Spring training is officially here now that the Detroit Tigers have reported to Lakeland to begin their preseason workouts. The excitement in the air is palpable as winter fades, leaving the smell of fresh-cut grass and clay wafting through the air.
Getting down to Florida — or Arizona — for the rebirth of baseball is in and of itself a significant experience for fans both young and old, offering an opportunity to see their favorite players in a more intimate setting than back in the big stadiums. It also offers those living up north a temporary respite from the frigid weather back home.
As you can see below, the Tigers are settling in and getting ready for the opening game this Saturday in Tampa against the New York Yankees.
So today’s prompt for open discussion is the question of whether you, our cherished Bless You Boys reader, have ever been to spring training, and if so, what was your experience? Do you plan on trekking down I-75 this year to see the Olde English D in preseason action?
Those of you who have been around the site know that I cut my teeth at BYB providing spring training and minor league coverage from Lakeland. I have been going out there since I was a kid, and I enjoy every trip out there (as long as I can avoid I-4).
So now it is your turn! Let us know about your sentiments and experiences when it comes to spring training in the comments below.
Last January, the Dodgers were chasing Roki Sasaki and needed more international signing bonus money. That led them to utilizing their deep farm system to trade Dylan Campbell to the Phillies in return for some of that international money.
Now the Phillies have an interesting prospect.
Dylan Campbell – 80 (I promise you, that’s not Griffin Burkholder’s pie slice) Mavis Graves – 31 Keaton Anthony – 15 Yoniel Curet – 13 Carson DeMartini – 13 Griffin Burkholder – 10 Alex McFarlane – 9 Seth Johnson – 4 Ramon Marquez – 4 Zach McCambley – 4 Devin Saltiban – 2
Having players that can be developed into utility guys are useful. Think about how much the team uses Edmundo Sosa. Were they to be able to develop someone like that, it would be invaluable as they would not have to worry about going out and signing one that is either on the downslope of his career or isn’t that good in the first place. Campbell may not get to the Sosa-esque level of utility production, but even getting someone like him to try and create a prospect is worthwhile endeavor. It’s something they really need to do more of.
Short levers and strong wrists give Campbell notable hitterish traits, and he told MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra that he was working with a new swing in the AFL (for what it’s worth, it looked the same to me). Though he has kept his infielder’s mitt handy for occasional second base duty in pro ball, Campbell was introduced to first and third base for the first time in the AFL. A stocky athlete whose meaty torso and trunk taper down to toothpick ankles, Campbell runs well in a straight line but isn’t the best lateral mover. Defensive versatility is going to be important to his rosterability, but he played the corner infield so infrequently in Arizona that seeing him enough to satisfactorily evaluate his prospects there was difficult. Campbell is back on the radar as a potential bat-first utilityman who plays the outfield corners and hopefully at least one infield position.
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!
Phoenix, AZ - February 17, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas and Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy take a ride on the back of a cart at the 2026 Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch, Phoenix, AZ on February 17, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers already brought back two of the players most of us expected to return, with Evan Phillips and Kiké Hernández signing last week, though both will miss the beginning of the season while rehabbing.
It feels like the Dodgers will make an active roster out of those 75 players currently in camp, but with just over five weeks remaining until opening day, there’s plenty of time remaining for more moves to be made. You never know who might hit the waiver wire in the next few weeks, maybe even a certain backup catcher.
Today’s question is what’s one roster move you think the Dodgers should make before opening day?
Javier Báez had little choice but offer a full mea culpa, even if the situation proved a little absurd.
"This is all my fault," he told reporters in Lakeland, Florida regarding a positive test for marijuana that will prevent him from representing Puerto Rico in next month's World Baseball Classic.
"I'm the one that failed the test. It really hurts my family, my reputation, but it's part of it. Other than that, I got a long season to go, and I got to prepare for that."
Báez, a Detroit Tigers 2025 All-Star, would not have been caught up in a positive test simply under MLB's auspices. The league has not tested members of the 40-man roster for marijuana and after the 2019 season stopped suspending minor league players for positive tests for pot.
Yet the World Baseball Softball Federation, which administers the WBC, still considers it a banned substance, even in this era when other governing bodies prefer players use marijuana rather than opioids to manage pain and other maladies.
His suspension landed at a particularly inopportune time for Puerto Rico's squad, which learned the same week that fellow All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will not play due to insurance concerns; Lindor eventually suffered a hamate bone injury, anyway.
Báez, 33, is expected to play a key multi-positional role again for the Tigers. He just hoped to rep his home territory in the WBC before then.
"I understand the rules," says Báez, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. "It's not like I was taking steroids or anything to last longer or whatever. They made that decision.
