MESA, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: Blake Mitchell #8 of the Kansas City Royals hits a double in the second inning during the 2025 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game between the American League Fall Stars and the National League Fall Stars at Sloan Park on Sunday, November 9, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Royals fans can get a glimpse of the future this afternoon, as MLB hosts Spring Breakout games today. Top prospects like catcher Blake Mitchell, outfielder Sean Gamble, and pitcher Kendry Chourio are on the 27-man roster that will take on Texas Rangers prospects at 3 p.m. CT in Arizona. All Spring Breakout games will be broadcast live and fully available on MLB’s digital platforms (MLB.com, MLB.TV, and the MLB app).
The Royals will serve as the visiting team in their contest at Surprise Stadium. The original 40-man roster was narrowed to a 27-man active roster for today’s game, with a roster that also includes top pitching prospect Felix Arronde, hard-throwing Dennis Colleran, 2025 draft pick Justin Lamkin, speedster Asbel Gonzalez, former first-round pick Gavin Cross, and top hitting prospects like Ramon Ramirez, Yandel Ricarod, Daniel Vazquez, and Carson Roccaforte.
The future takes the field this afternoon in our 2026 Spring Breakout Prospect Showcase! pic.twitter.com/gNeWqGCz7D
JUPITER, FL - MARCH 19: Gavin Fein #8 of the Washington Nationals runs to first base during the game between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Jared Blais/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While the Washington Nationals lost their Spring Breakout game against the Cardinals 9-8, there were so many positives to take away. The biggest storyline was how impressive the Nats youngest prospects were. Yesterday, the biggest contributors were the teenagers. Gavin Fien, Eli Willits, Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon all showed why they are so highly touted.
The Nats teenagers have blown me away in the Spring Breakout game. Gavin Fien, Eli Willits, Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime Jr. were all fantastic and showed elite traits. Fien showed his hitting chops, Willits shows his great eye, Harmon showed his beautiful mechanics and Sime…
All of them showed unique skillsets. The most impressive of them all was Gavin Fien though. He showed why the Nats made him the headlining piece in the MacKenzie Gore return. The 12th overall pick from the 2025 draft showed his combination of hitting ability and impact.
Fien was the engine of the Nats offense in the Spring Breakout game. He was 3 for 4 with a walk and two doubles. Fien, who turned 19 earlier this month, also drove in five runs. His biggest hit was a bases clearing double off of top five pick Liam Doyle. He crushed a 97 MPH fastball above the zone 107 MPH down the left field line.
It was a highly impressive offensive display from the youngster. While Fien had a track record of hitting on the showcase circuits, some scouts had concerns about his swing translating to pro ball. That was not a problem yesterday, where the youngster handled premium velocity with ease.
If this is any indicator of what is to come, Fien should become a consensus top 100 prospect very quickly. Not many teenagers look as comfortable as he does in the batters box. Fien projects as an offensively gifted third baseman who can hit in the .275 range while hitting 25 or so home runs.
Honestly, his offensive game reminds me a lot of Ryan Zimmerman. Both have big time power, but aren’t necessarily home run hitters. Like Zimmerman, Fien loves hitting line drives all around the yard. He still has a long way to go, but I think he has that kind of offensive ceiling.
Speaking of teenage hitters, who look unusually comfortable in the box, Eli Willits showed some of what made him the first overall pick. He drew two walks that were extremely impressive. Some walks come from the pitcher being uncompetitive, while others are due to a hitter having great command of the strike zone. On both of Willits’ walks, we saw the latter.
He led off the game with a seven pitch at bat against Liam Doyle. In that AB, he took some really quality pitches that most hitters would have swung at. He looked frighteningly calm in the box against a lefty that throws in the mid to upper 90’s.
His second at bat was even better. Willits worked an 8 pitch walk to load the bases. There is actually a video of the whole at bat, which I will show down here. I have not seen a teenaged Nats prospect with this kind of plate discipline since Juan Soto.
Doyle re-entered in the second inning and continued to struggle to command his secondaries. His lively fastball would get him back into counts, but he struggled to put guys away with anything else. This at bat against Eli Willits is an example.
Willits also showed his value in the field and on the bases. He made a couple nice plays at shortstop and stole a base as well. Willits is going to be very fun to watch on the bases. The youngster makes great reads, but is also extremely aggressive. His helmet was flying all over the place yesterday.
We may have gotten a taste of Nats future left side of the infield. Yesterday, Eli Willits and Gavin Fien looked a bit like Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon. The youngsters have a long way to go to reach those levels, but it was super fun to see them ball out.
On the pitching side of things, we saw two electric teenage arms in Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon. I want to start with Sime because he delivered the bigger headlines. He showed why the Nats paid him $2 million in the fourth round, but also why he fell to the fourth round.
Sime’s pure velocity was bonkers. At 18 years old, he was sitting at 99-101 MPH and touched 102. It was fairly easy velocity as well. Sime is a massive young man, who is built like a defensive lineman, so he does not have to strain as much to hit 100.
His most impressive work came against Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt. The youngster started the at bat with a pitch clock violation and then threw two more balls to fall behind 3-0. That is not the spot you want to be in against an advanced hitter like Wetherholt. However, he got three straight whiffs, finishing Wetherholt off with a 101 MPH heater.
When Sime was locating his fastball and slider, they were unhittable. However, his control was hit or miss. He did a decent job controlling his heater, though there were a couple bad misses. Sime did not have a great feel for his slider. He missed high on a lot of them. Missing in the same spot consistently makes me think his mechanics were not lined up on that pitch.
The slider is actually a new pitch for him, so not having a great feel for it is understandable. Sime’s overall control definitely needs work, but he is still just 18. Even in today’s game, 18 year olds who throw 100 do not grow on trees. Sime can sit in the triple digits and flashes a strong breaking ball as well. It will be a long road for him, but his upside is massive, whether that is as a starter or as a closer.
Landon Harmon was not sitting at 100 MPH, so he did not get as many headlines as Sime. However, he may have been even more impressive. Unlike Sime, Harmon’s mechanics and control were very sharp. His delivery is beautiful and he just looks the part on the mound.
Harmon only threw 10 pitches, but I saw enough to be very excited. He featured a mid-90’s fastball which was classified as a cutter and a low to mid 80’s slider. I am curious as to why they classified his fastball as a cutter. Either way, the pitch was very impressive. He got two ground outs on the heater, retiring the first two hitters on just three pitches.
To finish the inning, he had a nice seven pitch battle with Tai Peete. He showcased his slider in that at bat, and it looked pretty good. It was a bit slurvy and could use some more power, but it has nice movement. He froze Peete on a slider at the top of the zone to get the strikeout. Peete challenged the pitch, but ABS confirmed the umpire’s ruling.
