Category: Baseball

When the Yankees gathered for spring training last season, they weren't sure what Giancarlo Stanton could phsically offer them. The veteran slugger immediately revealed he had bilateral tennis elbow, which forced him to miss weeks of camp and kept him on the injured list until mid-June.

It's been exactly one year since Stanton shared that news, and while careful treatment on his chronic elbows remains essential, he's entering his age-36 season with a clean bill of health and no restrictions to his activity levels.

"Ready to go. Ready for good work this spring and good build-up," Stanton said on Tuesday. "[The elbow pain isn't] going anywhere, there's always maintenance. But it didn't hinder me from any work, and that's what's most important. I feel good, I'm moving around well."

Just like last season, the Yankees aren't counting on Stanton to be an everyday player. He's their part-time designated hitter, and any level of production from him at the plate will be a welcomed sight -- this was even the case before 2025 started.

But the Yankees can still picture a world in which Stanton delivers quality at-bats and clutch power. After all, he slashed .273/.350/.594 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI in just 77 games last season. He also started 18 games in the outfield.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he isn't planning to play Stanton in early Grapefruit League games, but he's excited to see the former ALCS MVP return to action soon and make an impact when called upon.

"Good winter. He's always in good shape, but looks really good to me," Boone said. "Real lean, jumping in all the drills, ready to go right now. Feel like we're in a good spot with him... He's full-go and looks good to me."

Last September, Stanton became the 41st player in MLB history to register 450 career homers, and the fifth-fastest player to achieve the feat (1,719 games). He's also just the sixth player to hit No. 450 in pinstripes, and his current mark ranks highest among active hitters.

Stanton needs 47 more long balls to join the 500 homers club and make a compelling Hall of Fame case. But the milestone isn't a priority for him at the moment -- he's focused on hitting No. 454 first, and hopefully several more after that.

"Numbers like the next one and the next one are good for now," Stanton said. "Those numbers, like 500, it's the same as, we're going to win the World Series right now. You've got each day to do work and improve and do something positive. That's the way I'm looking at it."

Aaron Judge looks on as Giancarlo Stanton takes BP pic.twitter.com/sLHQ4PEk0w

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 16, 2026

PORT ST. LUCIE - Carson Benge knows all eyes are on him, in a sense, here in spring training. He’s not pretending that he’s unaware of the expectations, after David Stearns publicly left the door open for him to fill out the Mets’ starting outfield. 

But as a hitter who says he is best when he “keeps things simple,” Benge insists he’s not feeling the weight of those expectations as he tries to make the ballclub this spring in his second full professional season. 

“I need to be as free as possible, that’s when I’m at my best,” Benge told me me at his locker on Tuesday. “That’s how I’m going to approach it. If I don’t make it, I won’t be disappointed because it will mean I didn’t earn it. And that would light more of a fire for me to get to the big leagues.”

That’s probably exactly what the Mets’ brass, and fans as well, want to hear. Benge projects a casual confidence that is probably ideal in this situation, and though he doesn’t say it, you get the feeling speaking to him that he believes he’s ready for the big leagues. 

In that case, there’s a chance he’ll be the Nolan McLean of position-player prospects, adapt quickly at the big league level, and blossom into the impact hitter that could be something of a missing piece to the 2026 Mets’ offense. 

Which would be quite remarkable, if it happens, considering that like McLean, Benge was a two-way player at Oklahoma State, but unlike his teammate, chose hitting over pitching after being drafted by the Mets. 

McLean, for one, wouldn’t be surprised. 

“He’s a super-gifted player,” McLean said Tuesday. “I’ve pitched against him a bunch of times in workouts, in the pros and in college, and he’s a really tough out. He’s going to make you throw it in the zone. If you get him to chase you’ve really accomplished something.

“I always thought he’d eventually choose hitting over pitching just because he was so good. From the day he rolled in (at Oklahoma State) he had a knack for getting the barrel to the ball, which isn’t easy coming into a program at that level. He was a better hitter than I was.”

Benge, meanwhile, says much the same about McLean. 

“He could hit but I always felt he’d end up pitching,’’ he said. “You could see his stuff could play at the highest level.”

In fact, Benge says he’s never seen a pitcher spin the ball the way McLean can. 

“It’s gross,” he said with a laugh. 

As for himself, Benge says he was still largely undecided between pitching and hitting when he was drafted by the Mets as their first-round pick in 2024.

“I talked to the people in the Mets’ front office and they felt like I’d have a chance to get to the big leagues quicker as a position player than a pitcher. And I said, ‘I’m all for it.’“

Scouts say there never should have been much doubt.

"He’s a natural as a hitter,” said one scout who saw him at all three levels at which he played last season, from Class-A Brooklyn to Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. “He’s got a very advanced approach, as far as hitting the ball where it’s pitched and staying disciplined in the strike zone. That’s what allowed him to rise so quickly.”

Benge, meanwhile, smiled when asked about that advanced approach and said, “Honestly, I keep it simple. See the ball, hit the ball. And hit it hard.”