"I'm fine with it – I mean, I'm not fine with it. I just keep my mouth shut."
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 15: A detail shot of the jersey worn by Kristian Campbell #28 of the Boston Red Sox prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning! Yesterday was media day in Fort Myers. That’s always been one of the more low-key fun days of spring training, a chance for players to show some personality and for fans to see new faces in the home whites for the first time.
But as the first photos from media day started circulating, the fan reaction wasn’t exactly “fun.” Instead, fans were angry. And they were right to be, because the 2026 Red Sox uniforms look like absolute garbage. Enshittification has come for one of the most classic uniforms in all of world sports:
I’m not even kidding they cannot play a single regular season game like this. This is like actually offensive https://t.co/pthRstsFyC
If you’re not familiar with the company that is Fanatics and the monopoly in sports apparel it’s built over the last decade or so, the long and short of it is this: the company makes cheap-looking jerseys with little care or quality control, but it dominates the market because it enables the billionaire owners who sign exclusive deals with it to make a teeny-tiny bit more money than they used to.
Maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal that the Red Sox are going to take the field this year looking like they’re wearing knock-off jerseys from Building #19. After all, it’s just a shirt. But that’s precisely why it is a big deal to me. It isn’t hard to get this right. All Major League Baseball needs to do is accept a little less money in order to look good, do right by players and fans, and preserve the classic look of a jersey that has existed for almost a century now. And yet they just can’t. They are constitutionally incapable of doing anything that doesn’t make them the most money possible, no matter how much money they already have.
I know that a lot of fans just won’t care. But it’s hard for me to look at these jerseys and not see them as emblematic of some of the larger forces of cultural and social degradation that are being heaped upon all of us in this hyper-exploitative phase of human history. Fix the goddamn jerseys, John Henry.
Talk about that, whatever else you want, and, as always, be good to one another.
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark talks to the media prior to Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, October 27, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good day everyone! We’ve got a lot of news to get to as we kick off this Wednesday — let’s dive in.
In Mariners news…
Josh Naylor, who never jokes about anything, says he was entirely serious about the Mariners’ clubhouse dog Tucker playing a major role in his re-signing with the team.
Daniel Kramer spoke to Julio Rodríguez, who is embracing his role as a veteran on this M’s squad heading into his age-25 season.
Around the league…
Longtime MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark stunned the baseball world with the sudden announcement that he is stepping down from his post. It was later revealed that he did so due to recent allegations of an inappropriate relationship with this sister-in-law, who also worked at the union office.
With apologies to Steve Busby, Paul Splittorff, and 1972 Roger Nelson, the first true ace of the Kansas City Royals was a Brooklyn, New York native named Dennis Leonard.
After graduating from high school, Leonard walked onto the baseball team at Iona University, a small Catholic (4,000 students) college located just north of the Bronx. Leonard began concentrating solely on pitching and, with some exceptional coaching, turned himself into a prospect.
Arm injuries scared off several teams, but the Royals stayed committed and selected Leonard with their second-round choice in the 1972 draft. Leonard shot through the Royals’ minor league system, moving from Rookie League Kingsport to Waterloo to San Jose to Omaha in just three seasons. Despite having already thrown 223 innings at Omaha in 1974, the Royals brought Leonard up at the tail end of the season for a cup of coffee. By his own admission, Leonard said his arm was tired — and the results showed: 22 innings over five appearances with a 5.32 ERA.
Leonard was primarily a fastball-curveball pitcher at this juncture of his career. He started the 1975 campaign in Omaha but was recalled to Kansas City when Lindy McDaniel went down with prostate problems. Leonard, under the tutelage of Royals pitching coach Galen Cisco, overcame a slow start and caught fire after the Fourth of July, winning 12 of his final 15 decisions. He finished the season with a record of 15–7 and was named the Royals Pitcher of the Year, an award he would win three times in his career.
When evaluating the career of Dennis Leonard, you must break it into two pieces: regular season and postseason.
Often brilliant in the regular season, Leonard was a bit like Clayton Kershaw. He struggled at times during the postseason. Why? Who knows. I’m sure some of it was arm fatigue. Leonard was a true workhorse, averaging 272 innings per season over the Royals’ five-year playoff run from 1976 to 1980. Some of his postseason troubles were just plain bad luck.
In the 1977 ALCS, manager Whitey Herzog temporarily lost his managerial compass and called on Leonard in the ninth inning of Game Five to protect a one-run lead and deliver the Royals to their first World Series. At that point, Whitey was desperate, having burned through three pitchers in the eighth. Watching the game on TV, I felt confident with Leonard in the game. After all, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball. Three outs? No problem.