I am not sure where Harmon will start the season, but based on that outing, he looked sharp enough to skip over rookie ball. A couple years ago, Travis Sykora went straight to Low-A, and I think Harmon could do the same. If he pitches well there, he may even get some run at High-A to end the season.
Yesterday, the Nationals most impressive players were teenagers from the 2025 draft. You would think the prospects who have experience in the upper minors would be the stars of the event, but that was not the case.
That is a really good sign for the future of the Nats. The guys who looked like stars yesterday were the new regime’s guys. They were either drafted by Mike DeBartolo or acquired by Paul Toboni in the case of Fien. If yesterday is any indicator, these teenagers could be the guys who can take the Nats back to the top of the National League.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 19: Joseph Sullivan #19 of the Houston Astros bats during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday, Astros prospects took on the Marlins in the Spring Breakout game, and rather than provide a traditional recap, the focus here is on the positives and the players who stood out. The Astros came away with a 7-6 win in an entertaining matchup.
James Hicks
Hicks got the start for the Astros and, after a breakout Arizona Fall League, he turned in a nice performance on Thursday. The right-hander allowed zero earned runs over 2 innings while striking out 4. The defense committed three errors behind him, so two runs scored unearned, but it was a good performance for him. He topped out at 94.8 MPH with the sinker and got three whiffs with his changeup.
Cole Hertzler
Hertzler was drafted by the Astros in the 5th round of the 2024 draft, and despite having just 21 professional innings, the upside is clearly there. The right-hander was up to 95.5 MPH with the fastball, but his curveball and slider were the real weapons. He threw nine curveballs and three sliders and got six whiffs. He finished the day striking out 5 over 3 scoreless innings.
Leomar Rosario
Rosario is a 22-year-old relief pitcher in the system who pitched in Single-A last year but had some command issues, as he walked 40 in 49 innings. He has an electric arm and was sharp on Thursday. In one inning of work, Rosario got 5 whiffs and struck out the side as his fastball hit 100.2 MPH and sat at a 99.7 MPH average.
Alimber Santa
Santa has gotten some decent run this Spring Training and got the 9th inning of the game on Thursday. In his one inning, he allowed zero runs and struck out 2 batters, hitting 96.8 MPH with his fastball and generating 2 whiffs on the sweeper.
Xavier Neyens
This was the first bit of action we saw from Xavier Neyens, the Astros’ first-round pick in 2025. While he had some miscues early defensively, he did draw three walks in five plate appearances, and keep in mind he is just 19 years old.
Chase Call
Call was the Astros’ 16th-round pick in the 2025 draft, and while he only got two plate appearances Thursday, he made the most of them. In his first appearance, he connected on a 108.6 MPH single, the hardest-hit ball of the day for either team. In his second appearance, he drew a six-pitch walk.
Joseph Sullivan
Sullivan had a breakout 2025 season, and in yesterday’s game, he did what he did all last year. While he didn’t get a hit, he ended up drawing two walks and stealing three bases. He stole 42 bases last year.
Lucas Spence
Spence, also a breakout prospect from 2025, received three plate appearances and went 0-for-1 with 2 walks. But his one batted ball was the second-hardest-hit ball of the game on a 106.2 MPH groundout. He also added a stolen base.
Arturo Flores
Flores has kind of flown under the radar, but after a solid year in 2025 making it to Single-A at 19, he found himself on the Spring Breakout roster. He only had one at-bat but made the most of it, connecting on a 101.0 MPH 2-run double to help cut the lead to just one run
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after winning game five of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on October 11, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This time one year ago, the notion that three of the National League’s playoffs teams would have come from the Central was farfetched, and yet, by the time the post-season began, the division champion Milwaukee Brewers were joined by the Wild Card entrants Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
The NL Central featured several 2025 award winners including Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Cy Young) and the Milwaukee Brewers duo of Pat Murphy (Manager of the Year) and Matt Arnold (Executive of the Year). In addition, the Chicago Cubs won the team Gold Glove Award.
Coming into the 2026 season, the Central looks be just as competitive as it was in 2025, and although the Cardinals finally embraced a re-build, the Pirates actually spent money on free agents. Here’s a preview of the division.
It was a third consecutive NL Central title for the Brewers in 2025, winning 97 games along the way. The team’s high impact position players return in 2026, led by catcher William Contreras, outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Brice Turang and designated hitter Christian Yelich. They also have one of the top prospects in the game, Jesus Made, who will turn 19 in May and could force his way to Milwaukee before the year ends. Jett Williams, the top infield prospect picked up from the New York Mets in an off-season trade, may also impact the big league team this season.
The starting rotation lost Freddy Peralta, who the team dealt to the Mets for Williams and pitcher Brandon Sproat, which will impact the rotation but jettisoning a pitcher who is headed for free agency is a common strategy used by the team’s front office, and thus one they were prepared to accommodate.
Starter Brandon Woodruff signed his qualifying offer, somewhat surprisingly, but his return gives the team’s rotation a veteran presence that also includes Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Aaron Ashby – at least to start the season. Quinn Priester will begin the season on the IL and prospects Sproat, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser could all factor into the rotation sooner than later.
The bullpen’s top arms, Trevor Megill – who saved 30 games for the team last season – and Abner Uribe, who may take over as the team’s primary closer, are supplemented by returning relievers DL Hall, Rob Zastryzny and Grant Anderson.
Questions in their rotation notwithstanding – and the loss of Peralta is no small one – the Brewers are still the team to beat in the Central, with Pat Murphy’s squad of position players all under 30 (outside of Yelich) and prospects knocking on the door. Andrew Vaughn, who had a career renaissance after joining the team mid-season, has to prove his 64 outstanding games as a Brewer wasn’t a fluke.
The Brewers have been one of the best-run small market clubs for the last decade. They’ve finished worst than 2nd in their division only once (4th in 2020, but still made the playoffs) and only twice missed playing in the postseason during this run.
Can the Brew Crew make it four-in-a-row in 2026 with another division crown? It’s tough to bet against them.
Chicago Cubs 2025 record: 92-70, 2nd (Wild Card)
The Cubs enjoyed a 90+ win season in 2025 – manager Craig Counsell’s second season at the helm. Winners of the team Gold Glove, the team’s core position players return – minus the departed free agent Kyle Tucker – and with the addition of Alex Bregman to play third base. First baseman Micheal Busch paced the team with 34 home runs while infielders Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson provided excellent defense with above average offense while both also stealing 20-or-more bases. Carson Kelly had a career-best season behind the plate with the Cubs in his 10th big league season.
Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a 30/30 season and was electric in the first-half of the season, his second full-time year in the big leagues. Seiya Suzuki posted another above-average season with an MLB-career best 32 home runs. Ian Happ rounds out the outfield with another 20+ home run bat.
