solid pitcher early in his career, and him now being healthy should be a good pickup for Pittsburgh. Clevinger joined the club as a non-roster invitee with him being a younger player there is a lot of potential surrounding him as well.
Jared Jones is also expected to be back for Pittsburgh a little later in the season, as he is recovering for his injury. Jones missed the entire 2025 season but put up a solid number in 2024 with a 6-8 record. He also had a 4.14 ERA, with 132 Strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.19.
To start the season, I think the starting pitching rotation will be Skenes, Keller, Chandler, Ashcraft and Urquidy. Which is going to be a dangerous rotation and arguably the best rotation in the National League Central.
With a healthy Jared Jones, Pittsburgh is expected to have one of the top starting pitching rotations for the 2026 season. Overall, the starting rotation looks like it will once again be a huge strength of the team.
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Harry Ford #17 of the Washington Nationals is seen in the bullpen during Spring Training workout day at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, February 12, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Lucas Casel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday, Fangraphs released their top 100 prospect rankings. It is always interesting to see their rankings because they are not afraid to go against the grain. Eric Longenhagen always does a great job over there. At least when it came to Nats prospects, there were not any massive surprises. Eli Willits was ranked as the 15th prospect, Jarlin Susana was 29th, Harry Ford was 74th and Travis Sykora was one of the next 10 at 109th.
I wanted to dive into his rankings and talk a bit about his writeups as well. Before I get started though, I wanted to mention that Longenhagen’s praise of number one prospect Konnor Griffin was unlike anything I have ever seen from him before. He said that Paul Skenes could be the Pirates second best player before too long and Griffin could leave a legacy like Mean Joe Greene in Pittsburgh if he sticks around. High praise from a publication that is usually on the conservative side when ranking prospects.
Back to the Nats, Eli Willits was unsurprisingly the team’s top prospect according to Fangraphs. He was the number one overall pick in the 2025 draft and had a very impressive pro debut as a 17 year old.
Longenhagen gave Willits 60 grades for his hit tool, his defense and his running. That is a very strong foundation to build on. Despite Willits not hitting for power in his pro debut, Fangraphs still projects him to have fringe average power. Longenhagen said it is easy to project that Willits will add strength to his frame. Based on the photos we have seen this spring, it looks like he has already done that.
However, Longenhagen also does not want Willits to get too big because his fluidity is a big part of his game. Interestingly, he said that Willits’ swing reminds him of Colt Emerson’s coming out of the draft. Now, Emerson is Fangraphs 11th ranked prospect and is the shortstop of the future for the Mariners. Willits is the highest ranked player from the 2025 class, and 32 spots ahead of Ethan Holliday.
Fangraphs and Longenhagen have been high on Jarlin Susana for years now. With that in mind, it is not surprising to see him rank 29th on their list. Logenhagen just can’t quit Susana’s off the charts stuff. Even with control questions and an injury that will keep him out until midseason, Susana is still in the top 30.
He has always gushed about Susana’s slider. In this write-up, he called it one of the nastiest pitches on the planet. Longenhagen compared it to Brad Lidge’s slider, only Susana’s is harder. He gave the pitch an 80 grade. Here is a look at that slider in action against a stacked Double-A Erie lineup.
13 STRIKEOUTS for Jarlin Susana in just 5.0 innings of work (2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB) 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/VH3viG25Xj
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 20, 2025
While Fangraphs views the slider as Susana’s best pitch, let’s not forget that this guy sits at 100 MPH. He can even touch 104 MPH on the heater. Before Susana got hurt last year, the command was showing signs of improvement. If that is even average, Susana can be an ace.
As long as he is healthy, the worst case for Susana seems to be him becoming a lights out bullpen arm. The fastball-slider combination is reminiscent of Mason Miller. I would love for Susana to be a starter, but a dominant closer is not a bad contingency plan.
Harry Ford is the only prospect the Nats acquired this offseason in Fangraphs top 100, and he ranks 75th. The Nats picked him up from the Mariners in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer. Ford has been known for a long time, but was blocked in Seattle due to Cal Raleigh.