In retrospect, Whitey probably should have stuck with lefty Steve Mingori, who recorded the final two outs of the eighth, or gone to his closer, Mark Littell. As the saying goes, if “ifs” and “buts” were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.
Paul Blair led off the inning with a bloop single. No knock on Blair or the hit — he was a professional hitter and did what he had to do: get on base. Roy White, another underrated player of the era, drew a walk. Instead of letting Leonard work his way out of it, Whitey panicked and brought in another starter, Larry Gura. Mickey Rivers singled to tie the score.
Now Whitey was in a full-blown meltdown. He called on Mark Littell to try to escape the inning with the game tied. Littell, a great guy who was possibly still scarred by the 1976 ALCS, got Willie Randolph on a liner to center that was deep enough to score White. Littell then got Thurman Munson to ground out before former Royal Lou Piniella hit a tough one to George Brett at third. Brett booted it, allowing Rivers to score the insurance run. Littell retired Reggie Jackson, but the damage was done.
Royals Stadium was a morgue. Sparky Lyle, a true closer, came in and put the Royals down 1-2-3, the final two outs coming on Freddie Patek’s smash to Graig Nettles, who calmly started a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
How much of that was on Leonard and how much was on Whitey? It doesn’t matter now. It’s ancient news.
Thanks to the strike and split schedule in 1981, the Royals became the first team in baseball history to make the playoffs with a losing record. Leonard was cruising in Game One, holding the powerful Oakland A’s scoreless into the fourth inning. With two outs, Tony Armas hit a ball to George that should have ended the inning. Unfortunately, it didn’t. George booted that one too, putting runners at first and third. The next batter, Wayne Gross, made them pay by cranking a three-run home run to give Oakland an insurmountable lead.
How often do we see that happen? An error on a ball that should have ended an inning, and the next batter takes one downtown. It happens so often there should be a nickname for it. Send in your suggestions.
Despite his postseason disappointments, Leonard was a standout in the regular season. Between 1975 and 1981, Leonard won 130 games, the most by any right-hander in baseball. Understand, there were some pretty good right-handed pitchers at the time — guys like Tom Seaver, Fergie Jenkins, Nolan Ryan, Jim Palmer, Catfish Hunter, and Luis Tiant, just to name a few.
Leonard won 20 games three times in his career, back when winning 20 meant something. It’s crazy how starting pitching has changed. In Leonard’s day, a starter was asked to throw 225–300 innings and make 35–40 starts every season. He was expected to go at least seven innings, if not longer. Leonard did all of that and more.
His name still dots the Royals’ single-season and career pitching records. His career marks of 103 complete games and 23 shutouts will probably never be broken. He still holds the single-season team records for starts (40), complete games (21), innings pitched (294.2), and strikeouts (244). I wouldn’t be surprised if those records stood for a long, long time.
His best season was 1977, when he led the league with 20 wins and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting. Amazingly, Leonard never made an All-Star team, which is one of the great injustices in baseball. He was almost always a slow starter, but once the weather warmed up, there was rarely anyone better.
Over his career, he had many outings that would be considered gems. The guy had 23 career shutouts, so that alone gives you some idea.
I think his best game came on September 17, 1980, at Royals Stadium, when Leonard pitched a brilliant three-hit complete-game shutout against the Angels. He struck out nine and walked only two in a game that took just 2:17 to complete and scored an 88. Leonard retired 17 of the last 18 Angels he faced, striking out seven of them.
Emotionally, his finest hour probably came on September 8, 1986, at the Stadium against the Twins. Leonard had pitched gamely in 1986 (more on that later), and I’m sure he knew the end was near. On that evening, he dialed it back and threw another three-hit complete-game shutout — the last of his career. He made four more starts, but this was the final peak.
Leonard was always one of the most popular Royals of his day, with his unruly red hair and trademark Fu Manchu. He was friendly and engaging with fans. Leonard had a somewhat unusual twist in his delivery — he would cock his wrist during the windup. It was a bit unorthodox, but it worked. Thankfully, no pitching coach tried to change him. As his career progressed, Leonard added a slider and later a changeup to his arsenal. The slider was particularly devastating and led to a spike in his strikeout numbers.
Later in his career, Leonard battled a series of injuries that certainly kept his career numbers from being even more impressive. In the summer of 1982, Buddy Bell sent a liner through the box that broke two fingers on Leonard’s pitching hand. That injury cost him two and a half months, and though he came back late in the season, he wasn’t right.
He got off to a promising start in 1983 before snapping his patellar tendon in a late-May game against the Orioles. That type of injury is typically the death knell for a professional athlete, but Leonard put himself through four surgeries and a grueling rehab so he could pitch again. The guy was a warrior.