The team’s starting rotation will be without Justin Steele for most of the first half of the season, but 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd and 2024 All-Star Shota Imanaga will be joined by new addition Edward Cabrera and veteran Jameson Taillon in a rotation that includes 2025 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton. Collin Rea, who made 27 starts for the Cubs last season, may find himself in the bullpen.
Closer Daniel Palencia is coming off of a dominate showing in the World Baseball Classic where he picked up the save in Venezuela’s championship winning game against the United States. Behind him will be some new names after the team lost Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller to free agency and Ryan Pressly to retirement. Caleb Thielbar does return and will be joined by newcomers Hoby Milner, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton and Jacob Webb.
The Cubs should compete for a Wild Card while battling the Brewers for the top spot in the division.
When the New York Mets collapsed down the stretch in 2025, the Reds were able to claim a Wild Card birth. The Reds may be hard-pressed to repeat last season’s winning season with staff anchor Hunter Greene out until July after having chips removed from his elbow.
The team’s starting rotation does return the excellent Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, but after Nick Martinez left during free agency, the team will look to fill out their rotation with a handful of pitchers – including one of their top prospects, Rhett Lowder
Emilio Pagan returns as closer with top set-up man Tony Santillan. New addition Pierce Johnson should help fortify their depth along with Graham Ashcroft, but the back-end of their bullpen has more questions than answers heading into the season.
Eugenio Suárez returns to the team he spent seven seasons with earlier in his career as the team’s designated hitter. He also add a veteran leader and power bat to a position player group under-performed in 2025. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz played in all 162 games, but struggled in the season’s second half. The team will be counting on top prospect Sal Stewart after a strong September showing as the team’s first baseman. After missing the 2024 season, Matt McClain struggled last year, and his ability to return to the offensive output similar to what he produced during his rookie campaign in 2023 would be a boon to the team’s lineup.
The team return their veteran catchers while their outfield will include Noelvi Marté Spencer Steer, who both spent much of last season on the infield.
If everything goes right for the Reds, the could stay in the Wild Card race into September, but they aren’t a sure thing to repeat their winning record from 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals 2025 record: 78-84, 4th
Finally, the Cardinals have embraced the rebuild. Gone are starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas as well as first baseman Willson Contreras, second baseman Brandon Donovan and third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The team will start the season without outfielder Lars Nootbaar who is recovering from heel surgery. The team will need former top outfield prospect Jordan Walker to rebound from a disappointing 2025 and the infield will need to see Masyn Winn take a step forward offensively and hope his new double-play partner, top prospect JJ Wetherholt, can contend for NL Rookie of the Year. Nolan Gorman will get a chance to stick at third base while Alec Burleson – who posted the best offensive numbers of any returning player – can build on a strong 2025.
The team’s starting rotation will be led by Matthew Liberatore but the Cardinals rotation depth will be banking on a the buy-low Dustin May and Kyle Leahy, who will work out of the rotation after making 61 relief appearances last year. The bullpen returns presumptive closer JoJo Romero but has more questions that the rotation.
St. Louis will be in for a rough 2026 season and could threaten to fall below the 71-win mark the team posted in 2023 – the lowest win total in a 162-game season since 1990.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2025 record: 71-91, 5th
Could this be the year the Pirates finally return to the post-season?
After years of ownership failing invest in the major league team via free agency, Pittsburgh added outfielder Ryan O’Hearn on what is the largest position-player free agent contract in the organization’s history. They also added designated hitter Marcell Ozuna late in the off-season and hope he can provide a higher ceiling offensively that the departed franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. The team also swung a trade for veteran infielder Brandon Lowe, who will likley slot into second base, but has the positional versatility to move around the diamond, if needed.
The Pirates also have to top prospect in baseball in shortstop Konnor Griffin who is fighting for a spot on the big league roster despite only playing 21 games at Double-A last season. The outfield returns Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, both of whom had disappointing 2025 seasons, as well a first baseman Spencer Horwitz. The team’s catching duo of Joey Bart and Henry Davis are both still searching for a break-out season to match their once top-prospect billings.
The team added Gregory Soto to the team’s bullpen behind Dennis Santana but the rest of the team’s relievers are nondescript.
The starting rotation is where the Pirates shine with reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes as the team’s ace. Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcroft solidify the top four spots in the rotation with Jose Urquidy – who has pitched in only two big league games since 2023 – a possibility for the fifth starter’s spot.
The Pirates raised their floor offensively for 2026 and while it likely wasn’t enough to put them in position to challenge for the division title, barring injury, the team should be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot deep into September.
2026 NL Central Division Prediction
Milwaukee Brewers (Division Champions) Chicago Cubs (Wild Card) Pittsburgh Pirates (Wild Card) Cincinnati Reds St. Louis Cardinals
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2026: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at BayCare Ballpark on March 13, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Good Phight will be previewing the 2026 season by going over each position on the field. We’ll talk about the players that will occupy them, the played behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.
The Phillies began 2025 betting on Jordan Romano to have a bounce-back season, for José Ruiz to look like a solid middle-inning reliever, José Alvarado to look like a high leverage reliever, and for Orion Kerkering to ascend into an upper tier right handed reliever.
None of that happened. Luckily, they were able to sign David Robertson and make a massive trade for Jhoan Duran but the bullpen still cost them in each of their losses against the Dodgers in the NLDS. The Phillies were never able to overcome an offseason plan going horribly wrong.
The Leverage/Middle Relief Arms:Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering, and Tanner Banks
Jhoan Duran will pitch his first full season as a Philadelphia Phillie after being acquired at the trade deadline last year. That means a full season of a set ninth inning and the Durantula throwing a ridiculous splinker while his intro music is still ringing in the heads of a sold-out crowd.
Personal opinion: it should be illegal for a closer to throw more than 3 pitches.
That’s not all to the bullpen in 2026. Brad Keller signed a two-year deal after a career-altering season with the Chicago Cubs. Keller pitched to a 2.07 ERA in 69.2 innings last season with a five-pitch arsenal. Given his .569 OPS allowed to left-handed hitters last season, Keller slots in as the primary setup option.
José Alvarado returns after his 2025 was defined by an 80-game suspension. The sinker and cutter have looked sharp in camp and there isn’t much left-handed relief depth behind him. He is the primary left handed option for Rob Thomson’s bullpen.
Jonathan Bowlan was acquired from the Royals in exchange for Matt Strahm. Bowlan finally got extended major league action as a reliever last season and showed some promising traits. His four-seam fastball generated a 43.5% whiff rate while his slider was at 40.2%. He also throws a sinker, curveball, and changeup to mix up the arsenal.
While it hasn’t been the best camp for Bowlan, there are still plenty of reasons to believe this was a very good trade for the Phillies given his upside and team control moving forward.