If that’s the case, it’s fair to wonder if he needs to make adjustments, considering he struggled at Triple-A after tearing it up in Single- and Double-A, hitting .178 in 24 games there.

Benge, however, makes the case that the numbers are deceiving.

“I felt like I was in a good spot there, seeing the ball well,” he said. “I felt I was putting some good swings on balls, but not as many dropped for me. That’s baseball.

“It was good to go through it, though. Everybody has to at some point. The only difference I noticed in the pitching there was that guys were better at hitting their spots. But I didn’t feel a stuff difference.”

One scout who saw Benge in Triple-A offered a reasonably similar assessment.

“He didn’t look overmatched when I saw him,” the scout said. “I saw him get pitched tough, maybe because he already had some hype around him. He probably got himself out a little more at that level because he was seeing guys command their off-speed stuff better. I saw some hard contact but I’d also say he could use a little more time there before he’s ready for the big leagues.’’

That’s a determination the Mets will make this spring training, depending on what Benge does in Grapefruit League games.

In the meantime, they’re taking out some insurance, signing veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman in a deal the club has yet to announce. It’s a smart move – they need a Plan B, since they can’t be sure about how Brett Baty will look in the outfield.

Still, you hear much the same evaluation of Benge from inside and outside the Mets’ organization.

As that same scout put it:

“If he’s not there in April, I’d make a big bet he’ll be there by June or July. He can really hit.”

After a weekend sweep of the UC-Davis Aggies, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns are back at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday to host the Lamar Cardinals looking to extend their series winning streak to six games.

Led by longtime head coach Will Davis, now in his ninth season with the Cardinals, Lamar enters Tuesday’s game at 2-1 on the season following a home series win over Oakland on opening weekend, missing a chance at a sweep because a 3-2 loss in 10 innings on Sunday.

Shortstop AJ Taylor is off to a hot start for the Cardinals at the plate, hitting .444 with two doubles against Oakland while second baseman Beau Durbin and center fielder Tab Tracy came up clutch with five RBI apiece.

The Lamar pitching staff held Oakland to a .204 batting average, but behind the plate Texas State transfer catch Theo Kummer had some issues controlling the base paths, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to steal five bases without throwing a runner out. And despite the poor batting average, Oakland recorded the only two home runs of the series.

Senior right-hander Blayne Fritcher, a reliever at McNeese last year, will receive the start for Lamar.

For Texas, sophomore right-hander Jason Flores is set to make the sixth start of his career after going 4-2 with a 2.78 ERA while holding opponents to a .205 batting average last season. Schlossnagle praised Flores’ maturation during the offseason, which helped him win a stiff competition to open the season as the midweek starter.

Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner also want to get a look at a number of young arms out of the bullpen on Tuesday with freshmen right-handers Brett Crossland, Sam Cozart, and Brody Walls all expected to make their collegiate debuts after strong starting pitching to only use five relievers in the weekend sweep of UC-Davis.

The Longhorns want to get some players going at the plate, too, like junior catcher Carson Tinney, who was able to draw seven walks, but only had one hit in six at bats. While Schlossnagle appreciates Tinney’s ability to work deep in counts, he also wants the powerful Notre Dame transfer to be more aggressive attacking early strikes.

“He’s a good baseball player, and the hitting stuff is going to come around,” Schlossnagle said on Monday. “He’s going to constantly be earmarked as the guy that has to be pitched to in a certain way and pitched to carefully, which is why we need somebody around him to maybe even get some pitches to hit.”

In the weekend batting order, that player was junior first baseman Casey Borba, who has started the season 2-for-11 (.182) because he’s narrowly missed multiple home runs that were pulled foul and had another big swing that resulted in a ball hit well to center field that he just got under.

First pitch is at 5 p.m. Central on SEC Network+.

Looking to give him more chances to play, the A’s are reportedly set to get second baseman Zack Gelof some time on the grass this spring in an effort to boost his versatility.

Which makes sense! Offseason acquisition Jeff McNeil looks like he’ll be getting the majority of the reps at second base (with an occasional appearance at third in the cards as well). That means unless Gelof is hoping for an injury, he’s not going to be lining up at his primary position anytime soon.

In the majors second base is the only position Gelof has played. He did begin his professional career as a third baseman so he has some experience there in the minor leagues. While the A’s are still unsettled at the hot corner he hasn’t gotten meaningful playing time at the position since ‘22.

Getting him some reps at the hot corner this spring seemed like a no-brainer entering camp but the A’s are apparently thinking bigger than that. With the recent departure of Max Schuemann the A’s don’t have a super-utility player on their roster. If the A’s can add some outfield (namely center field) to Gelof’s bag of tools that makes the Athletics’ roster all the more flexible. It’d also add another layer of security in case a younger guy like Colby Thomas, Carlos Cortes or Junior Perez isn’t ready for a part-time role.

