CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 14: A detail photo of the Spring Breakout 2025 patch on the hat of Aroon Escobar #13 of the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball Prospectus was the latest publication to put out their top 100 prospects list yesterday, only they continue to march to their own beat and gave us 101 names. The Phillies figured rather prominently, placing five names in the list this year.
13 – Aidan Miller 51 – Andrew Painter 77 – Gage Wood 78 – Aroon Escobar 98 – Justin Crawford
The writers there have always been down on Crawford, so his ranking that low should be no surprise to people that frequent that site. Seeing Escobar on that list furthers at least my opinion that keeping him around might be more prudent than using him as a major trade piece when further major league reinforcements are needed. Painter dropping that low from his previously lofty perch might be alarming, but maybe shouldn’t. He didn’t have a good 2025.
So, it’s nice that the team has this many prospects that are nationally recognized, but once three of them graduate to the majors this year, things might get a bit dicier.
On January 21, 2026, Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. This list, and their place on it, was compiled back in late-November. For continuity’s sake, I decided upon including Williams and Sproat’s profile, but for all intents and purposes, every player on our list below the pair can be considered to have moved up, with the addition of prospects 26 and 27 effectively becoming 24 and 25.
Marco Vargas was signed by the Miami Marlins on May 25, 2022, the day before his 17th birthday, agreeing to terms in exchange for a $17,500 signing bonus. Three weeks later, the Chihuahua, Mexico native was assigned to the Dominican Summer League, where he appeared in 53 games for the DSL Miami squad. Vargas won team MVP honors, hitting .319/.421/.456 with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts, and 35 walks to 32 strikeouts. He was sent stateside for the 2023 season and was assigned to the FCL Marlins, Miami’s Florida Complex League team. Appearing in 33 games for them, the infielder hit .283/.457/.442 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 38 walks to 22 strikeouts.
Overview
Name: Marco Vargas Position: INF Born: 05/14/2005 (Age 21 season in 2026) Height: 5’11” Weight: 170 lbs. Bats/Throws: L/R Acquired: Trade (July 28, 2023: Traded by the Miami Marlins with Ronald Hernandez to the New York Mets for David Robertson)
On July 28, 2023, Florida packaged Vargas along with catcher Ronald Hernandez and traded them the Mets in exchange for veteran reliever David Robertson. Vargas remained in the FCL, now with the FCL Mets, and hit .234/.368/.298 in 15 games with them, knocking 3 more doubles, stealing 2 more bases, and drawing 10 walks to 9 strikeouts. At the end of August, he was promoted to Single-A St. Lucie and appeared in 6 games for them, going 8-26 with no extra base hits, 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and drawing 5 walks to 7 strikeouts. All in all, he spent the majority of his season in the Florida Complex League and hit an outstanding .269/.431/.398 in 49 games for the FCL Marlins and FCL Mets, with 14 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and 48 walks to 33 strikeouts
That winter, he was ranked 8th on the 2024 Amazin Avenue’ Top 25 Prospect list. He began the year with St. Lucie got only got sporadic playing time in April thanks to an injury. He was placed on the injured list at the end of the month and activated after the minimum seven days. He got into a handful of games and was placed back on the injured list. In total, he was placed on the injured list four different times throughout the year, it later being revealed that he was dealing with wrist tendonitis. All in all, he only played 37 games in 2024, most coming during a stretch of play in May and in August/September and hit.208/.369/.239 with 4 doubles, 0 triples, 0 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts, and 34 walks to 38 strikeouts.
That winter, he was ranked 8th on the 2024 Amazin Avenue’ Top 25 Prospect list. He began the year with St. Lucie but only got sporadic playing time in April thanks to an injury. He was placed on the injured list at the end of the month and activated after the minimum seven days. He got into a handful of games and was placed back on the injured list. In total, he was placed on the injured list four different times throughout the year, it later being revealed that he was dealing with wrist tendonitis. All in all, he only played 37 games in 2024, most coming during a stretch of play in May and in August/September and hit.208/.369/.239 with 4 doubles, 0 triples, 0 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts, and 34 walks to 38 strikeouts.
The infielder was healthier in 2025, but he was unable to leverage his health into a stand-out season. Things began well for the 20-year-old, as he hit .409/.527/.545 for St. Lucie in 13 games in early-and-mid-April, but his production took a hit when he was promoted to High-A Brooklyn at the end of the month. Playing in a stadium rough on left-handed hitters, Vargas appeared in 95 games for the Cyclones, Vargas hit .239/.328/.296 with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, 38 stolen bases in 45 attempts, and drew 48 walks to 82 strikeouts.
The 5’11”, 170-pound Vargas stands tall at the plate, holding his hands high at the eyes and angling his bat head at 10:30. Between 2024 and 2025, the organization had Vargas close up a little bit to eliminate some movement in his load, and raise the angle of his bat, as to not wrap it behind his head too much. He swings with a slight leg kick and has a quick, balanced, compact stroke from the left-side. Highlighted by his 43.0% Swing% and 81.4% Contact%, both better than the MLB average, Vargas is a selective hitter and makes a lot of contact. While not Luis Arraez by any means, his 19.2 K% and 8% SwStr% were both above-average as well.