He missed the rest of 1983, all of 1984, and nearly all of 1985 before making a dramatic return to the mound on September 6. He threw one scoreless inning against the Brewers while a crowd of more than 26,000 gave him a long, emotional standing ovation.
Leonard came to spring training in 1986 feeling like a rookie. He made the squad and ended up recording 30 starts and throwing 192 innings. But at age 35, with an ERA north of 4.40, the end was near. His first start of the 1986 season was classic Leonard — a three-hit, complete-game shutout win over the Blue Jays.
The Royals released him after the ’86 season, and Leonard chose to retire. He was elected to the Royals Hall of Fame in 1989. He’s also an inductee in the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Pretty impressive for a college walk-on.
The final numbers: 144 wins against 106 losses with a 3.70 ERA. He still sits at number two in career wins and number three in career strikeouts in Royals history.
Dennis Leonard will always be one of the greatest Royals.
Southern Miss' JB Middleton (18) pitches against Tennesee in the NCAA Baseball Tournament's Knoxville Regional on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Middleton became the highest-ever drafted pitcher for Southern Mississippi when the Rockies took him 45th overall in the 2025 draft (Middleton was 41st in MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings), signing the now 22-year-old right-hander to a $2.072 million bonus that was $100k under slot. Middleton doesn’t possess ideal size for a modern day hurler (he’s only 6’0”), but his repertoire includes a good three pitch mix (fastball, slider, change) that he throws for strikes. He throws from a three-quarter slot with a quick arm action, a mid-90s fastball, a late-breaking slider that gets whiffs, and a good change-up to keep lefties honest.
Mid-season 2025 Rank: 12
High Ballot: 4
Mode Ballot: 11
Future Value: 40+, back-end starter
Contract Status: 2025 Second Round, University of Southern Mississippi, Rule 5 Eligible After 2028, three options remaining
MLB ETA: 2028
Middleton’s freshman year in 2023 wasn’t pretty (nine earned runs in 9 1/3 innings), but he became an important reliever in 2024 for USM, throwing 37 1/3 innings with a 4.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 10.8 K/9 rate, and 6.0 BB/9 rate. Middleton’s stuff took a big step forward in 2025 and he moved into an ace starter’s role. In 16 starts, Middleton averaged nearly 6 2/3 innings per outing (105 1/3) against less acclaimed competition in the Sun Belt conference. Middleton’s 2.31 ERA, 10.4 K/9 rate, and 2.1 BB/9 rate were good, but it was his sterling 0.85 WHIP (ranking second in Division I) that was especially noteworthy.
Here’s video of Middleton in action this March with USM courtesy of Kyler Peterson, including some slo-mo looks at his delivery and release for his arsenal in the last couple minutes:
Middleton is a four-pitch guy who’s up to 97 on the heater, lacking a clear out-pitch in the mix but mitigating that with plus control and a good delivery he repeats well. I noted at the draft that he was a good candidate for the Rockies, who now have their own pitching lab, to try to work with on pitch design, as his slider seems like it could be sharper and maybe become that 60 in the quiver to help him miss more bats. As is, he’s a back-end starter who should get to Double A quickly.
MLB Pipeline is more hyped about Middleton than the PuRPs electorate, ranking him 6th in the system as a 50 FV player with a 60 grade on both the fastball and slider as well as a 55 on the changeup:
Middleton works with a versatile 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97, showing the ability to run and sink it toward the knees or carry it up at the letters. He gets plenty of swings-and-misses in the zone, elicits lots of chases and makes it nearly impossible to lift his heater in the air. His slider is even harder to hit, combining upper-80s velocity with two-plane depth, and he’ll morph it into a cutter at times.
Middleton will also flash a plus 86-88 mph changeup that tumbles and fades and gets in-zone misses and chases like his other offerings. He has an athletic delivery, moves down the mound well and cut his walk rate in half compared to last season. His lack of physicality is the only real knock against him as a long-term starter, though his improved strikes and stuff are stronger points in his favor.
Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs is less optimistic, grading Middleton as a 40 FV player (99th in the draft class) and ranked him 22nd in the system with a 60 future grade on the changeup:
Undersized righty who moved into Southern Miss rotation this year and held 94-95 mph heaters through well over 100 innings, touched 97 in final start of the year. Fastball lacks great life, curt upper-80s slider often looks like more of a cutter but played like a plus pitch in terms of miss in 2025. Turns over a power-tailing changeup in the mid-80s that looks more obviously plus to the eye. Will show you some pitchability elements (slider/fastball sequencing at top of zone) and was a drastically improved strike-thrower in 2025, but size and meat-of-zone locations point more toward a long relief role.