Longenhagen gave all five of Ford’s tools an average grade. However, he noted that Ford’s excellent plate discipline could allow his average power and hitting ability to play up. Some scouts are low on Ford’s defense, but Fangraphs projects it to become average.
They noted that Ford has slowly but steadily improved his defensive game over the years. His framing went from bad to mediocre. He has also gotten better controlling the running game over the years. Ford’s athletic ability has always made him very good at things like popping out of his stance for dribblers and other quick reaction plays. He also totally eliminated his passed ball problem.
Overall, Fangraphs views Ford as a solid prospect, but not an elite one. They think he is a very smart pickup for the Nats and has a good shot of being a quality starting catcher. However, the lack of a clear above average tool does worry them a bit.
While Travis Sykora is not in the top 100, Fangraphs did rank an additional 10 prospects and had him at 109th. If not for the Tommy John Surgery that will cost him this season, Sykora would have likely been a top 50 prospect. He is already on the road to recovery though and has started doing some light throwing this spring.
Longenhagen’s assessment of Sykora was pretty glowing. He mentioned that Sykora’s velocity was up from 2024 to 2025. That was probably due to him feeling better after his hip surgery in the 2024 offseason. He was averaging 96 MPH on his heater and could run it up to triple digits.
Fangraphs sees Sykora as a complete pitcher, not just a flamethrower. They project his slider and splitter to be plus pitches. Also, they gave his command an above average projection. Sykora’s funky release traits, feel for pitching and raw power just overwhelmed lower level hitters.
Longenhagen also described Sykora as an articulate kid who wants to know the ‘why’ not just the what. That mental game could help Sykora reach that top of the rotation upside once he gets back on the mound.
Based on the writeup, Sykora seems like a prospect you can fast-track once he gets back from injury, assuming the health checks out. He already has a coherent arsenal, top tier velocity and a feel for pitching. At the end, he noted this injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Nats because Sykora’s service time window will now line up perfectly with the Nats new contention window.
Gavin Fien did not make the list, which was not overly surprising to me. Longenhagen really values swing mechanics, and Fien does not have the cleanest looking swing. However, if Fien performs to start the year, he will force his way on to the list.
The Nats are a farm system on the rise, and I think Fangraphs is starting to realize that. Right now the Nats may only have three players in the top 100. However, I think there could be double the number next year.
Daytona Tortugas infielder Ricardo Cabrera gives a thumbs-up, as players arrive at Jackie Robinson Ballpark and get settled in the clubhouse, Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
Voting for the final spot in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings was neck and neck, with both Ricky Cabrera and Mason Neville, at times, leading the voting. But when the clock expired at the arbitrary time that I enforced, it was Cabrera who was six votes ahead for spot #20 on the list.
A quick glance at the back of Cabrera’s baseball card would make the casual observer wonder what the heck he’d done to earn that ranking. His 2025 season was a nightmare as he hit just .187/.276/.240 in 21 games with High-A Dayton before a knee injury ended his season. However, he’s not too far removed from a 2024 campaign that saw him rank among the Top 10 in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in homers (11, 9th), doubles (22, t-4th), and hits (102, 3rd), and he did that while being both just 19 years old and swiping 19 bags, too.
April in Dayton in 2025 was also his first stint playing baseball in cold weather, the Venezuela native having spend his pro career prior to that in the Dominican Summer League, Arizona Complex League, and with Daytona down in Florida. In other words, he didn’t even stay healthy long enough for the weather to turn into a more friendly environment.
He’s got potential plus power and potential plus speed, or at least he did prior to the knee injury. The excuses, though, are probably going to need to stop in 2026 as his play will need to catch up with the immense talent that he possesses. If it does, though, there’s still a very real chance that Cabrera can evolve into a bat-first 3B with enough talent to get to the bigs.
He’s the #20 prospect in this year’s CPR, earning the final spot on the list.
Today we look atthe Cubs young second baseman, who is in the utility infielder derby this spring.