When Vargas puts a ball in play, he uses the entire field, pulling the ball at a 36.9% rate in 2025, going back up the middle at a 24.2% rate, and going to the opposite field at a 38.9% rate; his pulled ball percentage and opposite field percentage had a change of roughly 10% during his time in Brooklyn as compared to his time in St. Lucie, 45.9%-29.7% to 35.7%-40.1%, highlighting how Maimonides Park can be extremely suboptimal for left-handed hitters.
Vargas does not hit the ball in the air much, posting a 24.9% line drive rate, 43.0% ground ball rate, and 32.0% flyball rate. In limited at-bats in 2024 and 2025 at St. Lucie, where publicly available statcast data exists, he maintained an 88.1 and 90.1 MPH average exit velocity, with a high-water mark of 103.9 MPH in 2024 and 106.5 MPH in 2025. While those averages would put him in the 73th and 87th percentiles in Low-A baseball in 2024 and 2025, respectively, his max exit velocity readings only put him in the 16th percentile for the 2024 season and 31st for the 2025 season.
While the infielder may not excel necessarily at doing damage himself, his greatest strength is setting up others to do damage. His 12.5% cumulative BB% would have placed him in the top in the Florida State League as well as the South Atlantic League. He rarely swings at questionable pitches and may be a bit too passive at times, electing to let potentially hittable pitches pass him by and settling for the ball instead of chancing on putting the ball in play.
While possessing fringe-average speed, Vargas has shown good basestealing instincts over the course of his professional career. In 2024, he stole 13 bases in 1t attempts in 37 games and in 2025, he stole a cumulative total of 40 bases in 48 attempts in 108 games. He reads pitchers well and is an opportunistic runner, shrewdly choosing his spots.
Defensively, Vargas has played defense all over the infield over the course of his young career, splitting second base and shortstop almost equally. In 2024, he played a total of 52.2 innings at third base, 114.2 innings at second base, and 113.1 at shortstop and in 2025, he played 426.2 innings at second base and 387.2 at short.
While on the smaller side, Vargas is not particularly quick-twitch athletic; he does not have a quick first step nor is he particularly rangy or agile. He will make the routine plays and catch most balls hit to him at short but will be pressed to make more difficult plays. Coupled with his fringe-average arm, and the infielder is far better suited at second base than he is at shortstop in the long run.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
1) Nolan McLean 2) Carson Benge 3) Jonah Tong 4) Jett Williams* 5) Brandon Sproat* 6) A.J. Ewing 7) Jacob Reimer 8) Ryan Clifford 9) Will Watson 10) Jack Wenninger 11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro 26) Marco Vargas
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2023: Jackson Cox #95 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during a minor league spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on March 21, 2023 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Cox was Colorado’s second-round pick in 2022, 50th overall, out of a rural high school in Washington state. To get Cox out of his commitment to Oregon, the Rockies signed the 6’2” righty starter for a $1.85 million bonus — well over the pick’s $1.54 million slot value. Cox’s calling card as a prospect is his 3,000+ RPM curveball, described as a slurve with “deep and late bite” which the now 22-year-old paired with a low- to mid-90s fastball and a developing change-up in a repeatable delivery. When healthy. Which he hasn’t been much, though in 2025 we saw Cox on the mound regularly again.
Mid-season 2025 Rank: 25
High Ballot: 4
Mode Ballot: 13, 16
Future Value: 40, back-end starter
Contract Status: 2022 Second Round, Toutle Lake (WA) HS, Rule 5 Eligible After 2026, three options remaining
MLB ETA: 2027
Cox was assigned to Low-A Fresno in 2023 for his professional debut, where he was 2.9 years younger than league average. The Rockies handled Cox carefully, never allowing him to go past four innings in a start or 65 pitches an outing in his ten games (nine starts). Nonetheless, Cox suffered an injury that required Tommy John surgery in July (as did fellow PuRPs Jordy Vargas and Gabriel Hughes), which ended his 2023 season and caused him to lose all of 2024 as well (he did pitch in fall instructs, just not an affiliated ball game).
It was a long road back to Fresno in 2025 for Cox, who was still 0.8 years younger than league average. He made 23 starts but was handled carefully, not passing the three inning threshold in any of those starts until June and only exceeding five innings his final two appearances. Cox finished on a high note, twirling a Quality Start of six innings, one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts on a season-high 92 pitches.
In total, Cox threw 85 innings with a 3.39 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.7 K/9 rate, and 2.6 BB/9 rate. The trajectory is good though: since a rough April, in which Cox had a 15.43 ERA, he posted a 84:19 K/BB ratio and a 2.31 ERA in 78 post April innings plus a 0.90 WHIP and .199 BAA in the second half of the season. Given the long lay-off, Rockies fans will take that even if Cox is now behind the developmental curve due to the injury.
Here’s some video of Cox from July striking out 10 batters in just four innings:
Cox was one of the three Rockies pitching prospects who went down with torn UCLs all at once in 2023, with the team announcing the trio all on the same day as if they got a bulk discount on the surgery. Cox has had the best recovery from the surgery, as his velocity and his curveball came all the way back. The Rockies gave him a slider as well, so he’s got a four-pitch mix, although he mostly throws his fastballs and curveball. He made 23 starts last year, working on very tight pitch and innings limits, so it added up to only 85 innings, but he walked just 7.3 percent of batters and struck out 27 percent even though it was his first time on a mound in two years. At worst, he should be a solid two-pitch reliever who can miss bats with the breaking ball, and there’s at least fourth starter upside here.