With a short arm stroke in an up tempo delivery and super fast arm, the ball really jumps out of Middleton’s hand, but the command is quite inconsistent. He fires the ball out of a 3/4 slot and has more than enough stuff to be a factor in the professional ranks. His fastball sits 93-96 but has been up to 98 with ride and run. He snaps off a really good firm gyro slider in the upper 80s, although he can take a tick off of it and add a good amount of two plane depth at times too. His changeup sits in the mid-to-upper 80s that he throws with conviction and good arm speed and shows plenty of tumble and fade. The arm action and command to go with a bit of an undersized frame does leave plenty of reliever risk, a role he has spent the bulk of his college career in before moving to the role of starter this season. He has improved in almost every statistical category this year and really limited the number of free passes he has handed out, giving scouts much more confidence he can ultimately start long term.
Middleton has yet to make his professional debut, which isn’t surprising given the workload he had in 2025. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies started him in High-A this spring after an offseason working on pitch design, though a Low-A debut is also possible. Middleton is a high-probability starting pitcher with some mid-rotation projection. That’s always a big need for the Rockies, though I’d like to see his 2025 results carry over into pro ball before I rank him where MLB Pipeline has him in the system. For me, Middleton is a 40+ FV player that I ranked ninth on my list.
Mateo Oserna gets his picture taken for tonights game against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. | Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
In freshman JD Dohrmann’s dominant five inning start, the Tiger bats and bullpen were not able to hold up their end of the bargain in Missouri’s 4-2 loss to Florida Atlantic Tuesday evening.
Tigers Game Recap
The Tigers had a scoreless first, second and third inning, as Dohrmann struck out four batters, including Nick Romano twice and only allowed two hits to start the game strong. In the bottom of the third, Dohrmann managed to pick off a man at first base and Tyler Macon made a stellar catch in center field after missing a catch moments before.
In the top of the fourth inning, Pierre Seals hit a slow roller to third for a single, giving the Tigers their first hit of the game. Seals stole second, but could not reach home as their time up at the plate came to an end. At the bottom of the fourth, Dohrmann allowed three back-to-back hits, bringing in a run for Florida Atlantic.
The inning came to a close shortly after when Macon tracked down a fly ball in center for the out, but it was deep enough for a sacrifice fly that plated another run for the Owls. With that, the damage was done and the score moved to 2–0 in their favor.
Ultimately, Dohrmann struck out five batters during his first career start, allowing five hits and two runs in a promising outing. If this performance is any indication, it will be interesting to watch his career continue to develop during this season and beyond.
During the sixth inning, Macon, who went 6-for-6 on Sunday, hit an infield single. This hit started up a rally as Jason Woita launched his second home run of the year towards right field, tying up the game for the Tigers.
The Tigers brought in the left-handed reliever and graduate student Kadden Drew to try and slow the Owls momentum. Drew ended his day with two outs in the sixth, as they brought out freshman Sam Rosand to the mound. Rosand allowed no runs to end the sixth inning in a hurry and kept the score 2-2.
In the top of the seventh, Cameron Benson hit a two out single for the Tigers, offering a brief moment of hope, but their time at bat ended soon after.
Turning Point of the Game
During the bottom of the seventh, Rosand surrendered a two-run homer that pushed the score in favor of the Owls. From that moment on, Tiger fans could feel the outcome of the game slipping away.
By the eighth inning of the game, Rosand was back at it on the mound and ended his day with a final strikeout and no more runs driven through. Although Rosand was ultimately given a loss, he delivered a solid outing, and only allowed two hits and two runs.
Despite George’s hit in the top of the ninth, the rally never caught on fire. The Tigers could not put another runner on base, and just like that, the game was over.
Next Up
The Tigers will face off against New Haven for a three-game series on Feb. 20-22 in Terry Park at Fort Meyers, Fla. The first game of the tournament will start on Friday at 5 p.m. Soon after, they will play their first home game of the series against Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Columbia, Mo.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees looks on in the third inning during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Back in the winter of 2024, shortly after the Yankees missed out on Juan Soto, they quickly pivoted and signed Max Fried to a mammoth eight-year, $218 million contract. The left-hander, one of the highest-profile pitchers in that 2024-25 offseason, was seen as a luxury for some fans, who deemed his signing unnecessary because their rotation was full and their offense was the unit needing a big splash after losing the superstar slugger.
Time proved that bringing in Fried was the right decision, mainly because quality pitching depth in MLB is invaluable. Gerrit Cole blew out his elbow in spring training, Marcus Stroman was a disaster, and Clarke Schmidt had not one, but two injury list stints, the last of them forcing him to miss the rest of the season and a big chunk of 2026. Carlos Rodón had his best season as a Yankee, and Will Warren and Cam Schlittler eventually broke out and became contributors. The glue that held it all together, however, was Fried.