Several players have made a successful conversion from the dirt to the grass in recent years, most recently the Padres’ Jackson Merrill (formerly a shortstop, now an elite center fielder) and our very own Tyler Soderstrom (once a catcher, then a first baseman, now a Gold Glove finalist in left field). The Diamondbacks are attempting a position switch with their own prized infield prospect as well, getting shortstop Jordan Lawler reps in center field this spring. Lawler and Merrill are fast guys but Gelof’s no slouch himself, swiping 25 bags just two years ago.

The transition that Gelof is going to attempt to make has been done in the past, and Gelof is enough of an athlete that he should be able to handle himself decently well as he gets used to an unfamiliar position. How well he hits will be the ultimate factor in how long he holds a roster spot but adding more positions other than second base can only help boost his value to the club this coming season.

So how do you guys think the Gelof-to-the-outfield experiment will work? Discuss and debate below in the comments!

Something vaguely resembling a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game will occur on Saturday. Until then, we’re in grainy cell phone video of batting practice land. I’ve actually never been to the Jays’ spring training home in in Dunedin (the Cactus League in and around Phoenix is much more accessible from here in Calgary), but I know a lot of our commenters have and I’m sure a few are planning to check it out this year.

Given that, I thought today I’d open things up for a bit of an advice thread. For those of you who’ve gone down to Florida, do you have any advice about where to stay, what to eat, where to sit in the stadium? And anybody considering going down this spring, what would help you to plan your trip? Let’s try to share some info and make sure anyone flying down this year has as much fun as possible.

The Dodgers on Tuesday announced the broadcast schedule for spring training, with 29 of 31 exhibition games televised by SportsNet LA, plus an extra game that serves as a tuneup for the World Baseball Classic.

The Dodgers begin their spring training schedule this Saturday against the Angels in Tempe.

The only two Cactus League games not televised by SportsNet LA are on split-squad days. On Saturday, February 28, the Dodgers will televise their game against the Cubs at Camelback Ranch, while their game in Surprise against the Rangers won’t be televised. Same for Sunday, March 15, with the home game against the Rangers on TV locally, but their road game in Mesa against the Cubs not on SportsNet LA. That March 15 Dodgers-Cubs game will be televised by the Marquee Sports Network, which means that Cubs broadcast will be available to watch on MLBtv.

SportsNet LA will also televise the Dodgers’ exhibition game on Wednesday, March 4 against Team Mexico in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

Tim Neverett and Rick Monday are back for the television call for the Dodgers games in Arizona. For the exhibition Freeway Series against the Angels from March 22-24 in Southern California, Stephen Nelson will call play-by-play for SportsNet LA.

The Dodgers-Reds game on March 5 will also be televised by ESPN, a non-exclusive broadcast. Same for March 23 against the Angels from Dodger Stadium, but streamed on ESPN Unlimited.

AM 570 will simulcast the SportsNet LA call for 17 spring training games. KTNQ 1020 AM will broadcast eight games from spring training, with José Mota and Luis Cruz on the Spanish-language call for the first five games in the Cactus League as well as the three Freeway Series games in Southern California.

Date	Opponent	Time (PT)	TV	Radio
Sat, Feb 21	at Angels	12:10 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ
Sun, Feb 22	at Padres	12:10 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ
Mon, Feb 23	Mariners	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ
Tue, Feb 24	Guardians	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	KTNQ
Wed, Feb 25	at D-backs	12:10 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ
Thu, Feb 26	White Sox	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Fri, Feb 27	at Giants	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sat, Feb 28	Cubs (ss)	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sat, Feb 28	at Rangers (ss)	12:05 p.m.	none	none
Sun, Mar 1	Angels	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Mon, Mar 2	at Rockies	12:10 p.m.	SNLA	none
Tue, Mar 3	at Guardians	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Wed, Mar 4	Mexico (WBC prep)	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Thu, Mar 5	at Reds	12:05 p.m.	SNLA, ESPN	none
Fri, Mar 6	Royals	5:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Sat, Mar 7	Rockies	5:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sun, Mar 8	at A’s	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Mon, Mar 9	at Brewers	1:10 p.m.	SNLA	none
Tue, Mar 10	D-backs	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Thu, Mar 12	Reds	6:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Fri, Mar 13	at Mariners	6:10 p.m.	SNLA	none
Sat, Mar 14	at White Sox	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sun, Mar 15	Rangers (ss)	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sun, Mar 15	at Cubs (ss)	1:05 p.m.	Marquee (Cubs)	none
Mon, Mar 16	Brewers	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Tue, Mar 17	at Royals	6:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Wed, Mar 18	Giants	1:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Fri, Mar 20	Padres	6:05 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570
Sat, Mar 21	A’s	12:05 p.m.	SNLA	none
Sun, Mar 22	at Angels (Anaheim)	6:07 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ
Mon, Mar 23	Angels (LA)	6:10 p.m.	SNLA, ESPN Unlimited	AM 570, KTNQ
Tue, Mar 24	Angels (LA)	5:10 p.m.	SNLA	AM 570, KTNQ

From one side of the rivalry to the other.