Orion Kerkering has a lot to prove in 2026. Beyond what happened in the NLDS, Kerkering took a step back in the 2025 regular season with a spike in walk rate and some bad tweaks with his sweeper. The pitch that got him to the major leagues did not have the same horizontal break and drop it had before and hitters looked a lot more comfortable against it. His whiff rate on the pitch declined by 7.5% and opponents hit it for more damage.
There is a world where Kerkering ends up as the second or third-best arm in the bullpen. He is working on a splitter, which could help him against left-handed hitters. It will still come down to how his sweeper performs in 2026 for him to reach his full potential.
No, Kerkering should not throw more fastballs.
Tanner Banks is comfortably the sixth guy in Thomson’s bullpen as a middle-relief/matchup arm against left-handed hitters. Banks limited lefties to a .456 OPS last season but struggled against righties. The Phillies are banking on him doing the exact same thing again.
This is the strongest the bullpen has looked since the end of the 2024 season. It will look more conventional than any bullpen in the Rob Thomson era. There is a set closer, there are set 7th and 8th inning arms, and there are set middle relievers.
The churn: Kyle Backhus, Zach Pop, Seth Johnson, Chase Shugart, Max Lazar, Nolan Hoffman, and Zach McCambley (for now)
The Phillies completely revamped the back of their 40-man roster with plenty of new relief options for depth. They traded for Kyle Backhus to bolster their left-handed reliever depth, bought some Pop, and claimed Shu(gart).
There are a lot more options for roster churn as the season goes on. Backhus, Zach Pop, and Seth Johnson stood out in camp. Shugart and Lazar look like options that can pitch more than an inning.
There are even some nice non-roster invite pickups here. Trevor Richards still throws a sick changeup, Jonathan Hernández has shown some stuff, and Daniel Robert throws a good sweeper.
Strengths: High end stuff and mix
The Phillies’ bullpen lacked swing-and-miss stuff, which is a necessity for high-leverage situations. Adding Duran for a full season, signing Keller, getting a full year out of Alvarado, and even trading for someone like Bowlan will go a long way in giving Thomson more high-end swing-and-miss stuff.
The Phillies also clearly prioritized pitchers, especially right-handed pitchers with deeper arsenals. Trading for Duran began the trend but Keller and Bowlan also have five-pitch arsenals and two different fastballs to help mitigate platoon advantages.
On paper, this is the kind of bullpen to feel good about taking to October.
Weaknesses: Left Handed Depth
The 40-man roster only carries three left-handed relievers in Alvarado, Banks, and Backhus. They added Tim Mayza and Génesis Cabrera to minor league stills but it’s still easy to see the group as a little thin.
Some of their right-handed relievers will mitigate some of this. Duran and Keller were very good at getting both righties and lefties out last season but it’s still easy to see why you could want a little more.
If Alvarado misses some time, you will need right-handed pitchers to make up for it in leverage spots. Banks and Backhus are very good at getting lefties out but do not profile well against righties.
Hottest take: Jonathan Bowlan is the 3rd best reliever in the bullpen
The four-seam fastball and slider combination will make for a big strikeout rate and his command is solid for a reliever. There could be some home-run issues here but he feels like the best guy outside of their top two arms to break through as a true leverage piece.
Realistic take: Duran earns a career high in saves
From 2023-2025, Duran recorded 82 saves with a career high of 32 last season. Those Minnesota Twins teams never won more than 87 games while he was there and the closer role is less valuable when the team doesn’t have as many ninth inning leads.
The Phillies won 95 games in 2024 and 96 last season. The general expectation for this group is to once again win the division and win roughly 93+ games.
From a math standpoint, it’s hard to imagine Duran finishing with fewer than 33 saves next season.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at pitcher Kumar Rocker.
There were a number of individual disappointing seasons for the Texas Rangers in 2025. I’m not sure any of them, however, were as disappointing as Kumar Rocker’s 2025 campaign.
Remember how hyped we were about Rocker at the end of 2024? Returning from Tommy John surgery and destroying AA and AAA batters — 3 runs allowed in 29.2 IP, 47 of 106 batters fanned, just four walks. Making his major league debut in Seattle and getting 17 swinging strikes on 74 pitches while striking out seven and allowing one run in four innings, followed by a couple of decent, if not as dominant, outings to finish the season.
Rocker entered 2025 as a consensus top 50 prospect, with Baseball America having him at #20 overall, and injury concerns being the main reason he wasn’t a consensus top 20-25 prospect. It seemed like he was ready to step into a major league rotation and immediately contribute, while offering the ceiling of a legitimate top of the rotation starter. Rocker seemed especially impressive in contrast to fellow Vandy Boy Jack Leiter, who seemed completely overmatched in the majors in 2024.
Rocker was not, as it turned out, ready to step into a major league rotation and immediately contribute in 2025.
Rocker did start the season in the rotation, out of necessity as much as anything else after a rough spring. His first start of the year was in Cincinnati. Four batters into the bottom of the first he was down 3-0 after a single-homer-single-stolen base-double sequence. He bounced back to get the next three batters, and could have gotten out of the second without allowing a run if he could have retired Matt McLain, who had hit the homer off of him in the first. McLain drew a seven pitch walk, however, and then Elly De La Cruz took Rocker’s next pitch deep for the momentum-shifting two out, three run homer. Rocker allowed a single and a walk after that, then retired the final four batters he faced, two on strikes.
It was a microcosm of what we would see from Rocker in 2025 — inefficiency, an inability to control the opponent’s running game, some ugly results, and some instances where he looked great, where you are left wondering why he isn’t performing at that high level more often.
Rocker made five starts with the Rangers before landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement after a 1.2 inning, five run outing in Oakland. After a two game rehab assignment — one for Frisco, one for Round Rock — that saw Rocker again dominate minor leaguers, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk in seven shutout innings while striking out eight, the Rangers activated him and returned him to the rotation.
That return lasted just one start. You probably remember it — it was the game where Rocker got Jake Mangrum to hit what should have been an inning-ending ground out to first base, but Rocker didn’t cover first base, resulting in a pair of runs scoring to turn what was a 3-0 Rays lead into a 5-0 Rays lead in a game the Rangers ultimately lost 5-4.
Rocker was optioned the next day, with the plan for him to get innings for a while in Round Rock. He only made one start for the Express, though, before Tyler Mahle went to the i.l. with a rotator cuff strain, creating a hole that Rocker was brought back up to fill.
Rocker made eight more starts upon his return, and was better, superficially at least — he had a 3.95 ERA and 4.96 FIP in 41 innings, compared to an 8.87 ERA and 4.72 FIP in his first six starts of the year. His first start back saw him throw five shutout innings against the ChiSox, with six Ks against just one walk. He also had a start in July where he allowed one hit in 6.1 shutout innings against Detroit.
He continued to struggle to work deep into games, however, as he struggled to put away batters and keep his pitch counts down. And basestealers continued to be an issue for him — he allowed 11 stolen bases in 11 attempts in 2025.