Fried’s 195.1 innings were the second-most in the American League behind Garrett Crochet, and he ranked fourth in the majors. During times of quick hooks, phantom injured list stints, and cautious workloads, the Yankees got elite durability for their money, at least in year one. And despite a 5.54 ERA in July and a 5.14 mark in August that made some people think he had turned into a pumpkin, Fried eased concerns with an elite 1.89 ERA in September. His final 2.86 ERA was the fourth-best in the junior circuit among qualifiers.
But this isn’t about what Fried did, which is basically the same thing he has been doing since making his MLB debut in 2017: dominate. This is about what he will, or could, do in 2026 as the Yankees make another run at the title. At least from the start of the season, Fried will be expected to carry the rotation with his flawless combination of availability and effectiveness. Cole could be back in May or even April, but he is 35 and is coming off major elbow surgery. He could conceivably return to ace form and status, but it would be unfair to expect him to lead the Yankees staff in 2026. Instead, the Yankees will rely on Fried, who has started 61 games in the last two years and hasn’t finished with an ERA above 3.25 since 2019.
Stuff-wise, Fried remains excellent. He got fantastic results with his curveball last year, earning a 42 percent whiff rate on the pitch, and used a whopping six different offerings at least 10 percent of the time: his cutter, sinker, curveball, four-seamer, sweeper, and changeup, with some sliders sprinkled in. A deep repertoire, a clear out pitch, and elite command make Fried one of the most underrated aces of our time. He won’t touch the triple digits with his heater, but the pitch had a renaissance last year and averaged 95.8 mph. That’s the highest of his career and almost two ticks over the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024 with the Braves.
Basically, Fried hit another gear with the Yankees, and a blister issue in July is at least partially to blame for his summer struggles. He was cruising before that, and returned to dominance once he regained full health. His Statcast profile is full of red, an awfully encouraging development with 2026 in mind:
That’s exactly what you want to see from an ace and what you can expect from Fried this year: elite groundball rate, above-average velocity, fantastic contact management, and pinpoint command. Still in his prime at 32, throwing well, and motivated by playing on a perennial contender, Fried looks ready to deliver another fine campaign in pinstripes. Don’t be surprised if, barring injuries, the 2026 season is even better for him, at least individually.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Brice Matthews #0 of the Houston Astros participates in spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 12, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. We begin with arguably the Astros’ top prospect in camp this year: Brice Matthews.
Brice Matthews, a Houston native and Atascocita High School graduate, went on to play college baseball at Nebraska. After solid freshman and sophomore campaigns, he broke out as a junior, slashing .359/.481/.723 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Viewed as one of the best overall athletes in the 2023 draft thanks to his rare power-speed combination, the Astros selected him with the 28th overall pick in the first round.
Matthews’ first full professional season in 2024 got off to a slow start when he missed about a month with lower back issues. Once healthy, he returned to High-A and immediately made an impact, hitting six home runs in his first seven games back to earn a promotion to Double-A. He finished the year with 15 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and an .865 OPS across the three levels.
Assigned to Triple-A out of Spring Training in 2025, Matthews continued to validate the scouting reports. He hit .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 73 games, earning a call-up to Houston. His big league stint exposed some swing-and-miss concerns as he struck out 20 times in 42 at-bats, but he also flashed his upside with four home runs.
Matthews possesses some of the highest upside in the system, pairing impact power and speed with the versatility to move around the diamond. He played games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field last year. His long-term defensive home may not be settled yet, but with a strong spring, he could carve out a super utility role for the Astros in 2026.
Peoria, Ariz. - February 16: Ty France #4 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller has shown a willingness to take advantage of veteran players on low-cost deals. Walker Buehler was the latest signing, but prior to that he added Griffin Canning, German Marquez and Ty France. The addition of France makes the competition for reps at first base and designated hitter more intense as he will compete with the incumbent Gavin Sheets as well as Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos for playing time and a roster spot.
Padres News:
Preller received a much-anticipated extension on Monday and AJ Cassavell of Padres.com believes that is significant for the 2026 season. With the Preller extension complete, it allows him to continue to focus on the roster and although there was a flurry of signings over the holiday weekend, Preller may not be done adding to his roster.
The minor-league deal between the Padres and Buehler became official Tuesday with the right-hander receiving $1.5 million if he makes the roster. Once on the roster he could earn up to $2.5 million in bonuses.
The deal with Marquez was also announced on Tuesday. He will ern $1 million and has a $750K buyout on a mutual option. Marquez will have the ability to increase his earnings through performance bonuses.