Maybe.

Walker Buehler agreed to a minor league deal with the Padres, hoping to make their Opening Day roster the rotation as a starter.

“It’s a really good opportunity to be a part of a talented ball club and looking forward to seeing what we can make of it,” he told reporters in Arizona on Tuesday morning while donning the brown and yellow Padres colors for the first time. “I think it’s the way I’ve viewed every spring, come in and try and make the team, contribute anyway I can. Obviously I’m a starter and want to start so here to try and make the rotation.”

It’s been a far fall from grace for the 31-year-old Buehler.

He was widely regarded as one of the better pitchers in baseball during his early years in Los Angeles, winning the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers while being named a two-time All-Star and having two top-10 finishes in Cy Young voting.

But injuries have greatly derailed his career.

He had Tommy John surgery in 2022, resulting in him missing the entire 2023 season. He returned in 2024 with the Dodgers but looked far from who he was pre-surgery. He posted a 5.38 ERA in 16 appearances, though he did close out the 2024 World Series against the Yankees.

He spent the majority of 2025 with the Red Sox, posting a 7-7 record and 5.45 ERA before he was designated for assignment.

The Phillies took a chance on Buehler late last season and he rewarded them with his best stretch of games since his early career years with the Dodgers. He went 3-0 in three appearances with a 0.66 ERA.

“I liked a lot of the stuff I was working on in Philadelphia, just kept throwing and working through some stuff,” he said. “I feel like the delivery is a lot closer to what it was kind of pre-’22. I threw the ball well over there, and getting the velocity back as well as the delivery has kind of been the big thing. The second half of last year was relatively successful compared to the first half.”

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Finally gaining some momentum going into this season after the way last year ended, Buehler tried to capitalize on that momentum by making small changes to his offseason program.

“My elbow and my body have kind of been through some stuff,” he said. “I kind of took a different approach and moved out here for the offseason, then got my body in a little better spot.”

Obviously there’s some stuff we want to build on there and get some of the velocity, the explosiveness, whatever you want to call it, back. But I took this offseason just a little bit different and I feel like it’s worked out well.”

Buehler’s signing comes at an ideal time for the Padres as they’re dealing with rotation issues heading into spring training in Arizona.

The Padres have a top three of Nick Pivetta, last year’s breakout star, Michael King, who signed a three-year, $25 million deal to return to the Padres after injuries limited him to 15 starts last season, and Joe Musgrove, who’s coming off Tommy John surgery. But the cupboard is pretty bare after that.

Randy Vásquez has the inside track on one of the final two spots in the rotation.

Yu Darvish, a staple of the San Diego rotation over the past five seasons, had elbow surgery in October and is out for the season. Other options include Kyle Hart and JP Sears.

Enter Buehler.

He’ll be awarded every opportunity to earn a spot in the Padres rotation. And if so, maybe he’ll open up about being on the other side of one of baseball’s best rivalries.

“Yeah it feels a little weird … obviously some familiarity with the division,” he said with a laugh. “I imagine five years ago it would’ve been a lot more weird but, this is a crazy game and this is a great opportunity for me to again be a part of a really talented baseball club. It’s what I’m here to do.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media following Tuesday's workouts in Tampa…

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Cam Schlitter back on the mound

The lack of concern the Yankees expressed over Schlittler's mid-back inflammation was validated on Tuesday, as the right-hander returned to the bullpen mound in Tampa for the first time since being slowed down late last week.

Schlittler, whose minor back-lat issue emerged a few weeks ago, was limited to flat ground throwing over the weekend. But the 25-year-old's precautionary break from mound work has ended, and the Yanks don't believe the interruption to his program put him behind schedule for Opening Day.

"Went good. Something we weren't overly concerned about, just being where we are in the calendar," manager Aaron Boone said. "Just wanted to make sure it didn't turn into something bigger. Everything went well, accordingly. Keep moving forward."

The Yankees are relying on Schlitter to be a rotation mainstay, considering their regular season will start with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt on the injured list.

Schlittler, who made his big league debut last summer, registered a laudable 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts across 14 starts (73.0 innings). He delivered his most impressive performance in the AL Wild Card Series, when he punched out 12 in an eight-inning shutout over the Red Sox.

All Jazz'd Up

While the offseason trade rumors involving Jazz Chisholm Jr. never intensified, his long-term value to New York became a hot topic of conversation.

The veteran infielder, who avoided arbitration with a $10.2 million deal for 2026, is currently slated to test free agency next winter. Chisholm hopes his career continues in pinstripes, even though the status of extension talks is unclear.

When asked about Chisholm's mindset entering a contract year, Boone sounded extremely confident in the reigning Silver Slugger embracing team and personal expectations without any hitches.

"I feel like he's in a really good frame of mind. He's incredibly confident, for good reason, in his ability to go out there," Boone said. "If he goes out there, goes to the post and does his thing, and hopefully keeps improving his game, he's going to put himself in a real good position."