Cox’s combination of present stuff and a deep arsenal stands out in an organization thin on starting pitching prospects. He attacks hitters with a five-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and cutter. His best pitch remains his plus curveball, a hellacious two-plane breaking ball with spin rates between 2,800–3,000 rpm that serves as a legitimate out pitch. Cox’s strike-throwing is below-average but should improve as he gets healthy.
Cox’s combination of velocity, spin and his ability to develop different pitches gives him a chance to develop into a solid mid-rotation starter in an organization that has struggled recently to develop starting pitchers.
Thomas Edward John surgery sidelined Cox for the 2024 campaign as well. That’s put the 50th pick of the 2022 draft on the back foot developmentally, now entering his fourth professional season with just 10 appearances under his belt. Before his injury, Cox boasted better stuff than several pitchers on this list, albeit with some struggles in holding his mechanics together. That inconsistency may have played a role in his injury to begin with, and certainly is the type of thing you’d hope to get sorted out with innings in games. His lengthy rehab places a bigger emphasis on Cox finding and retaining his more imposing fastball/curveball combo.
The early returns on Cox’s stuff coming back have been good, and it’s still his feel for spin that stands out. He has a plus curve with huge spin rates, 1-to-7 shape and sharp bite. He can run his fastball up to 95 mph with good life, and he has feel for what could eventually be an average changeup. Before he got hurt, he had worked on both a slider and a cutter to expand his arsenal.
Cox had added strength before the injury and there could be more in the tank the further removed from surgery he gets. He repeats his delivery well and has shown the ability to throw strikes with all of his offerings. This year will be about getting a full, healthy season in, with plenty of time to reach his mid-rotation ceiling.
[Cox] has a great curveball, but his below-average fastball velocity (he was 92-94 again during instructs), movement, and vulnerable plane aren’t a great fit with that curve. He’s pitched just 31 affiliated innings and struggled with control during those.
Cox seems to have found his mojo back in Low-A this past season. The next step is to do it in the upper minors and with greater length per start. Cox has a foundational breaking ball to build around and that mid 90s fastball (which doesn’t have ideal shape), making him a mid-to-back-end rotation candidate if it comes together. I ranked Cox 16th on my list at the top of my 40 FV tier due to the pedigree, stuff, and a healthy recovery in Low-A.
Cox will be Rule 5 eligible after 2026, so the Rockies no doubt will be looking for those markers next season. I’m guessing a High-A assignment is in order to start the year but I expect at least some exposure to Double-A as well, provided the health remains.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB News Roundup
On the eve of the Detroit Tigers’ arbitration verdict with star pitcher Tarik Skubal, the team decided to go out and make a splash, further bolstering their rotation by picking up the best free agent pitcher on the market. For three years and $115 million, Framber Valdez is no longer a Houston Astro. He’ll be reuniting with his old manager, AJ Hinch, in Detroit, and joining a Tigers team that was only an inning away from the ALCS last season. History was also made with this deal. According to Jeff Passan, the contract will feature the highest AAV ever given to a lefty handed pitcher. The previous record was held by Blake Snell (or as I like to call him: the American Wei-En Lin)
So what does this all mean for the Skubal situation?
Well, the $13 million difference between him and the Tigers has me anxiously anticipating today’s possible verdict. Will Detroit be forced to pay the man what he’s worth? Or will they get away with lowballing him for yet another season? Time will tell, but this Valdez deal really has me fascinated. I can’t be the only one who sees it as a bit of a slap in the face. Yes, they might be thinking of the looming lockout, but consider everything Skubal has done for the squad. This isn’t Doug Fister holding onto his 2011 second half here, this is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. The man’s been impossible to hit for the majority of his career. There’s a reason this arbitration case has been getting so much media coverage.
Oh what I would do to be present for today’s hearing. Do you think the Tigers will bring up Shea Langelier’s go-ahead grand slam? I can send them the youtube link if it’ll add a little drama to the mix. All jokes aside, I do feel for Skubal. I mean, no, I don’t know what it’s like to feel as if you’ve earned $32 million dollars, but I am familiar with the feeling of being undervalued. On top of that, this all complicates an already fractured relationship. Not only are the Tigers downplaying Skubal’s worth, they’re basically pointing to Framber and saying “You’re just not worth THAT much.”
If this is the domino that eventually leads the Cy Young winner to the Dodgers, I’m going to lose it. I mean, they’ve already picked up Cole Irvin! How many lefties do they need?
Speaking of lefties, I saw this neat little set of spray charts I’d like to share with you all…
The A's are doing something very weird, specifically with their left-handed hitters.
They're very successful but they just… don't pull flyballs.
Once you get past the user’s hurtful handle, you’ll find that they are highlighting one of the strongest qualities of our young core. The A’s are a team that not only hits, but does so to all parts of the field. Watching where Nick Kurtz put the ball during his 4-HR homer game was a microcosm of this. His spray chart here further drives the point home.
And it’s not like we’re really squeezing the lemon wit this one. 86 home runs and 104 extra base hits were collected between just these four players. Can you imagine the guessing game they must have given other teams when it came to defensive positioning?
As someone who attended a grip of games in West Sac, their tendency for the oppo was a trait I noticed early on. My fantasy out of the gate saw A’s lefties swatting taters into the berm by the inning. But as the season unfolded, it became apparent to me, that the opposite field was the more desired place to mash. I wonder if this is something the coaches have been hammering in them? Good on them if they are, because these players are still in the early stages of their careers. Now is the time to be developing good habits, not giving into the low hanging fruit that comes with playing in a little league ballpark. Chances are Las Vegas won’t be subjected to the Yankee Stadium treatment. When you can’t bank on a short porch, you might as well get used to poking the ball the other way.