Kris Bryant has not spent much time on the field during his tenure with the Colorado Rockies and it appears 2026 will be no different. Bryant explained he suffers from backpain daily which has been a chronic issue since he arrived in Colorado.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez left Spring Training early Monday with a sore elbow. Imaging confirmed Lopez has “significant tearing” in his UCL and could require season-ending surgery.
Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space.
This week, we begin by discussing Francisco Lindor’s recovery from hamate surgery, Juan Soto’s move to left field, and other notes from Port St. Lucie. We also cover the highlights from Steve Cohen’s recent interviews with the media, including his thoughts on losing players to the Dodgers, his frustration regarding lack of World Series titles, and the fact that there will not be a team captain as long as he owns the Mets. We also celebrate SNY’s hiring of former Washington Post baseball writer Chelsea Janes.
Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise.
You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!
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HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 29: Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark and Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. look on during batting practice prior to Game 2 of the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, October 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In case you missed it yesterday, MLB Players’s Association (MLBPA) Executive Director Tony Clark resigned abruptly on Tuesday after an internal investigation found evidence he had an “inappropriate” relationship with his sister-in-law, who was concurrently employed by the union starting in 2023. Clark, a former MLB player, had held the position since 2013, when he became the sixth-ever director of the MLBPA (often called the “player’s union” or just “the union”) and the first former player.
It’s the latest firestorm for Clark, who is, along with the MLBPA, also under investigation for…they’re not using the e-word in the articles I read so let’s call it Financial Impropriety. Prosecutors in New York are looking into whether a joint venture between the MLBPA and its NFL counterpart was being used to enrich union leaders, while the feds are investigating an MLBPA-owned youth baseball organization that has some…let’s call them questionable accounting practices. This is what I get for writing late at night when our LLegal CounseLL is already asleep.
While the MLBPA is led by its executive director, there is an eight-player executive subcommittee, and it’s that player subcommittee that reportedly voted to ask for Clark’s resignation after hearing evidence of the alleged inappropriate relationship. The current committee consists of Marcus Semien, Brent Suter, Tarik Skubal, Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, and Paul Skenes.
This is especially poor timing for another scandal to hit MLBPA, especially one that is such a needless distraction, as MLB and the MLBPA seem to be headed for a contentious collective bargaining agreement (CBA) re-negotiation and potential lockout following the end of the 2026 season. If you were following baseball closely in 2022-23, you probably remember the last time the CBA expired and the 99-day lockout that resulted and how we were all so so bored we actually did become a volcano blog for a little while.
The player subcommittee was also instrumental during that lockout; however, only Semien and Suter remain from that group. Three players left, and another three – Lucas Giolito, Jack Flaherty, and Ian Happ – were voted out after an attempt to oust Clark’s chief negotiator, Bruce Meyer, and replace him with Harry Marino, a former minor leaguer and labor champion who was instrumental in helping minor leaguers receive union benefits. The attempted coup failed, and now Meyer, who led negotiations during the previous bargaining period, will reportedly remain in place to continue in his role as Senior Director of Collective Bargaining.
But beyond this interpersonal drama (and the alleged Finance Crimes, I guess), inheriting the MLBPA right now is a little like being handed a bag of wet hornets. And also the bag is on fire. And also you are on fire. While being dropped blindfolded out of a plane towards a bullseye labeled “CBA NEGOTIATIONS.” The bullseye is also on fire. The biggest issue in the upcoming CBA negotiations will almost certainly be a salary cap. The owners and MLB want a cap on player earnings just as desperately as the players do not want it, and have indicated their intent to lock the players out for the 2027 season to try for the umpteenth time to demand it. But there’s no shortage of other things to fight about: there are also arguments to have about how arbitration works – or doesn’t work, from team’s perspectives, as players continue to score in arbitration hearings this winter like The Monstars – as well as revenue sharing. And if there’s time, maybe a fight about an international draft or maybe expansion. For fun.
It’s a grueling road ahead, and even if you think Clark was ineffective or even a figurehead who didn’t do the nitty-gritty numbers stuff, the MLBPA does find itself wrong-footed at a crucial moment. So while we wait for all this drama to play out, a thought exercise: Assuming there would be no negative influence on their career, if you could nominate anyone in baseball to serve as a singular voice for the player’s union, who would you pick? Feel free to think expansively about what “in baseball” means. Also we’ll allow current and former players too, I know one or several of you want the Greinke there. And for bonus points, who is on your dream eight-player executive subcommittee?
Welcome back, Cody. | Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
A month ago, I wrote about the new jersey numbers among the Twins’ roster. Now that the team’s spring training roster is finalize, why not do it again? After all, there have been several signings, both major- and minor-league, and other roster changes.