Chisholm is coming off a highlight 2025 season, in which he slashed .242/.332/.481 with a career-high 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 130 games. He finished as one of just seven players to produce a 30-30 campaign.

Boone chuckled when he heard Chisholm's latest goal is to achieve a 50-50 season, but he tried his best not to rule out the two-time All-Star's lofty plan.

"We'll be in a good spot if he does," Boone said with a smile. "It's hard to put a ceiling on him. He went 30-30 last year and missed a month and didn't run for two months. He's capable of some special things between the lines."

Grapefruit League opener revealed

While there was some speculation on rising prospect Carlos Lagrange starting the Grapefruit League opener, Boone announced Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz will get the ball on Friday against the Orioles in Sarasota.

Rodríguez-Cruz, named the Yankees' Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 by Baseball America, registered a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts across three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In 2025 the starting pitching was a bright spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with 2025 CY young winner Paul Skenes being the headliner and with young pitchers looking to make an impact, the starting pitching could be a force again in 2026.

Skenes is coming off a really strong 2025 season, finishing with a 10-10 record, a 1.97 ERA which led the league, 216 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP over 32 starts (187.2 innings). He also set the franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher. The Cy Young winner will be the face of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation and the clear top guy. The ace is going into his third season with the Buccos with a lot of people expecting him to continue his dominance and to continue to prove that he is one of if not the best pitcher in the league right now. 

 There is also Mitch Keller who is looking like he is going to be the second guy after Skenes in the rotation. Keller posted a 6-15 record, but that is deceiving. The right-handed pitcher had 4.19 ERA and 150 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.26. Those aren’t terrible stats for Keller, as he struggled with getting run support in his starts. Now those stats don’t match up to what he did in his breakout 2023 season, where he went 13-9 and had 210 strikeouts. Now Keller’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors, but nothing came from that, so expect him to be a big part of this team to start the season.

Another young pitcher who has a clear path to a rotation spot is Bubba Chandler. Chandler is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball right now. He had a 4.05 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate, 0.72 HR/9, and 12% walk rate at Triple-A Indianapolis last season. The Pirates called him up towards the end of last season but in a reliever role where he threw for 31.1 innings and had a 4.02 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 1 save. The young prospect is expected to be thrown into a starting role this year instead of a relief role, and he is expected to make a serious impact with Keller and Skenes.    

Braxton Ashcraft will look to build upon a strong rookie season last year. The 26-year-old took the mound 26 times with eight starts and went 4-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 69.2 innings. Ashcraft will likely receive an extended workload and be the fourth or third guy in the starting rotation. Although the Pirates will need to be cautious given his injury history.

Right now it looks like the final spot in the rotation will go to either Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington, José Urquidy or Mike Clevinger. Barco is a top 100 prospect who made his debut at the end of the season, where he played 2 games, struck out 3 and got a win. Harrington also made his debut last season, but he struggled, allowing 15 runs and 18 hits in three games pitched, but is still considered a quality prospect with a lot of potential.

Urquidy recently agreed to a one-year deal. The veteran has had some injuries in the past but was a really solid pitcher early in his career, and him now being healthy should be a good pickup for Pittsburgh. Clevinger joined the club as a non-roster invitee with him being a younger player there is a lot of potential surrounding him as well. 

Jared Jones is also expected to be back for Pittsburgh a little later in the season, as he is recovering for his injury. Jones missed the entire 2025 season but put up a solid number in 2024 with a 6-8 record. He also had a 4.14 ERA, with 132 Strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.19. 

To start the season, I think the starting pitching rotation will be Skenes, Keller, Chandler, Ashcraft and Urquidy. Which is going to be a dangerous rotation and arguably the best rotation in the National League Central.

With a healthy Jared Jones, Pittsburgh is expected to have one of the top starting pitching rotations for the 2026 season. Overall, the starting rotation looks like it will once again be a huge strength of the team. 

Yesterday, Fangraphs released their top 100 prospect rankings. It is always interesting to see their rankings because they are not afraid to go against the grain. Eric Longenhagen always does a great job over there. At least when it came to Nats prospects, there were not any massive surprises. Eli Willits was ranked as the 15th prospect, Jarlin Susana was 29th, Harry Ford was 74th and Travis Sykora was one of the next 10 at 109th.

2026 Top 100 Prospects https://t.co/SRSf58uzM0

— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) February 16, 2026

I wanted to dive into his rankings and talk a bit about his writeups as well. Before I get started though, I wanted to mention that Longenhagen’s praise of number one prospect Konnor Griffin was unlike anything I have ever seen from him before. He said that Paul Skenes could be the Pirates second best player before too long and Griffin could leave a legacy like Mean Joe Greene in Pittsburgh if he sticks around. High praise from a publication that is usually on the conservative side when ranking prospects.