Rocker’s last game in the bigs in 2025 was on July 31 — the addition of Merrill Kelly allowed the Rangers to return Rocker to AAA. He made one start for Round Rock after being sent down, then didn’t pitch again until mid-September, with the team having him work on things on the side while also seeking to limit his innings.
Kumar Rocker is really a mystery at this point, with moments where he appears elite and moments where he looks like he isn’t a major leaguer. Part of the overall inconsistency can probably be chalked up to his overall lack of innings — from his freshman season at Vanderbilt in 2019 through the end of the 2025 season Rocker has accumulated just 430.1 innings, due to a combination of the pandemic, not signing with the Mets after they drafted him in 2021, and Tommy John surgery. One of the things Bruce Bochy talked about last year, in the context of controlling the running game and the mental error on not covering first, is that Rocker is much more inexperienced from an in-game action standpoint that most pitchers of his age and ability.
Rocker’s slider is an out pitch, a legitimate weapon, and his cutter and curveball can be quality pitches as well, though his command of his curveball is too erratic for it to be something he can rely upon. However, his fastball and sinker, despite averaging in the 95-96 mph range, were pounded in 2025. His fastball is unusual, in that it lacks vertical movement but has a lot of horizontal movement — from a movement standpoint, his sinker is the more effective pitch.
The result is that Rocker isn’t generating many swings and misses with his fastball or his sinker. That’s less of an issue with the sinker, which isn’t generally a swing-and-miss pitch, than the fastball, and it may be that Rocker would be better off using his sinker as his primary fastball while using the fastball as an occasional show-me pitch. That said, he will have to command his sinker better to have success that way.
Rocker finished the 2025 season with a 5.74 ERA, a 5.74 xERA (convenient!), and a 4.88 FIP. He’s a ground ball pitcher — he was in the 80th percentile in 2025 in ground ball rate, and his ground ball rates in the minors were even higher — so should benefit from what we expect will be a good Rangers’ infield defense in 2026, though one could say the same about 2025, when the Rangers had one of the best infield defenses in the league.
Rocker appears to have a good chance of opening the 2026 season in the rotation once again, with manager Skip Schumaker calling his most recent outing “electric” (shades of Jamey Wright, I know). Jack Leiter took a step forward in 2025, after getting knocked around in 2024. Fingers crossed that his Vanderbilt teammate can do the same this year.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Houston Astros left-hander Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada said.
Sousa, 30, strained his left oblique in a Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals. Sousa returned to Houston for further testing, but Espada said he would “be down for a while.”
“We’re going to not have him throw until that pain goes away,” Espada said.
Last year was a breakout season for Sousa after sitting out the 2024 season due to injury. He appeared in 44 games in 2025, and posted a 2.84 ERA across 50 2/3 innings with 59 strikeouts. But Sousa landed on the injured list on Aug. 20 with left elbow inflammation and didn’t return.
The loss of Sousa is the latest blow to Houston’s bullpen. Espada said All-Star closer Josh Hader will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. Hader did not appear in any spring training games, and his buildup will extend past the Astros’ opener against the Los Angeles Angles on March 26.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2026 season.
The right-hander had felt soreness in his throwing elbow after pitching in a Cactus League game on March 10. After the Giants diagnosed Birdsong with a forearm strain and ulnar collateral ligament sprain, Birdsong met with Dr. Keith Meister.
Birdsong, 24, went 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA last season while making 21 appearances, including 10 starts. He struck out 68 batters over 65 2/3 innings.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With a black sweatshirt pulled over his head and a glove in hand, Tony Vitello blends in almost as if he’s one of the Giants players.
San Francisco’s new manager grabs a piece of gum from a dugout basket then heads out onto the grass at Scottsdale Stadium and gets to work. He lingers for a while in right field, surveying the scene, before making his way to the indoor cage. A short while later, he’s all the way back to home plate, leaning on the right side of the cage, where he fist bumps Heliot Ramos after one of the left fielder’s rounds of batting practice. Vitello moves several feet to his left and takes in more hitters’ work.
“He’s everywhere,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “He has a lot of energy. He likes to be watching everybody, making sure that everybody is working right and doing the right things. He’s just trying to push the guys to work hard and to be better and I think that’s something that’s going to help the guys a lot and I think that’s something we needed.”
All eyes are on Vitello as he takes over one of baseball’s most storied franchises without a professional baseball backstory of his own. Giants executive and former catcher Buster Posey made the unconventional hire, entrusting the top dugout step to someone with no major league experience as a player or coach.
And everybody will be paying attention for his high-profile managerial debut when the Giants host the New York Yankees in baseball’s season opener March 25.
“As ready as I’ll be if you ask me that question before the season starts,” Vitello said ahead of the club’s Cactus League opener. “I don’t think you’re ever really ready to do something until you get to do it. ... Inevitably something pops up in where you’re like, ‘I wish I could go back in time and know that.’”
An avid swimmer who aspires to one day complete the famous event from Alcatraz in San Francisco, Vitello scans his various baseball zones much like a lifeguard with eyes up, observing everything and everyone.
He also has committed to taking in the wisdom from former managers he has surrounded himself with, such as Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy, and also new Giants infield coach Ron Washington.
“I’ve talked with those guys, they’ve been awesome,” Vitello said. “A lot of little things. When Boch says it, not only do you hear it but you hear it in that thunderous voice. I’ve taken notes from all those guys. I don’t think there’s been one drastic thing said to me, like, ‘Holy cow, reinvent the game’ or anything like that. It’s just been a lot of consistent help.”
Bouncing between fields during spring training has been one of the biggest adjustments for the 47-year-old Vitello.
When he addressed the full team on Day 1, Vitello aimed to just be himself — “hopefully it didn’t sound like a speech, more of a conversation,” he said.
Everybody realizes there will be a large learning curve, but Vitello has already made a strong impression on his players.
“Tony’s passion for baseball is something else,” outfielder Jung Hoo Lee said. “Just being around him, I feel like my passion grows more with him. It’s really nice being around Tony.”
Near the end of one spring training practice last month, Vitello squatted with hands on his thighs watching Washington work with Adames.
“That’s going to help him a lot,” Adames said of all the support. “He’s got Bochy that’s going to be around and Dusty that’s going to be around and Buster is always around. We’ve got a lot of people who have a lot of experience in baseball and have a lot of people who have a lot of experience being a manager, and I think that’s going to help him a lot.”
Ex-Padres manager Jayce Tingler is Vitello’s good friend and now bench coach, too. Vitello only announced his coaching staff at the start of spring — months after many other teams — because that’s how much thought he put into who he wanted by his side.
And because not doing everything himself has been a process. Previously, there was recruiting, planning road trips, monitoring studies and all of the other demands in the college game.