23-year-old James Douglas Triantos has dealt with high expectations since he was drafted by the Cubs in the second round in 2021, and had some immediate success, hitting .327 in the Rookie League and following that up with a .272/.335/.386 campaign in A ball and moving up smoothly through the various minor leagues, ending up in Triple-A last year, where his numbers were a little down. Still, he boasts a lifetime .282/.341/.405 line for his MiLB career so far, with a good number of doubles accounting for his SLG. He’s going to be a 10-15 homer man in MLB if he plays full-time, but his power is probably going to project further.
He’s not likely to average .258 in Triple A this year. He’s a better player than that.
His glove is decent. Good but not great, for sure. Perfectly adequate. He can swipe some bags. He doesn’t make many errors. His tools are good enough that he has played a bit of LF/CF, a lot of third base, and a bit of shortstop.
He’s been a Top 100 prospect for a good bit, though he was off the list this year based on the substandard 2025 results. But writers seem to think he just needs time before he’s a major-league player.
He seems a likable young man with a good eye for a fastball. The Cubs put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so the organization clearly values the player. 2027 might be the year he breaks into The Show. 95 probably won’t be his number then.
This week, Jake, Gabe, and Scott talk to one of the last remaining beat writers left covering the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat (@jmjones) is currently in Jupiter, Florida, obtaining minute-by-minute accounts of players as they prepare for the 2026 MLB season.
We cover topics like Jeff’s recent story about 6 Cardinals players getting engaged this offseason as a Valentine’s Day relevant topic, the Cardinals’ spring battles, and how Jeff sees certain areas of the roster shaking out, Chaim Bloom’s first offseason leading the Cardinals, and the current state of local news coverage and what the future might look like for coverage.
Next week, we will be joined by a pair of new guests: Nate Heininger and Ben Smorka of the “Talking About Birds” podcast. If you have never heard of or listened to their show, they are cousins who combine comedy and everyday topics with Cardinals baseball and even play fun games at the end of their episodes, usually involving some sort of trivia or cheesy idea Nate has concocted that is making Ben shake his head in frustration or disbelief. They’re a very Abbot and Costello-style comedy duo that also combines analytics and Cardinals baseball, and they will join us next week.
North Carolina Pitcher Folger Boaz (36) winds up for the pitch against Arizona in the Super Regionals held in Chapel Hill on June 7, 2025. The North Carolina Tarheels and the Arizona Wildcats met in game two of the NCAA Division 1 Super Regionals in Chapel Hill, N.C. on June 7, 2025. | Steven Worthy / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
For the third year running, Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels opened their season with a sweep at Boshamer Stadium, this one coming against Indiana. Each game was different from the rest, and we got a pretty good look at a lot of the guys, new and old, who are going to feature heavily for this team as the season continues.
The Friday game followed a pretty familiar script to UNC fans who watched a lot of last season. For four and a half innings, both starting pitchers stymied the opposing lineups. Jason DeCaro went 5.0 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and walking 3 while striking out 7. His counterpart, Tony Neubeck, threw 4 scoreless innings, with just one hit and 3 walks to 2 strikeouts. He was pulled after 62 pitches and UNC jumped on his replacement, Reagan Rivera. In the fifth, the Heels got 3 of the first 4 men on base via two singles and a walk before a Jake Schaffner sac fly opened the scoring and a Gavin Gallaher triple on the next at-bat brought in two more runs. Indiana scratched back with a two-run 6th against Caden Glauber, who came in to replace DeCaro. Glauber is a freshman that Forbes has been talking about as somebody who will contribute a lot of innings this year like Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie did last year, but he didn’t have as auspicious a debut as either. He showed some real stuff, running the fastball up to 96 with good movement, but struggled to throw strikes. He walked the bases full around two outs before giving up a 2-run single. After Walker McDuffie recorded the 3rd out of the inning, the Heels struck back, putting together a 6-spot in the bottom of the sixth that put the game away. It started by taking advantages of some Indiana mistakes before extra-base hits from Tyler Howe, Colin Hynek, and Jake Schaffner finished the job, making the score 9-2.