Back to the Nats, Eli Willits was unsurprisingly the team’s top prospect according to Fangraphs. He was the number one overall pick in the 2025 draft and had a very impressive pro debut as a 17 year old. 

the moment @EliWillits became the youngest #1 pick in MLB history pic.twitter.com/gKwJbhUQZi

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 13, 2025

Longenhagen gave Willits 60 grades for his hit tool, his defense and his running. That is a very strong foundation to build on. Despite Willits not hitting for power in his pro debut, Fangraphs still projects him to have fringe average power. Longenhagen said it is easy to project that Willits will add strength to his frame. Based on the photos we have seen this spring, it looks like he has already done that.

However, Longenhagen also does not want Willits to get too big because his fluidity is a big part of his game. Interestingly, he said that Willits’ swing reminds him of Colt Emerson’s coming out of the draft. Now, Emerson is Fangraphs 11th ranked prospect and is the shortstop of the future for the Mariners. Willits is the highest ranked player from the 2025 class, and 32 spots ahead of Ethan Holliday.

Fangraphs and Longenhagen have been high on Jarlin Susana for years now. With that in mind, it is not surprising to see him rank 29th on their list. Logenhagen just can’t quit Susana’s off the charts stuff. Even with control questions and an injury that will keep him out until midseason, Susana is still in the top 30.

He has always gushed about Susana’s slider. In this write-up, he called it one of the nastiest pitches on the planet. Longenhagen compared it to Brad Lidge’s slider, only Susana’s is harder. He gave the pitch an 80 grade. Here is a look at that slider in action against a stacked Double-A Erie lineup.

13 STRIKEOUTS for Jarlin Susana in just 5.0 innings of work (2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB) 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/VH3viG25Xj

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 20, 2025

While Fangraphs views the slider as Susana’s best pitch, let’s not forget that this guy sits at 100 MPH. He can even touch 104 MPH on the heater. Before Susana got hurt last year, the command was showing signs of improvement. If that is even average, Susana can be an ace. 

As long as he is healthy, the worst case for Susana seems to be him becoming a lights out bullpen arm. The fastball-slider combination is reminiscent of Mason Miller. I would love for Susana to be a starter, but a dominant closer is not a bad contingency plan.

Harry Ford is the only prospect the Nats acquired this offseason in Fangraphs top 100, and he ranks 75th. The Nats picked him up from the Mariners in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer. Ford has been known for a long time, but was blocked in Seattle due to Cal Raleigh.

harry ford season 1 teaser trailer pic.twitter.com/hYx4m3zhJv

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 13, 2026

Longenhagen gave all five of Ford’s tools an average grade. However, he noted that Ford’s excellent plate discipline could allow his average power and hitting ability to play up. Some scouts are low on Ford’s defense, but Fangraphs projects it to become average.

They noted that Ford has slowly but steadily improved his defensive game over the years. His framing went from bad to mediocre. He has also gotten better controlling the running game over the years. Ford’s athletic ability has always made him very good at things like popping out of his stance for dribblers and other quick reaction plays. He also totally eliminated his passed ball problem.

Overall, Fangraphs views Ford as a solid prospect, but not an elite one. They think he is a very smart pickup for the Nats and has a good shot of being a quality starting catcher. However, the lack of a clear above average tool does worry them a bit.

While Travis Sykora is not in the top 100, Fangraphs did rank an additional 10 prospects and had him at 109th. If not for the Tommy John Surgery that will cost him this season, Sykora would have likely been a top 50 prospect. He is already on the road to recovery though and has started doing some light throwing this spring.

Looks like Washington Nationals Pitching prospect Travis Sykora is working his way back from TJ and he is at long tossing! @RyanShenker | @TheFutureNatspic.twitter.com/12tDBAThmj

— TheNatsReport 🇺🇸 ⚾ (@TheNatsReport) February 17, 2026

Longenhagen’s assessment of Sykora was pretty glowing. He mentioned that Sykora’s velocity was up from 2024 to 2025. That was probably due to him feeling better after his hip surgery in the 2024 offseason. He was averaging 96 MPH on his heater and could run it up to triple digits. 

Fangraphs sees Sykora as a complete pitcher, not just a flamethrower. They project his slider and splitter to be plus pitches. Also, they gave his command an above average projection. Sykora’s funky release traits, feel for pitching and raw power just overwhelmed lower level hitters.

Longenhagen also described Sykora as an articulate kid who wants to know the ‘why’ not just the what. That mental game could help Sykora reach that top of the rotation upside once he gets back on the mound.

Based on the writeup, Sykora seems like a prospect you can fast-track once he gets back from injury, assuming the health checks out. He already has a coherent arsenal, top tier velocity and a feel for pitching. At the end, he noted this injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Nats because Sykora’s service time window will now line up perfectly with the Nats new contention window.

Gavin Fien did not make the list, which was not overly surprising to me. Longenhagen really values swing mechanics, and Fien does not have the cleanest looking swing. However, if Fien performs to start the year, he will force his way on to the list.