“I think get more comfortable with delegating, but about nine years ago I definitely warmed up to it with the group of people that I was around,” he said.
First-year San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen understands the questions about inexperience and that scrutiny comes with the job.
“He’s a baseball guy, so I’m going to respect him the same way I respect somebody that played 20 years in the big leagues,” Stammen said of Vitello. “I think he’s earned the right to be a manager in the big leagues. Some people will question me if I earned the right to be a manager in the big leagues. His track record in college is very successful, so he’s going to have the opportunity to bring that track record to MLB.”
Vitello acknowledges there have been some early hurdles — and knows there will be plenty more along the way. He replaces three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, a 22-year managerial veteran who was fired after two years and the Giants’ fourth straight season out of the playoffs.
“I don’t think it’s been too wild. I think everything that was a precursor to here was the key,” he said. “FanFest, just how welcoming everybody is. It might sound silly, but just interacting with the 49ers group a few different times and other people in the Bay Area, it made you feel like you were in high school instead of a freshman. I still remember freshman year in high school was kind of nerve-wracking.
“So I think there was a little bit of momentum for myself coming in. Seamless is a high standard. I think there’s been some snags, but it’s kind of been like, ‘OK, I get how this goes now.’”
Feb 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The annual Spring Breakout game has arrived! A relatively new feature to the MLB spring training schedule, the spring breakout is a prospect-only bout pitting one organization’s best against another, providing fans an easy way to get familiarized with the team’s top farmhands. The Mariners have one of the more potent rosters in the league but will be facing a talented Brewers team littered with elite talent, setting up what should be one of the more exciting matchups this event has to offer. If you’re at all interested in what the (not so distant) future of the Mariners could look like, I can’t recommend this game enough.
Kade Anderson, Charlie Beilenson, Tyler Cleveland, Casey Hintz, Lucas Kelly, Po-Chun Lin, Brock Moore, Robinson Ortiz, Mason Peters, Ryan Sloan
Anderson and Sloan, the team’s top two pitching prospects, will deservedly catch most of the headlines for this pitching staff. Both feature premiere pedigree and are top ten minor league pitchers in baseball, though Sloan’s immense frame and bullying arsenal provide an interesting contrast to Anderson’s deception and pitchability. Regardless of their differences on the mound, they are both immensely talented players and are sure to get into game action this afternoon.
Though not nearly as elite as Anderson or Sloan, both Lucas Kelly and Mason Peters deserve to be highlighted ahead of tonight’s game. Members of last year’s draft class, Peters (4th round) and Kelly (6th round) were both relievers in college and feature big time stuff that gives them a great shot to move quickly. Peters, who should be a starter this season, is a low launch lefty with a fastball that plays well at the top of the zone and a devastating array of breaking balls he can spin with the best of them. He’s got a slight frame, but the arsenal should be fine as a starter if the body can hold up. Kelly, who’s a pure relief prospect, is a high octane side-armer that’s touched triple digits with his heater and gets big extension down the mound from his 6’4 frame. It’s primarily a fastball-slider profile that could move through the minors as fast as just about anybody in this system.
Po-Chun Lin is a fun inclusion to this roster. We’re yet to see his debut, but he’s gotten good reviews from scouts who have seen him. A stout lefty from Taiwan, Lin has found success in international play and is a name to monitor for the real prospect sickos.
Catchers
Josh Caron
Luke Stevenson
Caron is looking to bounce back after a disappointing first season in the pro ranks, but Stevenson, who was last year’s Comp A selection, looked superb at the plate last summer and should be one of the more exciting prospects to follow this season. His blend of defense, power, and leadership is enviable for such a young player, and he looked to be finding his hit tool with regularity in his debut with Modesto.
Infielders
Michael Arroyo, Nick Becker, Felnin Celesten, Colt Emerson, Charlie Pagliarini, Brock Rodden, Austin St. Laurent, Luis Suisbel
This group is headlined by Colt Emerson and Michael Arroyo, two players who got a healthy amount of run with the big league squad this spring and more than held their own. They’re both likely to debut in the majors this year and figure to be key factors for this organization moving forward. Rodden, another guy who’s had a really nice spring in his own right, is finally back healthy and raking, a fantastic sign for a guy who could easily fill in as a utility guy at some point in the near future. He’s something of a Leo Rivas/Dylan Moore hybrid, though he might end up having a better offensive game than both of them.
Nick Becker and Felnin Celesten are the names that are most probable to make major moves on ranking boards this season, though which direction is yet to be seen. Celesten is entering a “prove it” type of year after last season’s let down, but he’s shown he can be an elite performer when healthy and remains just 20 years old. Becker, who briefly debuted last summer after signing as the team’s second rounder, has a bundle of tools that gives him immense ceiling, but he’ll have to get everything dialed in if he wants to ascend up the rankings like many think he can.
Outfielders
Yorger Bautista, Korbyn Dickerson, Jonny Farmelo, Carlos Jimenez, Lazaro Montes, Jared Sundstrom, Aiden Taurek
Both Montes and Farmelo have been atop prospect lists for several years now and feature immense potential, though neither seems all that likely to debut in the big leagues this year due to a variety of reasons. Farmelo has missed over a year and a half of his professional career due to injury and desperately needs reps to prove what he can do, and Montes, who’s performed well throughout his professional career, started to get exposed a bit in Double-A after a torrid start to his promotion. They both remain immense pieces to the future of this organization and will have every opportunity to keep their place near the top of our rankings.
A sleeper name to know, Aiden Taurek could not stop hitting last summer in Modesto and looks like a tough AB on pitchers. He’s an OBP first bat that could be an interesting name to follow in the AquaSox lineup.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaks to the media prior to a Spring Training game against the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch on March 18, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are 27 games into spring training, and the Dodgers have only two more days in Arizona before returning home to Southern California to finish off the exhibition slate against the Angels.
After witnessing — either from afar on television/radio, or in person — Dodgers-related things for the last five weeks, let’s look back on Cactus League play.
Today’s question is what was your favorite moment from 2026 spring training?
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 08: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. looks on during the MLB and the Dominican Baseball Federation announcement at the 2025 Winter Meetings at The Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek on Monday, December 8, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mary Holt/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
If you have been concerned that there are not enough ways in 2026 to gamble on Major League Baseball, then I have good news for you. MLB entered into a partnership with prediction market Polymarket, first reported by Ben Horney of Front Office Sports and then later announced by both organizations. Polymarket gains the right to use official logos and marks, while MLB is reported to receive somewhere between $150 million and $300 million a year from the prediction markets.
Prediction markets, which are a relatively new product but rapidly increasing in popularity and visibility, allow users to bet on a whole host of things, from who will win the Kansas City Royals home opener to whether Jesus Christ return before 2027? These bets happen against other users through the buying and selling of contracts, similar to how a stock exchange works, instead of betting against the house as you do in a casino. This difference currently allows the markets to be regulated at the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission instead of at the state level, where traditional gambling is regulated. Theoretically, this makes these markets legal nationwide, although that is currently being challenged in court.