Thinking back on last season, there was really only one guy on the opening day roster that came off a little berm-crazy. That player was JJ Bleday, and look where he ended up? Him and his torpedo bat swung their way right off the A’s roster. He’s currently getting ready to suit up for Cincinnati (the team I assume @Redsinfour will be cheering for at the start of the 2026 season).
This was in reference to Joe Lacob’s interest in buying the Padres :/ Glad to see that “heard it from a friend” rumors can still make some ground in 2026 haha
Don't shoot the messenger bro…it is known and even Lacob said it after he couldn't buy the A's to keep them in Oakland…his goal is to get an MLB team back to Oakland…I didn't write that shit…just saying it is going around Nor Cal…heads up…
Came across this gem in the feed. What’s even crazier is we only got to see Yoenis Cespedes in THAT A’s jersey for half a season 🙁
There was something so insanely iconic about Yoenis Céspedes in an Oakland A’s jersey. It’s crazy we only got to see it for two and a half seasons. pic.twitter.com/qmzpKIQhv6
President Donald Trump, right, greets Dodgers manager Dave Roberts during a ceremony to honor the team at the White House in April 2025. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
The Dodgers will make a return trip to the White House in recognition of their latest World Series title.
President Trump is planning to host the team but no date has been set for the ceremony, a White House official confirmed Thursday morning.
Questions swirled around whether players would decline to go ahead of last year's visit. Kiké Hernández said in 2018 he was unsure he would have gone had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Mookie Betts said he was undecided and needed to talk it over with his family first when last year's visit was initially announced. After winning his first World Series with the Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term.
Both players, along with every returning member of the 2024 team that was with the team during its road trip, participated in the visit. The only notable absence last year was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who remained in Los Angeles to nurse an ankle injury that landed him on the injured list.
Manager Dave Roberts, who indicated in comments to The Times in 2019 he might not go to the White House if Trump was president, also participated in last year's ceremony.
When asked at last weekend's Dodgers' fan festival about the possibility of returning to the White House this year, Roberts told The Times' Bill Shaikin: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. ... For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Though no date has been set for this year's White House visit, the Dodgers will play the Nationals in a three-game series April 3-5, with an off day on April 2 following a six-game homestand to open the season.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 07: A general aerial view of Camelback Ranch on January 07, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium is the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Backfield workouts are open to fans, though there are some areas that are more out of reach to the public. A more traditional fan experience begins with the Dodgers’ Cactus League schedule starting on Saturday, February 21 in Tempe against the Angels. The Dodgers’ first game at Camelback Ranch is Monday, February 23 against the Mariners.
With no trip overseas to begin the regular season more than a week early, the Dodgers will have a more traditional spring training this season, with the Arizona portion of their camp running for a little more than five weeks, through March 21.
My first trip to spring training was in 2006, when the Dodgers still trained at Vero Beach. At my old job, we had a conference in Miami, and I flew out a day early to drive to see Holman Stadium for the first time, a great way to spend my 30th birthday. My one regret is that I didn’t take more time to roam the grounds at Vero Beach. I didn’t have a ton of time, and after a red-eye flight and two-plus-hour drive to the stadium I was more tired than I expected.
I’ve been to Camelback Ranch quite a bit, as their first year there coincided with my first season writing about the team, and have quite a few fond memories of going to Arizona.
Today’s question is are you going to spring training this year?
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 10: Austin Warren #44 of the New York Mets pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during game one of a double header at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 10, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a little over a year since the Mets claimed right-handed relief pitcher Austin Warren off waivers from the Giants, and with today being Warren’s 30th birthday, it seems like as good a time as any to take a look at what might be in store for him in 2026.
Taken by the Angels in the sixth round of the draft in 2018 as a reliever out of UNC Wilmington, Warren has spent the vast majority of his career thus far in the minors. After relatively brief stops in rookie ball, Single-A, and Double-A in the first two years of his career, he found himself in Triple-A to start the 2021 season as minor league baseball returned from the pandemic.
Since then, Warren has thrown 151.0 innings in Triple-A, but he made his major league debut during that 2021 season and now has 58.0 big league innings to his name. The Angels released him ahead of the 2024 season, and the Giants signed him shortly thereafter.
Over the course of his Triple-A career, Warren has a 4.35 ERA with 168 strikeouts and 63 walks, and he’s given up 20 home runs. So his 4.97 ERA with 58 strikeouts, 19 walks, and 9 home runs allowed in 50.2 innings in Syracuse last year mostly check out. The fact that he gave up nearly half of his home runs at the level in just one-third of his innings there is the part that’s the least ideal.
In his short stints with the Mets at the major league level, however, Warren fared well. He had a 0.96 ERA and a 3.89 FIP in 9.1 innings over five appearances. That’s extremely small sample size stuff, but it was nice to see him pitch better than anyone might’ve expected in those outings.
Per FanGraphs, Warren has an option remaining going into the 2026 season, which means it’s incredibly likely that he’ll spend at least some time in Syracuse again this year. Roster Resource currently has him penciled in to the team’s Opening Day bullpen, but there figures to be quite a bit of competition for at least one or two spots in the bullpen in spring training.