From there, the big story was Boston Flannery, who came in to begin the 7th. The highly-recruited Flannery had thrown just 6 innings the last two years and had struggled to throw strikes in all his previous appearances, but there had been talk out of the program that he had turned a corner and was ready to be a contributor. Indeed, he looked by far the best he ever has in Tar Heel blue. He finished with a line of 2.1 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, and 0 ER, though Indiana did get across two runs in the 9th thanks to an error in the field.
The other two games were played as a doubleheader on Saturday, and they were wildly different both from Friday’s game and from each other. The first started with a little more action than Friday’s, with Jake Schaffner leading off for UNC with a single, stealing second, and eventually coming around to score on an Erik Paulsen single. On the other side, Folger Boaz looked nigh unhittable for 2 innings before giving up an equalizing run in the 3rd via a hit batter and a double. He bounced back, though, and ended with a line of 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 6 K, 2 BB, and one hit batter. The Heels again took the lead in the 5th via an Erik Paulsen 3-run home run, the Heels’ first of the year, and again sealed it with a six-run 6th that featured runs coming in via HBP, walk, and fielding error. A Rom Kellis double and another error in the field for the Hoosiers in the 7th were enough to give UNC a run-rule victory, 12-2.
Indiana finally took a lead in the first inning of the second leg, getting a couple of singles off Ryan Lynch and manufacturing a run. It didn’t last very long, as the Heels got one back in the 2nd on a Tyler Howe single. That could have been a bigger inning, as the Heels had the bases loaded with one out, but failed to capitalize in what was a microcosm of the game for UNC. Lynch settled in and spun a pretty similar start to his fellow starters: 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, but his offense didn’t give him any run support, stranding runners nearly every inning. Glauber got another opportunity after Lynch and got out of the 6th quickly before getting in trouble again in the 7th with two 2-out walks. That high-leverage situation got us our first look at Matthew Matthijs since his season-ending injury last year, and he induced a ground ball that should have ended the inning if not for a throwing error from Schaffner. The Hoosiers made good on their lifeline with a 2-run single that gave them a 3-1 lead before Matthijs got out of the inning. He retired the next 6 batters he faced, giving his team a chance, and after a 1-2-3 8th, the Heels got the first 2 batters on in the 9th. Owen Hull nearly walked it off with a fly ball to center, but Boshamer Stadium just held it in, and Macon Winslow hit a soft fly ball to short, putting the pressure on pinch hitter Lee Sowers to bring his teammates home. What happened next, well…
After the way last season ended, I’m sure UNC fans are more than sympathetic to something like this. UNC tied the game on that error but couldn’t scratch the last run over, and the game went to extras. The Heels shut down the Hoosiers in the 10th and loaded the bases with 2 outs, but couldn’t get over the hump, then retired Indiana in short order again in the 11th. Macon Winslow came up to lead off the bottom of the inning and walked it off with a homer off the scoreboard, his first as a Tar Heel. The Heels finished the game having stranded 15 runners and batting 2/17 with runners in scoring position, but they did end up with the sweep. I suppose it’s good that they already had the series won, so that botched throw to first doesn’t end up meaning too much for either team in the bigger picture.
UNC plays two midweek games for each of their first three weeks of the schedule. This week, they’ll host Richmond on Tuesday and Longwood on Wednesday before their yearly home/neutral/away series against ECU this upcoming weekend. Kyle Percival, who did not throw against Indiana, will start Tuesday’s game, while Wednesday’s starter has not yet been announced.