Unsurprisingly, Evan Drellich of the Athletic wrote an excellent article about the partnership. His treatise included quotes from Ari Borod, Polymarket president of sports business, that I think are both very revealing and very frustrating to someone like me who is ready to go full Temperance Movement on legalized gambling.
Borod, as does MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, frames this partnership as a way to protect the integrity of the game and help catch bad actors. Borod explained this to Drellich, stating:
“We will work collaboratively with MLB to identify what types of markets pose unreasonable integrity risks for the game of baseball, and try to get those out of the market, with the goal being, how do you protect customers?
The phrase that really stood out to me is unreasonable integrity risk. I think this begs the question, what is a “reasonable” integrity risk? Integrity in the game of baseball is a fundamentally necessary component, at least for me, to continue investing my time and money into the Royals and other MLB teams. I don’t want there to be “reasonable” integrity risks that are not just tolerated, but actively in partnership with the league. I want the leaders of the sport to guard the integrity of the game of baseball like you would guard a nuclear power plant. You don’t want even reasonable risks to be involved where nuclear fallout could be the result of said risks going awry. I want the most reasonable risks and seemingly tolerable to be taken seriously and accounted for when the results of failure could be as spectacular and long-lasting for MLB as Chernobyl was for Ukraine.
Last season, prop bets, which are bets on micro events instead of the game at large, were considered reasonable enough to be legal, even encouraged, by MLB teams and their gambling partners. Then word leaked that Cleveland Guardians relievers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were being investigated and then indicted for allegedly rigging pitchers for financial gain. Clase and Ortiz have both said they are not guilty. Prosecutors for the case allege that Clase began this practice back in 2023, but Clase was not placed under investigation until 2025.
After the indictment, MLB and its gambling partners announced a $200 cap on prop bets, as well as forbidding the prop bets from being included in parlays. Parlays, which are a series of bets made at once that bring increased payouts if successful but fail if just one part of the bet doesn’t hit, are critically important to sports gambling companies’ bottom line. I think these steps are just a partial step towards what we need to do as a society, but I’m sure many people find them reasonable.
On one hand, I understand why MLB is attempting to get ahead of this and try to curb what contracts are allowed to be purchased. Pablo Torre recently aired an episode of his podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, about prediction markets titled “The Prop-Betification of Everything,” where he and author James Surowiecki discuss why prediction markets are useful tools, but also discuss the danger of turning anything that generates sufficient interest into a prop bet. If this went completely unchecked, we likely would see more incidents like Clase and Ortiz.
On the other hand, what if the very existence and popularity of sports gambling and prediction markets in particular are unreasonable risks to the integrity of the game? A key component of the Guardians’ pitcher scandal was essentially insider trading. Insiders, the pitchers themselves, knew that the pitch being thrown was going to be a ball because it was in their control. This ability to self-deal, allegedly for years, was critical to this scheme being pulled off.
Polymarket doesn’t explicitly ban insider trading, but has a broad ban on fraudulent bets. Borod paid lip service to avoiding props that have already proven to be a risk for the league, telling Drellich:
“I can’t share different specifics on parameters, but what I can share is that props that are easily susceptible to manipulation, or that, again, raise unreasonable integrity concerns, we want to keep those out of the game as well,”
Clearly, the phrase of the day is unreasonable integrity, but it’s a concern this time instead of a risk. Insider trading seems like it raises an unreasonable integrity concern, yet Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan apparently has a different perspective, viewing insider trading as a feature and not a bug. Here’s a summary of his point of view from a Forbes article about the topic:
Coplan has publicly supported the idea of using insider information to trade in prediction markets, framing “insider trading” in these markets as a public good that would enable the masses to get access to accurate information more quickly.
Insider trading is a key component to making these prediction markets as accurate as possible, yet it is also the very thing that makes them so susceptible to people with knowledge not available to the public enriching themselves at the expense of other people. Someone else and their money is at the other end of those contracts, not a massive entity like FanDuel or DraftKings.
The very existence of a market that, at the very least, implicitly encourages insider trading being allowed to carry MLB related product seems like an unreasonable integrity risk to me, no matter how much you try to police the worst elements of it. This seems like it’s going to end up in a whack-a-mole situation; another scandal will pop up around one of the products being offered, then there will be some change meant to address that specific product, rinse and repeat. How long until this process starts to completely erode public trust and start to hurt the bottom line in MLB remains to be seen. I would bet, however, you can wager on the outcome.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres throws a warm up toss during a Spring Training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Peoria Stadium on March 14, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this year, I tried to gauge how much the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) Challenge System’s introduction into the game would affect the value of the catcher position for the San Diego Padres.
Eventually I concluded with the idea that those who were elite with the system would be given more leeway to challenge (thereby having a much greater ability to influence the game).
Enter Freddy Fermin
Among qualified hitters (more than three plate appearances), Fermin has the highest batting average on the Padres. Through 12 contests this spring, the backstop has hit .412 with two home runs and 11 RBI.
That puts him with an OPS of 1.120. For reference, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge had a 1.145 OPS last season.
I’m not saying that Fermin can keep up that level of production at the major league level and compete with Judge. But it’s a great sign of his bat having life in it.
For someone the Friars paid an arm and a leg for, it’s great to see him produce. The hope, obviously, is that it’ll carry over to the regular season, and to the next two years of his contract.
Additional value in ABS
But going back to the new implementation of ABS. It’s been a storyline all offseason and will continue to be for most of this regular season with its introduction into MLB.
Fermin has heralded its entrance quite well, leading the league in challenge win rate (among catchers to call for at least 10 challenges) with 86 percent.
The closest one behind him is San Francisco Giants two-time Gold Glover Patrick Bailey (83%).
Fermin is due for a breakout year. It will be his first full season as the primary catcher for a club after serving as the backup behind Salvador Perez in Kansas City to start his career.
His emergence as a hitter and elite defender would go a long, long way toward winning games in San Diego. If this translates into the regular season, the Friars will have gotten a bargain with Fermin behind the dish.
SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 27: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Rod Mar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Morning everyone and welcome back to another beautiful Friday!
The A’s made the expected announcement late yesterday afternoon that staff leader Luis Severino will indeed get the ball for the Athletics on Opening Day in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays:
Luis Severino will start for the A’s in Toronto on Opening Day, per Mark Kotsay. This will be Severino’s second consecutive Opening Day start with the A’s and third overall.