Warren throws five pitches, per Statcast: a sinker, a sweeper, a cutter, a four-seam fastball, and a changeup. By modern standards, he doesn’t throw particularly hard, as his fastball averaged just shy of 94 miles per hour in 2025. Assuming he survives any potential 40-man roster crunch between now and the start of the season, it’ll be interesting to see if the Mets work with him to tweak that approach or have him keep doing what he was doing last year. And if he starts the year in Syracuse, cutting down on that home run rate seems like it would be the best potential path back to Queens.
Almost a century before Derek Jeter manned shortstop and held the captaincy for the New York Yankees, another athletic young player did the same. Roger Peckinpaugh, who came to the Yankees at the age of 20, never experienced the level of team success that Jeter did, nor could he boast a similar offensive profile.
But Peck was the Yankees’ starting shortstop for the better part of a decade, heralded for his outstanding glovework. And when he briefly stepped in as the Yankees’ manager at the tender age of 23, he not only did something the greatest shortstop in Yankee history never did. He became one of the youngest managers in major league history, and the youngest since the turn of the 20th century.
Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh Born: February 5, 1891 (Wooster, OH) Died: November 17, 1977 (Cleveland, OH) Yankees Tenure: 1913-21
Future Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie approached Peckinpaugh shortly after the latter graduated high school with an offer to play pro ball. After consulting his father and his high school principal, Peck accepted, and signed with the Cleveland Naps – I wonder who they were named after…
Peckinpaugh debuted with Cleveland in 1910 at the age of 19. He was, to put it simply, overwhelmed by big league pitching in his initial taste of the bigs. Cleveland perhaps recognized this and left him in the minor leagues in 1911 before bringing him back to The Show in 1912. He was slightly better at the dish that season but through his first 85 career games there was no reason to think he’d ever be able to hit big league pitching.
In May 1913, Peck’s career trajectory drastically changed. One game into the season for Cleveland, he found himself dealt to the Yankees, where he settled in at shortstop. If not for that trade, he’d have been in no position for what came next.
Yankee manager Frank Chance saw leadership potential and abilities in his young shortstop and, in 1914, named Peck the club’s captain. 23 years old, young Peckinpaugh was now responsible for leading a major league locker room. In his first full season, he led with more than just words. An excellent defensive shortstop, he also swiped 38 bags that year for the Yankees, leading to a 23rd-place finish in AL MVP voting.
Moreover, in mid-September the Yankees parted ways with Chance, after paying off the remainder of his contract. In need of someone to manage the club for the rest of the season, they appointed Peckinpaugh. Still only 23 years old, Peck was now the manager of the New York Yankees. Peck is not the youngest manager in major league history, as a pair of 20-year-olds managed in the 19th century. But not until Lou Boudreau played for and managed Cleveland in 1942 at the age of 24 did anyone come close to matching Peckinpaugh’s young age while managing in the 20th century.
A pair of Federal League teams tried to poach Peckinpaugh from New York after the 1914 season. “FEDS AFTER PECKINPAUGH” has to be one of the greatest, and most misleading, headlines in the history of the New York Times. Declining their overtures, Peck stayed in New York and played some of the best ball of his career.
In 1916, he was an above-average offensive player for the first time in his career, with a 102 OPS+. Then, in 1919, he set career bests in runs scored (89), home runs (7), batting average (.305), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.404), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.794), and bWAR (6.3).
His timing could not have been better, considering the Yankees acquired that Babe Ruth fellow prior to the 1920 season. With Peckinpaugh’s newfound ability to get on base, it made sense to have him at the top of the lineup. And he held up his end of the bargain with a .356 OBP in 1920 and a .380 OBP in 1921 leading to back-to-back seasons with at least 100 runs scored. Being on base in front of Ruth was a nice way to pad some stats.
1921 was also the only time Peck played playoff baseball in pinstripes. Unfortunately for him, he struggled at the plate against the crosstown Giants in the World Series. Worse, his glove, the calling card for which he was and is still best known, abandoned him when he needed it.
New York entered Game 8 (the Fall Classic was a best-of-nine that season) down 4 games to 3. In the first inning, the Giants put men on first and second with one out for High Pockets Kelly, who hit a routine ground ball to Peck. The Yankee shortstop booted it, with the ball ending up in left field. The runner on second came around to score the first, last, and only run of Game 8 as the Yankees fell 5 games to 3.
In the offseason, the Yanks dealt Peckinpaugh to Boston, ending his tenure with the club. It was not an amiable exit. Peckinpaugh was stunned and took a shot at the Yankees’ lack of loyalty. “The deal is entirely news to me,” he said, “but it seems that no matter how good a player one is or how loyal service he gives the New York team his position is never safe.”
Happily, there is a playoff redemption arc for Peck. In 1924, playing for the Washington Nationals, Peck returned to the World Series. In his way, again, were the New York Giants. This time, he emerged on the winning end. He mustered five hits in 12 at-bats as the Nationals won 4 games to 3, getting Peck his first and only World Series championship. He was in excellent company as “The Big Train” Walter Johnson, a venerable 36 years of age, also won the only championship of his Hall of Fame career that season.
After Peckinpaugh’s playing career ended, he returned to Cleveland where he managed several seasons. Once he was done with baseball for good, he went to work for the Cleveland Oak Belting Company, where he worked until he was 85 years old.