Batting Leaders (among players with 2 PA/game and 75% of games played)
Batting Average: C/DH Colin Hynek, .500
On-Base Percentage: Hynek, .615
Slugging Percentage: Hynek, .800
Home Runs: C/DH Macon Winslow and 1B Erik Paulsen, 1
Runs Batted In: Paulsen, 5
Hits: Hynek and SS Jake Schaffner, 5
Runs: Winslow and 3B Cooper Nicholson, 4
Stolen Bases: Hynek and Schaffner, 1
Pitching Leaders (in the future, this will be among players with 1 IP/game; for now, I’ll set the line at 2 IP)
ERA: Jason DeCaro, Boston Flannery, and Matthew Matthijs, 0.00
Strikeouts: DeCaro, 7
Innings Pitched: DeCaro, Folger Boaz, and Ryan Lynch, 5.0
Wins: DeCaro and Boaz, 1
Saves: none
Batting Average Against: Matthijs and Flannery, .111
Jeff “Doc” Holliday at his first St. Louis Cardinals game in the early 1970’s. | Photo, Doc Holliday
Busch Stadium is one of the anchors of my childhood. My family was never able to be a part of any playoff or World Series games, but there are still several moments that have stuck with me for decades.
When you talk about Busch Stadium, you have to be specific about which one you’re talking about. Many refer to Busch Stadium I which really was Sportsman’s Park that was renamed in 1953 when Anheuser-Busch bought the park. Busch Stadium II opened in 1966 and was a multi-purpose stadium until it was demolished for the stadium the St. Louis Cardinals have now which is Busch Stadium III.
I’ll kick this off with the first game I ever attended which was in the early 1970’s in Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals were playing the Montreal Expos and the team had a signing session before the game with Al Hrabosky who was the Cardinals closer at the time. I was blown away when I walked up to the table where Al was sitting and he called me “Jeff” (my real first name) and then signed an autograph for me. I wondered how Al could have known my name and didn’t remember I was wearing my St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt at the time that had my name on it. Duh.
My other major Busch Stadium II memory was in 1998 when my friends and I were sitting on the first base side of the field seats when Mark McGwire was kicked out of the game during an August game against the Braves. That was the game when fans littered the field with food and anything not tied down in protest. Thanks again for that moment, rookie umpire Sam Holbrook. I was also in the left field stands a day before McGwire hit home run number 60 with a glove on my hand, but nothing to show for it.
The last St. Louis Cardinals game I attended was on Nolan Arenado Bobblehead Day in April of 2022 which was ironic since that was the game when Nolan chose to serve his suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl against the Mets. I don’t have any great memories of that day as we got smoked by the Arizona Diamondbacks although Miles Mikolas pitched a great game. The player that subbed for Nolan at third base that game was a guy I had never heard of previously – Brendan Donovan. I remember Donovan made an error that day, but Harrison Bader made an epic sliding catch in center.
What are your most memorable days at Busch Stadium? I can’t wait to hear your stories.
Welcome to Larissa’s Lessons, a weekly takeaways series in which some combination of Karen, True and Dylan will break down the biggest takeaways from the weekend’s games. We love an alliteration and puns around here, so be prepared for some word play.
Because the Tigers are playing a ridiculous number of games in a weekend and most of aren’t televised, this will be a look at more of a big picture of a bunch of games as opposed to a recap of each game. Once the home opener comes around in March, this will likely go in a different direction, but we’ll see!
Defense wins championships
This week’s games were defined by Mizzou’s ability (or lackthereof) to shutdown their opponents’ bats. The most frustrating loss came against NC State, where the Tigers gave up 13 runs. In that game the Mizzou pitchers allowed 10 hits and 10 walks as the Wolfpack paraded around the bases. A similar situation happened against #7 UCLA, where Mizzou led 5-1 through four innings before giving up five runs and the lead, ultimately falling at the hands of the Bruins.
By contrast, Marissa McCann pitched a complete-game shutout in the win against Florida Atlantic. Against Duke she struggled, but Natalie Touchet and Abby Carr pitched 5.2 innings and allowed no runs to allow Mizzou to win 5-4 after its offense started rolling. This week the Tigers allowed 2.0 runs in wins and 6.8 in losses.
Both McCann and Cierra Harrison have ERAs approaching five, struggling against some of the elite competition the Tigers have seen across these first two weeks. Mizzou should look at giving Abby Carr a bigger piece of the rotation within the pitching staff, as she currently has a 1.26 ERA and a 2-1 record in 16.2 innings pitched. She’s clearly the strongest piece of the Tigers bullpen. I believe using Carr as a consistent starter (at the very least in the midweek) will take some of the burden off McCann and Harrison and allow the freshman to gain much-needed experience if she hopes to become the true ace of the staff sometime in the future.