This announcement comes as almost zero surprise. Severino is the unquestioned best option for the assignment and his salary matches that. The right-hander has only pitched in one spring contest for the A’s so far but he made three starts for the Dominican Republic recently, including two during the World Baseball Classic. In those contests he looked sharp, reaching 40, 60, and 68, with his final start coming against the United States in the semi-finals. The 32-year-old has pitched in tons of big games during his career and A’s fans are hoping he can be that guy for them soon.
Still, last year’s quick start on the first day of the long regular season did not portend to coming success. Instead Severino was a tale of two pitchers, struggling at home while thriving and looking every bit the part of the pitcher that the A’s gave a record-setting contract to. He definitely had his moments and hot streaks, but he also had some epic meltdowns as well. Severino ultimately made almost every start, save for a few near the end of the year when the season was already over. In his first year in the Green & Gold Severino finished with a 4.54 ERA across 29 starts, racking up a solid 2.5 WAR in the process.
This’ll be his second Opening Day start for the A’s in as many years, and third in his career after taking the ball for the New York Yankees back in 2018. In that start way back then, he pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball against…. the Toronto Blue Jays. And with the Athletics last year he also had a shutout appearance as he held down the Seattle Mariners to three hits over six strong innings of work. He’d end up not getting the well-deserved win that evening, and it wasn’t even a sign of things to come as Sevy had a roller coaster first year with the A’s.
The only other options the A’s could have been seriously considering were left-hander Jeffrey Springs (who is expected to get the ball for Game 2) or possibly Luis Morales. Springs on paper would seem like nearly as good a bet to get the Opening Day nod, but the lefty hasn’t had a good spring so far and notoriously got off to a horrible start to his season last year. Morales meanwhile is just barely not a rookie anymore after making 9 starts for the A’s down the final stretch last year. It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility after the A’s went with another inexperienced rookie in Kyle Muller just a couple of years ago, but with Morales’ lack of innings under his belt, not to mention experience, it would have been plain mean to send him into Toronto on Opening Day, against the defending American League Champions, no less.
Speaking of the Jays, Severino will have quite the challenge for him waiting north of the border. Though they lost star shortstop Bo Bichette this offseason this Jays offense is just as dangerous as the Athletics’ lineup. Anchored by likely future Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays also have star hitters like George Springer and Alejando Kirk, not to mention quality bats like Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger and brief-Athletic Ernie Clement. Oh, add in the wild card in Kazuma Okamoto the slugging third baseman from overseas. On the plus side for Severino, he’s done well against Toronto in his career (3.86 ERA in 16 starts), and add in that Vlad Jr., Kirk, Okamoto and Clement are right-handed hitters. So there’s that small advantage.
Wasn’t really a surprise but now we have it official. Who else is ready to see Severino shut down the defending AL Champions on their home turf next Friday? Something to get excited about! Have a good weekend A’s fans!
Watching the Phillies vs. Twins Spring breakout game & there have been no less than 56 “dings” or text alerts in 2minutes & I now understand the fury of the chat from the Live stream we did the other night with @baseballisdead_ . #KingDing
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 22: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates with Maikel Garcia #11 after they both scored against the Detroit Tigers on a double by Salvador Perez during the third inning at Comerica Park on August 22, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. Next up, a team that’s led by an MVP candidate.
What’s this team’s deal?
In 2024 the Royals bounced back from a 106-loss season to win 86 games and finish in second place in the AL Central. Those Royals would sweep their Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles before falling to the Yankees in the ALDS. It looked like a Kansas City miracle. 2025 would see a chunk of that progress fall back to earth. Regression to the mean comes for us all. But they still won 82 games last year.
This winter the Royals added outfielders Starling Marte and Lane Thomas. They’ll join top prospect Jac Caglianone in his sophomore season in the majors. Caglianone is fresh off a WBC run with Team Italy that saw him slash .286/.500/.571 with a home run and a K:BB of 4:5. Extreme sample and quality sizes abound with the WBC, but this is a guy who put up a OPS north of 1.000 in AAA. They’re expecting some runs like that mixed into a full season.
How good are they?
Bobby Witt Jr. was a superstar again and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. He was an All Star. He won a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. When you commit to essentially a forever deal with a player, that’s what you want to see.
KC also saw a breakout season for third baseman Maikel Garcia. He finished 14th in MVP voting, was an All Star, won a Silver Slugger, and earned himself an extension that runs at least through 2030. Oh yeah, he also won WBC MVP this week after Venezuela took the championship. From Opening Day 2025 to Opening Day 2026 he’s had a pretty good year.
Vinnie Pasquantino bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 season to play in 160 games last year, hitting .264/.323/.475 with a personal best 32 home runs. “Where’s the f’ing wine?“ indeed. Pasquatch looks ready to be the solid contributor at first base they need. Especially when he’s beaned up.
The starting rotation features Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Noah Cameron, and Kris Bubic. The Royals had one of the better rotations in the game last season by ERA and are set to do so again with this crew. Lugo and Wacha are in their mid-30s, but the other three are all under 30.
They acquired former Red Sox pitcher and Matt Strahm to shore up the bullpen.
You may remember Aaron Sanchez from his time on the Blue Jays a decade ago. Well, he’s in camp as a non-roster invitee and is still just 33 years old. Old friend John Schreiber is still there, too.
There are a lot of questions in the rotation — even if it can be good. The lineup is Witt, Pasquantino, Garcia, and Perez with maybe Caglianone joining them. They need a bounce-back season from Jonathan India.
The WBC featured a number of Royals across the teams in the tournament and there is talent here, but is there enough? Bobby Witt Jr. is still just one person in the lineup.
Who’s their most likeable player?
Most likeable isn’t always synonymous with best, but in this instance there’s a strong case for it. Bobby Witt Jr. is always playing hard out there and looks like he’s loving every second of it. How can you not root for that?
Who’s their least likeable player?
I almost want to say Salvador Perez because it feels like he’s always hitting against the Red Sox. As it turns out though, .276/.308/.483 isn’t his best split against a team. And his 16 homers are just second to teams not in the AL Central (he has 17 against the Yankees). That’s not really enough to override his general status as a catching legend. He’s been around so long he feels like a familiar opponent but without real hard feelings.
Michael Wacha, has, if anything, been a little worse for the Royals than he was in Boston, as his health and performance continue to fluctuate wildly.
Matt Strahm’s hair is just…scary.
Maybe this space gets filled by Jac Caglianone. Did you know that the C in Jac stands for Caglianone? His name is Jeffrey Allen Caglianone, but he goes by Jac, like a PIN Number. What are we even doing here?
Schedule against the Red Sox
The Red Sox will be in Kansas City May 18-20 and the Royals visit Fenway Park from September 11-13.
Season Prediction
With some health and progress from their younger players like Caglianone and Garcia — and in an AL Central that’s probably weak after the Tigers — they could bounce right back up to 84-85 wins. They can maybe even sneak into the division lead if things go wrong in Detroit and they flip Tarik Skubal this summer.