Roger Peckinpaugh died in 1977 at the age of 86. Shortstop, captain, and manager for the Yankees, his playing career earned him a spot as one of Pinstripe Alley’s Top 100 Yankees of All-Time. Happy birthday, Peck.
References
Winterhalt, Kevin. “Pinstripe Alley Top 100 Yankees: #57 Roger Peckinpaugh.” Pinstripe Alley. December 8, 2023.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a. pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone! We’ve got plenty of news to unpack with the biggest remaining free agent now off the board — and much more. It’s time to dive into it.
In Mariners news…
In case you missed it, the Mariners signed yet another Driveline darling, agreeing to a minor league deal with right-hander Ray Cebulski.
Ray turned heads at Pro Day with a five-pitch mix — featuring a heater up to 93.0, 92+ sinker, and a high-80s cutter — showing real intent across his arsenal. pic.twitter.com/SZt0Bezrez
The Mariners’ planned home double-header in June against the Red Sox is no more. The unusual scheduling quirk was originally set up to avoid a conflict with the FIFA World Cup game happening across the street on the same day, but instead they will in fact have a game that day and will welcome a potential traffic and parking Armageddon.
Around the league…
In one of the winter’s most shocking moves, the Tigers agreed to a three-year, $115M deal with lefty Framber Valdez, the largest AAV for left-hander in MLB history. This coming the same winter that Detroit is pinching pennies over the contract of homegrown ace Tarik Skubal. Speaking of…
Skubal and the Tigers officially went to an arbitration hearing yesterday over the star left-hander’s 2026 contract. We are expected to hear the arbitrators’ much-anticipated decision later today.
This article was prompted by discussion in the various articles I’ve posted recently about position players pitching.
Basically, if you have put a position player in to pitch, you have essentially given up playing baseball and are just filling the time until nine innings have been completed. Often, the position player gives up multiple runs and the final score is worse than it otherwise would have been.
I believe that if a team is hopelessly trailing late in the game, that team’s manager should have the option to simply say, “We’re done here,” and the game would end. My suggestion: If a team is trailing by 10 or more runs after seven innings, they should be permitted this option. This is done by rule in international play — you might very well see it in the early rounds of this spring’s World Baseball Classic.
Last year, there were 106 games that were decided by 10 or more runs. That’s about 4.4 percent of all games played in 2025. So we’re talking about a fairly small sample size here. Of those 106 games, 53 — exactly half — had a 10-run (or larger) deficit after seven innings, broken down this way:
17 games with a 10 run deficit 11 games with an 11 run deficit 5 games with a 12 run deficit 8 games with a 13 run deficit 12 games with a 14+ run deficit
Three of the 12 games with a 14+ run deficit had deficits of 17 or more runs after seven innings.
And in some of the games decided by 10 or more runs, the deficit was less than 10 after seven innings, but became larger after… because position players were giving up runs.
Back to the 2025 numbers: 53 games is about 2.2 percent of all games. So if you’re concerned about fans missing out on a couple of innings in a blowout — when many such fans would have left anyway — or advertisers losing out on TV money for a game many would have turned off, we’re not talking about a large number of games here.
Further, the chance that a team is going to come back and win after being down by 10 or more runs is vanishingly small. The major-league record for biggest comeback is from 12 runs down. It’s been done three times since 1901, most recently August 5, 2001 by the Mariners (and before that, in 1925 and 1911). This article lists 15 other games where a deficit of 10 or more runs was overcome, so that’s 18 such games in the last 125 seasons.
There have been 211,995 Major League games played since 1901 (including the Federal League). Eighteen is about one eight-thousandth of one percent of all games.
Point: If a mercy rule were introduced, the idea that you’d be taking away a team’s chance to come back from a 10-run (or larger) deficit is pretty much meaningless, given how many times it’s happened.
In modern baseball, pitching staffs often get overworked. A mercy rule would help lessen that overwork, and it wouldn’t happen very often, either. I’m not going to go into the “how many of these teams were leading by 10+ after seven innings” thing for all these years, but here are the number of games decided by 10+ runs every year since 2010 (excluding the shortened pandemic season of 2020):
The average number of such games since 2010 is 89. The number has edged up slightly over the last few years, and without checking I’d guess the number of games in which a team was ahead by 10+ runs after seven innings is probably close to the same, about half of the total, so we’re likely talking somewhere around two percent of all games, which would amount to maybe three games per team per year.
Again, this is a vanishingly small number of games.
A game shall be forfeited to the opposing team when a team is unable or refuses to place nine players on the field.
So, theoretically, under that rule the manager of a team trailing by 10+ runs could simply refuse to take the field and the game would be forfeited. But there are better ways to specifically codify the mercy rule and publicize it so that fans and TV viewers would understand that the game could possibly be called after seven if it got to be a 10+ run blowout.
MLB would also have to decide whether the same courtesy could be given a team if they were down by fewer than 10 after seven innings, but gave up runs and trailed by 10 or more after the eighth. (I’d say yes to this.) I’d also say that the manager of a team leading by 10+ runs shouldn’t be permitted to just say “We’re done here” after seven, just declaring victory. It should be up to the manager of the team that’s trailing.
If MLB is serious about reducing wear and tear on pitching staffs and limiting the number of position players pitching, they really ought to institute a mercy rule like this. Of course, they don’t do it in the WBC championship game and this wouldn’t be in effect during MLB’s postseason, just like the placed runner rule isn’t in effect for playoff games.