Kayley’s offensive explosion
Kayley Lenger has been an irreplaceable part of the starting lineup due to her defensive capabilities as an outfielder. She threw out a runner in both the FAU and Duke games in a perfect demonstration of her value:
However, her defensive prowess have not always translated to offensive efficiency. As a junior last season, Lenger finished the year batting .217 with a .342 on base percentage. Her offense has been much improved through 11 games this season, currently batting .300 with .417 on base percentage. “Bruiser” (Editor’s note: we are making this happen) once again leads the team in hit by pitches at 3, bringing her up to 32 in her career thus far.
“(Lenger’s) really focused and she’s bought in. She has a great relationship with [hitting coach] Jake Epstein,” Anderson said at Monday’s media session.
This week Lenger finished with three hits including a 2-RBI home run during the loss to NC State. The senior has stepped up big-time for a team that has needed her help both offensive and defensively.
Playing down (and up) to opponents
If you take a look at Mizzou Softball’s schedule, it doesn’t take long to see that Mizzou has some strong wins, but also some pretty bad losses. The Tigers, currently at 4-7, have three ranked wins against then-No. 21 Liberty, No. 23 FAU and No. 22 Duke. These aren’t the highest ranked wins in the world but they are still resume-building wins that Mizzou needs.
On the other hand, the Tigers have fallen against five unranked opponents (Penn State, South Alabama, UCF, NC State and Northwestern) and they weren’t very pretty losses.
Mizzou coach Larissa Anderson wasn’t scared to say exactly what she saw during her midweek press conference.
“We had some highlights, we had a handful of lowlights,” she said. “We got to have some players that need to step up. We had opportunities to be able win a majority of our games.”
It’s clear the Mizzou is playing to the level of its opponent but if one thing is for sure: it has the talent to beat the top teams. If the Tigers are able to find some consistency across all three facets, there’s a good chance they can find a groove.
This upcoming week will be a good test as Mizzou plays five unranked games. If the Tigers are able to come out of the weekend undefeated against Houston, McNeese State and Louisiana, they’ll be back on track for improvement from last season. That would also put them back above .500 which is the most important part.
McCann emerging as the team’s ace (for now)
This might not remain the case but junior Marissa McCann is making her case to be Mizzou’s ace this season. She leads the Tigers in innings pitched this season and despite her struggle against Duke, she’s had some really strong outings. McCann went the distance against FAU in a ranked victory for the Tigers over the weekend.
On the stat sheet Abby Carr has a stronger resume — and it might be just a matter of time until she takes over as Mizzou’s top pitcher — but McCann has been the one in the tight situations like starting against Duke in a rivalry game.
“McCann has every pitch in her repertoire,” Anderson said. “From a determination standpoint, we need her to have the confidence that every game she throws she can win. And she can.”
I don’t think Mizzou’s pitching has to be the Achillies heel of the team, but it’ll have to gain some consistency if it wants to stay in the hunt for the tournament. Letting up 14 runs against an unranked NC State team isn’t ideal, but it’s early so HCLA knows what she needs to work on.
Offensive & Pitching Leaders thru 5 games
Kayley Lenger: .300 BA | .884 OPS | 30 AB | 5 R | 9 H | 2 2B | HR | 5 RBI | .467 SLG% | 3 BB | 3 HBP | 7 K
Sidney Forrester: .290 BA | .888 OPS | 31 AB | 2 R | 9 H | 2 2B | HR | 5 RBI | .452 SLG% | 7 BB | 7 K
Abby Hay: .286 BA | .918 OPS | 35 AB | 4 R | 10 H | 3 2B | 2 HR | 9 RBI | .543 SLG% | 5 BB | 5 K
Madison Uptegrove: .286 BA | .722 OPS | 36 AB | 4 R | 10 ZH | 4 2B | 6 RBI | .389 SLG% | 3 BB | 11 K
Overall, the team is batting just .2227 (down from .238 last week) with a .707 OPS. They’ve scored 50 runs, had 68 hits, 19 doubles (that seems good!), and 6 homers. They’re slugging just .357. They’ve walked 48 times but also struck out whopping 73. Their on-base % is .350.