The Nats are a farm system on the rise, and I think Fangraphs is starting to realize that. Right now the Nats may only have three players in the top 100. However, I think there could be double the number next year.

Voting for the final spot in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings was neck and neck, with both Ricky Cabrera and Mason Neville, at times, leading the voting. But when the clock expired at the arbitrary time that I enforced, it was Cabrera who was six votes ahead for spot #20 on the list.

A quick glance at the back of Cabrera’s baseball card would make the casual observer wonder what the heck he’d done to earn that ranking. His 2025 season was a nightmare as he hit just .187/.276/.240 in 21 games with High-A Dayton before a knee injury ended his season. However, he’s not too far removed from a 2024 campaign that saw him rank among the Top 10 in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in homers (11, 9th), doubles (22, t-4th), and hits (102, 3rd), and he did that while being both just 19 years old and swiping 19 bags, too.

April in Dayton in 2025 was also his first stint playing baseball in cold weather, the Venezuela native having spend his pro career prior to that in the Dominican Summer League, Arizona Complex League, and with Daytona down in Florida. In other words, he didn’t even stay healthy long enough for the weather to turn into a more friendly environment.

He’s got potential plus power and potential plus speed, or at least he did prior to the knee injury. The excuses, though, are probably going to need to stop in 2026 as his play will need to catch up with the immense talent that he possesses. If it does, though, there’s still a very real chance that Cabrera can evolve into a bat-first 3B with enough talent to get to the bigs.

He’s the #20 prospect in this year’s CPR, earning the final spot on the list.

Today we look atthe Cubs young second baseman, who is in the utility infielder derby this spring.

23-year-old James Douglas Triantos has dealt with high expectations since he was drafted by the Cubs in the second round in 2021, and had some immediate success, hitting .327 in the Rookie League and following that up with a .272/.335/.386 campaign in A ball and moving up smoothly through the various minor leagues, ending up in Triple-A last year, where his numbers were a little down. Still, he boasts a lifetime .282/.341/.405 line for his MiLB career so far, with a good number of doubles accounting for his SLG. He’s going to be a 10-15 homer man in MLB if he plays full-time, but his power is probably going to project further.

He’s not likely to average .258 in Triple A this year. He’s a better player than that.

His glove is decent. Good but not great, for sure. Perfectly adequate. He can swipe some bags. He doesn’t make many errors. His tools are good enough that he has played a bit of LF/CF, a lot of third base, and a bit of shortstop.

He’s been a Top 100 prospect for a good bit, though he was off the list this year based on the substandard 2025 results. But writers seem to think he just needs time before he’s a major-league player.

He seems a likable young man with a good eye for a fastball. The Cubs put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so the organization clearly values the player. 2027 might be the year he breaks into The Show. 95 probably won’t be his number then.

This week, Jake, Gabe, and Scott talk to one of the last remaining beat writers left covering the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat (@jmjones) is currently in Jupiter, Florida, obtaining minute-by-minute accounts of players as they prepare for the 2026 MLB season.

We cover topics like Jeff’s recent story about 6 Cardinals players getting engaged this offseason as a Valentine’s Day relevant topic, the Cardinals’ spring battles, and how Jeff sees certain areas of the roster shaking out, Chaim Bloom’s first offseason leading the Cardinals, and the current state of local news coverage and what the future might look like for coverage.

Next week, we will be joined by a pair of new guests: Nate Heininger and Ben Smorka of the “Talking About Birds” podcast. If you have never heard of or listened to their show, they are cousins who combine comedy and everyday topics with Cardinals baseball and even play fun games at the end of their episodes, usually involving some sort of trivia or cheesy idea Nate has concocted that is making Ben shake his head in frustration or disbelief. They’re a very Abbot and Costello-style comedy duo that also combines analytics and Cardinals baseball, and they will join us next week.

-Thanks for listening

For the third year running, Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels opened their season with a sweep at Boshamer Stadium, this one coming against Indiana. Each game was different from the rest, and we got a pretty good look at a lot of the guys, new and old, who are going to feature heavily for this team as the season continues.

The Friday game followed a pretty familiar script to UNC fans who watched a lot of last season. For four and a half innings, both starting pitchers stymied the opposing lineups. Jason DeCaro went 5.0 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and walking 3 while striking out 7. His counterpart, Tony Neubeck, threw 4 scoreless innings, with just one hit and 3 walks to 2 strikeouts. He was pulled after 62 pitches and UNC jumped on his replacement, Reagan Rivera. In the fifth, the Heels got 3 of the first 4 men on base via two singles and a walk before a Jake Schaffner sac fly opened the scoring and a Gavin Gallaher triple on the next at-bat brought in two more runs. Indiana scratched back with a two-run 6th against Caden Glauber, who came in to replace DeCaro. Glauber is a freshman that Forbes has been talking about as somebody who will contribute a lot of innings this year like Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie did last year, but he didn’t have as auspicious a debut as either. He showed some real stuff, running the fastball up to 96 with good movement, but struggled to throw strikes. He walked the bases full around two outs before giving up a 2-run single. After Walker McDuffie recorded the 3rd out of the inning, the Heels struck back, putting together a 6-spot in the bottom of the sixth that put the game away. It started by taking advantages of some Indiana mistakes before extra-base hits from Tyler Howe, Colin Hynek, and Jake Schaffner finished the job, making the score 9-2.