Get it done, Rob Manfred and the Competition Committee.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 28: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers runs to first base after drawing a walk during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 28, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Morning, all!
Evan Grant had a video Q&A at the DMN where, among other things, he opined that Corey Seager and Marcus Semien didn’t have much of a relationship as teammates.
The Rangers have four players that will be participating in the World Baseball Classic, with Robert Garcia probably being the most significant.
It looks like the competition for the fifth starter spot will boil down to Kumar Rocker and Jacob Latz.
If the Rangers are going to have a better offense there are a bunch of guys who are going to need to return to prior form.
One year ago, the New York Islanders found themselves at an inflection point. They were not going to make the playoffs, and had been dumped out in round one two straight seasons prior by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Islanders' then-General Manager Lou Lamoriello needed to chart a new path forward. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri were pending unrestricted free agents, with no extensions in place.
After an appearance for Team USA at the 4 Nations' Face-Off, three straight seasons of 30+ goals and steady two-way play, Nelson's trade value would never be higher.
After attempting to re-sign Nelson, Lamoriello pulled the trigger on a franchise-altering trade, shipping Nelson and William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Calum Ritchie, a 2026 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 third-round pick (conditions not met [COL needed to win the Stanley Cup in 2025]), and defenseman Oliver Kylington.
Ritchie immediately became the Islanders' top prospect, while the first-round pick added to the magnitude of the return. At the time, Ritchie was a consensus top-50 prospect in the NHL, and by far Colorado's top prospect.
Nelson possessed just a 16-team no-trade clause, so he did not control his destination, nor did the receiving team. What's more, publicly, nobody knew what Lamoriello would do up until about an hour prior to the deal, when word finally leaked out that Lamoriello intended to deal Nelson.
Lamoriello displayed a masterclass in controlling the situation, thereby giving him all the leverage over the situation. It helped that Nelson only held a 16-team no-trade clause, too.
Nelson's reported destinations were always out west, but it remains unclear how much of a factor his 16-team no-trade clause was.
Fast-forward one year. The New York Rangers are stuck in reverse. They publicly declared they'll be shipping out just about anyone not named Adam Fox, J.T. Miller, or Igor Shesterkin.
Immediately, questions turned to the pending UFA Artemi Panarin, the Rangers' best forward since signing in free agency in July 2019. Reportedly, the Rangers told Panarin they wouldn't be re-signing him, and told the forward to prepare for a trade.
Panarin, however, holds a full no-movement clause. That clause gives him all the control and leverage privately, as he can hand-pick his destination.
In years past, similar versions of this have gone down, such as Taylor Hall hand-picking the Boston Bruins at the 2021 Trade Deadline, with the Buffalo Sabres only receiving a minimal package for the forward.
Rangers' General Manager Chris Drury lost public control of the narrative the second the letter hit the world. Panarin and his agent privately were granted permission to talk extension with multiple potential trade suitors.
The Rangers decided to healthy-scratch Panarin until a trade, setting an internal deadline by the Olympic Roster Freeze.
Panarin decided on his future the day of that deadline, reportedly telling the Rangers he'd only waive for the Los Angeles Kings.
So the deal was made shortly thereafter. In return, the Rangers received the Kings' top prospect, Liam Greentree, and a conditional third-round pick.
While Greentree is the Kings' top prospect, he is not viewed as a top-100 prospect in the league. The third-round pick becomes a second if the Kings win a playoff series, something they've failed to do with four straight losses in round one to the Edmonton Oilers.
Two franchises in one city publicly needed a new direction. One maintained discipline and control over the situation, the other had no control and no leverage.
That's why, despite both teams retaining 50% of the cap hit, Panarin being considered a tier (or three) above Nelson as a player, the Islanders did so much better than the Rangers did at a retool-starting trade.
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 16: Miguel Andujar #38 of the Cincinnati Reds during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, August 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Abdoul Sow/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The day started with news about the bulk of the lawsuit between Sheel Seidler and Matt and Bob Seidler being settled and it ended with reports the San Diego Padres signed free agent outfielder Miguel Andujar to a one-year, $4 million contract. He is expected to be the right-handed bat with pop the Padres were looking to add this offseason. San Diego president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller recently stated he wanted to add a bat or two and wanted to make additions to the rotation. Could Preller bring in a free agent pitcher or two prior to the start of Spring Training? It would generate some excitement as the Padres open camp Feb. 12.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is a two-time Platinum Glove award-winning right fielder, and he is entering the 2026 season with an idea of winning an MVP award. Tatis Jr. has not shown the offensive production he displayed prior to his PED suspension, but he thinks some mechanical adjustments to his swing could unlock an extended run of success.
AJ Cassavell of Padres.com believes there are three players from the Padres Spring Training non-roster invitees who have potential to impact the major league roster and he identifies pitcher Triston McKenzie as the top candidate. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune lists catcher Ethan Salas as the headliner of the non-roster invitees.
Sanders focused on the San Diego outfielders for his latest spring training primer. There are high expectations when the starters are Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano. He also put the spotlight on Merrill as the subject of his ongoing Padres roster review.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 20: Trevor Story #10 and Marcelo Mayer #39 of the Boston Red Sox celebrate their team's win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Red Sox have a new infielder. And, uh, he’s not exactly one to get all that excited about.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a perfectly good backup to have on your team. He plays three positions in the infield and plays them all well — possibly better than anyone else currently on the Red Sox if you’re not yet convinced of Marcelo Mayer’s glove (though I am). He makes contact and doesn’t strike out much. He’s right-handed, which is important for this Red Sox team. He’s a perfectly cromulent backup, is what I’m saying.