Abby Carr: 1.26 ERA | 1.20 WHIP | 16.2 IP | 10 H | 4 R | 3 ER | 10 BB | 13 K | 4 XBH | .172 Opp BA
Marissa McCann: 4.78 ERA | 1.33 WHIP | 26.1 IP | 31 H | 21 R | 18 ER | 4 BB | 12 XBH | 6 HR | .301 Opp BA
Cierra Harrison: 4.87 ERA | 1.82 WHIP | 18.2 IP | 28 H | 14 R | 13 ER | 6 BB | 14 K | 9 XBH | 5 HR | .346 Opp BA
Overall, the team ERA is 3.63 through 11 games and 79 IP. They’ve allowed 86 hits, 54 runs (41 earned), 32 walks, 58 strikeouts, 11 doubles, 4 triples, and 13 home runs. Opponents are batting .283 against them.
What’s to Come
Now that the Florida trip has concluded, the Tigers will head to Lake Charles, La. this weekend for another five game road trip. Here’s who they’re facing and how their seasons have started:
Houston (Feb 20 at 1pm, Feb 21 at 1:30pm): 8-1 overall | W 6-3 v. Pitt | W 12-4 v. Lafayette (DH) | L 2-10 v. Penn State (DH) | W 10-9 v. Michigan | W 7-0 v. Incarnate Word
The Cougars are on a two-game win streak after a 4-1 weekend at home for the Houston Invitational
Houston is hitting .295 as a team with a 1.098 OPS. They’ve whacked 22 home runs this season and worked 44 walks to only 27 strikeouts. Maddie Hartley is currently leading the offense in hitting .500, with a massive 1.927 OPS.
The pitching staff has a 3.08 ERA and holding its opponents to a .229 batting average. Neveah Brown (1.94 ERA, 21.2 IP, .111 Opp BA) and Gigi Solis (2.17 ERA, 9.2 IP, .297 Opp BA) lead the staff.
The Cougars earned its 800th career win in program history after a 9-1 run-rule victory over Fairfield on February 7.
McNeese State (Feb 20 at 6pm, Feb 21 at 4pm): 7-4 overall | W 12-11 & L 3-8 v. #21 Ole Miss (DH) | W 11-9 & L 5-7 v. Austin Peay | L 3-5 & W 14-4 (5 in.) v. UIC
McNeese is coming off of a 3-3 weekend in the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational and the Carl Vincent Insurance Invitational.
McNeese is hitting .352 with a 1.026 OPS. They’ve worked 59 walks to just 31 strikeouts, and have quite a few players hitting above .350, including Corine Poncho (.364 BA), Nyiah Fontenot (.368 BA), Maddie Taylor (.464 BA) and Rylee Cloud (.500 BA). These three players rarely strike out and each have at minimum 10 hits and 10 runs scored.
If McNeese has a significant weakness, it is their pitching staff, who has a whopping 5.50 ERA, with opponents hitting .317 against them. They’ve given up 18 home runs this season, along with 19 doubles, which presents a great opportunity for the Tigers to get their bats moving.
Louisiana (Feb 22 at 11am):6-3 overall | L 2-5 & W 8-5 v. #21 Ole Miss | W 5-1 & W 23-0 (5 in.) v. Texas A&M- Corpus Christi | L 5-6 v. Prairie View A&M
The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 3-2 weekend in the team’s home tournament.
Louisiana is hitting a massive .351 with a 1.041 OPS so far this season, with 15 HR, 74 hits and 86 runs scored. They also don’t really strike out, working a 37 BB : 27 K ratio.
Their pitching is just okay, with a 3.56 ERA in 61 IP. They’re holding opponents to a .252 BA, and have given up just 17 extra base hits (7 HR).