From there, the big story was Boston Flannery, who came in to begin the 7th. The highly-recruited Flannery had thrown just 6 innings the last two years and had struggled to throw strikes in all his previous appearances, but there had been talk out of the program that he had turned a corner and was ready to be a contributor. Indeed, he looked by far the best he ever has in Tar Heel blue. He finished with a line of 2.1 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, and 0 ER, though Indiana did get across two runs in the 9th thanks to an error in the field.

The other two games were played as a doubleheader on Saturday, and they were wildly different both from Friday’s game and from each other. The first started with a little more action than Friday’s, with Jake Schaffner leading off for UNC with a single, stealing second, and eventually coming around to score on an Erik Paulsen single. On the other side, Folger Boaz looked nigh unhittable for 2 innings before giving up an equalizing run in the 3rd via a hit batter and a double. He bounced back, though, and ended with a line of 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 6 K, 2 BB, and one hit batter. The Heels again took the lead in the 5th via an Erik Paulsen 3-run home run, the Heels’ first of the year, and again sealed it with a six-run 6th that featured runs coming in via HBP, walk, and fielding error. A Rom Kellis double and another error in the field for the Hoosiers in the 7th were enough to give UNC a run-rule victory, 12-2.

Indiana finally took a lead in the first inning of the second leg, getting a couple of singles off Ryan Lynch and manufacturing a run. It didn’t last very long, as the Heels got one back in the 2nd on a Tyler Howe single. That could have been a bigger inning, as the Heels had the bases loaded with one out, but failed to capitalize in what was a microcosm of the game for UNC. Lynch settled in and spun a pretty similar start to his fellow starters: 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, but his offense didn’t give him any run support, stranding runners nearly every inning. Glauber got another opportunity after Lynch and got out of the 6th quickly before getting in trouble again in the 7th with two 2-out walks. That high-leverage situation got us our first look at Matthew Matthijs since his season-ending injury last year, and he induced a ground ball that should have ended the inning if not for a throwing error from Schaffner. The Hoosiers made good on their lifeline with a 2-run single that gave them a 3-1 lead before Matthijs got out of the inning. He retired the next 6 batters he faced, giving his team a chance, and after a 1-2-3 8th, the Heels got the first 2 batters on in the 9th. Owen Hull nearly walked it off with a fly ball to center, but Boshamer Stadium just held it in, and Macon Winslow hit a soft fly ball to short, putting the pressure on pinch hitter Lee Sowers to bring his teammates home. What happened next, well…

Bonus baseball at the Bosh 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/PywH6xay1upic.twitter.com/uhmL5RrcQ3

— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) February 14, 2026

After the way last season ended, I’m sure UNC fans are more than sympathetic to something like this. UNC tied the game on that error but couldn’t scratch the last run over, and the game went to extras. The Heels shut down the Hoosiers in the 10th and loaded the bases with 2 outs, but couldn’t get over the hump, then retired Indiana in short order again in the 11th. Macon Winslow came up to lead off the bottom of the inning and walked it off with a homer off the scoreboard, his first as a Tar Heel. The Heels finished the game having stranded 15 runners and batting 2/17 with runners in scoring position, but they did end up with the sweep. I suppose it’s good that they already had the series won, so that botched throw to first doesn’t end up meaning too much for either team in the bigger picture.

UNC plays two midweek games for each of their first three weeks of the schedule. This week, they’ll host Richmond on Tuesday and Longwood on Wednesday before their yearly home/neutral/away series against ECU this upcoming weekend. Kyle Percival, who did not throw against Indiana, will start Tuesday’s game, while Wednesday’s starter has not yet been announced.

Batting Leaders (among players with 2 PA/game and 75% of games played)

• Batting Average: C/DH Colin Hynek, .500
• On-Base Percentage: Hynek, .615
• Slugging Percentage: Hynek, .800
• Home Runs: C/DH Macon Winslow and 1B Erik Paulsen, 1
• Runs Batted In: Paulsen, 5
• Hits: Hynek and SS Jake Schaffner, 5
• Runs: Winslow and 3B Cooper Nicholson, 4
• Stolen Bases: Hynek and Schaffner, 1

Pitching Leaders (in the future, this will be among players with 1 IP/game; for now, I’ll set the line at 2 IP)

• ERA: Jason DeCaro, Boston Flannery, and Matthew Matthijs, 0.00
• Strikeouts: DeCaro, 7
• Innings Pitched: DeCaro, Folger Boaz, and Ryan Lynch, 5.0
• Wins: DeCaro and Boaz, 1
• Saves: none
• Batting Average Against: Matthijs and Flannery, .111