But where the worry creeps in is in the possibility that he doesn’t end up being a backup on the Red Sox. Six million dollars is in no way a lot of money for the Boston Red Sox, a team that finds all kinds of ways (both benign and not so benign) to print money — but it’s a curious amount to give to a backup who is only a marginal upgrade over the backups that are currently in-house. Are the Sox envisaging something of an everday role for IKF? And even if they’re not, will he end up playing essentially every day anyway, given the injury risks on the left side of the Red Sox infield?
How do you see this infield situation shaking out this year?
Talk about that, whatever else you want, and, as always, be good to one another.
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 24: Jordan Beck #27, Kyle Karros #12, Ezequiel Tovar #14 and Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies look on during a break in the action in a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
THIS IS A GUEST ROCKPILE BY ZEKE PEREZ JR
Since the departure of Charlie Blackmon, the Colorado Rockies have been without a face of the franchise. Sadly, the team also lacks a face for just about every position on the field.
Looking at the most common players by game at each position over the last decade, six different positions have had six different starters across that span. In recent history, the revolving door has continued across four of those positions (catcher, second base, left field, and right field), where the team has utilized three different starters over as many years.
Paul DePodesta has made it clear that developing a team identity is a priority for the 2026 season. Barring injuries or trades, core pieces like Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar will continue to anchor their respective positions and make life a little easier for the new president. Across the rest of the lineup, he’ll look to evaluate solutions to the perpetual thorns in the Rockies’ side, both for 2026 and beyond.
Where They’re Set
Aside from center field and shortstop (the only two positions returning the same starter for a fourth consecutive year), the Rox might be closest to crossing catcher off their list of needs.
Things are feeling a little steadier behind the plate with Hunter Goodman taking on the role, starting 97 games as catcher last year. He made some big strides, especially offensively, pacing the team in hits, doubles, homers, batting average and RBI on his way to securing his first Silver Slugger. His 3.7 rWAR is also the highest the Rockies have seen at the position since Iannetta’s 3.1 in 2011.
Where They’re Shaky
Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon had first base and third base, respectively, covered in recent years, albeit with varying success. With Toglia being designated for assignment this winter and McMahon traded to the Bronx last July, the Rockies will have to look elsewhere.
Toglia was a solid power contributor in 2024 (25 HR, 2.2 rWAR) but had a fall from grace after struggling in 2025 with a negative rWAR, a .190 batting average and a top 5 finish in strikeouts. The Rockies recently claimed Troy Johnston off of waivers and could use him as a bridge while top prospect Charlie Condon grows into the role at first.
Kyle Karros will look to pick up where he left off after the McMahon deal and get the bulk of the reps at third. In 43 games in the bigs last year, Karros had a slash line of .226/.308/.277. McMahon left big shoes to fill, and Karros will need to continue to grow into them offensively to be the long-term option.
Where They’re Desperate
Left and right field are where things devolve into a very unfunny version of “Who’s on First?”
The organization was stockpiling a surplus of outfielders across drafts, but some of these promising prospects have floundered and are no longer in the pipeline (or with the organization). Luckily, there’s a good bit of potential waiting in the wings to be explored, as Jordan Beck continues to develop, and Zac Veen (No. 7 mid-season PuRP) and Cole Carrigg (No. 6 mid-season PuRP) look to climb into the platoon.
Right field has been tough to crack. Beyond the Kris Bryant problem, the spot has seen prospects stall and veterans dip in production. It felt like Veen might finally get the bulk of playing time in 2025, but he struggled in his time in the majors, batting just .118 over 12 games. As he tries to rebound, Mickey Moniak is set to be the frontrunner for 2026. Moniak didn’t quite live up to his ceiling last year but still had a better on-base percentage (.270) than most of the roster. The team was impressed enough to bring him back on a one-year contract. Even as other prospects climb the ranks, Moniak should command a share of the games and could flourish as a fourth outfielder in the rotation as things move on, at the very least.
What’s Ahead
The Rockies’ future obviously won’t come to fruition in the 2026 season alone. There are too many holes to fill after years of roster churn and failed prospects.
After clearing house of several early round draft picks, the new leadership has made it clear that they are looking to identify which players are worth building around.
Colorado won’t be securing its first divisional crown anytime soon, but if the Rox can leave the season with fewer positional question marks, clearer pathways for prospects and their development, and a few emerging everyday players, it will feel like the franchise’s prolonged rebuild will have a meaningful direction.
Continuing a trend of bringing in former Rockies, New York claimed Fernandez off waivers. The 23-year-old Fernandez will look to turn the page in a new setting after slashing .225/.265/.348 in 52 game appearances with Colorado. The Yankees designated pitcher Dom Hamel for assignment to clear space for Fernandez on the 40-man roster.
Down on the farm, the Yard Goats are getting a new skipper. Former New York Mets catcher Robinson Cancel was announced as the team’s manager, taking over for Bobby Meacham (2024-2025). Cancel has been a coach within the Rockies system for almost a decade, including as manager for the High-A Spokane Indians (2023-2025) and for the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies (2021-2022).