I won’t spend as many words on numbers for individual players this time, just highlighting ones I find interesting and going over general trends and changes.
Here goes. (All players in italics are non-roster invitees to major league camp.)
Starting Pitchers 17 Bailey Ober 20 Mick Abel 24 Simeon Woods Richardson 26 Taj Bradley 41 Joe Ryan 49 Pablo López 52 Zebby Matthews 58 David Festa 60 Kendry Rojas 61 Connor Prielipp 71 John Klein 74 Trent Baker 78 Andrew Morris 81 Cory Lewis 82 Christian MacLeod 85 Marco Raya
(López tearing an elbow ligament yesterday already throws the projected rotation into question, but that has been discussed elsewhere.)
Unsurprisingly, players at the back of the roster have been largely assigned higher numbers as seems to be baseball tradition. I know many are projecting Prielipp to move to the bullpen, but I left him here just for the sake of the list. Interestingly, the three 80s numbers on this list have been worn by Twins: Jordan Balazovic wore 81, Ober and Austin Martin started their careers in 82, and Charlie Barnes and Jair Camargo wore 85.
Relief Pitchers 19 Eric Orze 31 Liam Hendriks 39 Andrew Chafin 43 Anthony Banda 44 Cole Sands 45 Travis Adams 47 Julian Merryweather 48 Justin Topa 51 Matt Bowman 53 Dan Altavilla 55 Taylor Rogers 57 Kody Funderburk 59 Grant Hartwig 65 Cody Laweryson 93 Andrew Bash 94 Raul Brito
Also unsurprisingly, major league veterans invited to camp don’t get assigned high spring training numbers. Hendriks, who debuted as a starter for the Twins wearing #62 before becoming a top-level closer, will wear his regular #31 because he is the 31st Australian to play in the majors. Chafin takes #39 for the fourth time (he’s worn it with the Cubs, A’s, and Angels), Banda has claimed the #43 he wore for the past two seasons (and earlier in Toronto) from James Outman, and Rogers (as mentioned in last month’s article) got his old #55 back from Funderburk. Laweryson debuted last year in #66; that number now belongs to field coordinator Toby Gardenhire.
Catchers 27 Ryan Jeffers 37 Victor Caratini 70 Alex Jackson 73 Patrick Winkel 77 Noah Cardenas 83 Ricardo Olivar 90 Andrew Cossetti 92 David Bañuelos
Except for his debut, Caratini has worn #7 or #17 for his entire career. However, #7 is retired in Minnesota for Joe Mauer and #17 belongs to Bailey Ober, so he gets the next available number up (Jeffers has #27) ending in 7. Oh, and he debuted in 2017. (Additionally, Jackson had #64 last month but has switched to #70, which he wore for his debut with Atlanta and as an Oriole last year.)
Infielders 2 Kody Clemens 4 Tristan Gray 11 Orlando Arcia 12 Gio Urshela 13 Eric Wagaman 15 Luke Keaschall 22 Brooks Lee 23 Royce Lewis 56 Josh Bell 76 Kaelen Culpepper 86 Aaron Sabato 89 Tanner Schobel
Arcia’s most common numbers have been 3 and 11; 3 is retired for Harmon Killebrew, so it’s no surprised he’s claimed #11. Urshela has never before worn #12, but the #15 he wore as a Twin in 2022 is taken by Keaschall.
Outfielders 5 Ryan Kreidler 9 Trevor Larnach 16 Austin Martin 18 Alan Roden 25 Byron Buxton 30 James Outman 33 Emmanuel Rodriguez 38 Matt Wallner 64 Hendry Mendez 72 Gabriel Gonzalez 75 Walker Jenkins 80 Kyler Fedko 87 Kala’i Rosario
As mentioned above, Outman switched away from last year’s #43 to accommodate Banda; he now wears #30. His old #33 now belongs to Emmanuel Rodriguez, who has switched off of #32 because…
Coaches 0 Grady Sizemore (1BC) 8 Derek Shelton (MGR) 32 LaTroy Hawkins (BPN) 46 Ramon Borrego (3BC) 63 Mike Rabelo (ABEN) 66 Toby Gardenhire (MLFC) 67 Trevor Amicone (AHIT) 68 Mark Hallberg (BEN) 79 Rayden Sierra (AHIT) 84 Keith Beauregard (HIT) 88 Pete Maki (PIT) 91 Luis Ramirez (APIT/INT) 97 Anderson De La Rosa (BPNC) 98 Frank Nigro (BPNC)
…LaTroy got his number back!
So if you’re watching or attending the games, and you see someone you don’t recognize with an unfamiliar number, now you know who they are. (Until the roster inevitably shuffles again.)
