Category: Baseball

Previous Winner

Brendan Summerhill, OF
22 | L/R | 6’3” | 200
A | .333/.429/.444 (160 wRC+) 42 PA, 0 HR, 5 SB, 6 BB, 5 K

Following an All-Star performance at the Cape Cod summer league, Summerhill exhibited some of the best bat-to-ball skills in NCAA as a junior at Arizona. His draft stock took a minor hit due to injury (broken hand from from punching a cooler) and was drafted 42nd overall, but Summerhill rebounded well with a dominant stop at Charleston to finish the year. Summerhill has plus barrel control, allowing for a high-contact approach for his long swing. He has plus speed as well, which provides a chance to stick in center. Evaluators would like to see more power to complete a five-tool profile. Even if the power doesn’t materialize, it’s an above average contributor’s projection.

Rank	Player	Position	Votes	Total	Percentage	Last Season
1	Carson Williams	SS	14	25	56%	1
2	Brody Hopkins	RHP	19	25	76%	8
3	Jacob Melton	OF	14	28	50%	NA
4	Theo Gillen	OF	14	26	54%	13
5	Ty Johnson	RHP	12	25	48%	15
6	Daniel Pierce	SS	13	23	57%	NA
7	Jadher Areinamo	INF	15	28	54%	NA
8	TJ Nichols	RHP	13	28	46%	NR
9	Michael Forret	RHP	8	33	24%	NA
10	Santiago Suarez	RHP	11	30	37%	16
11	Anderson Brito	RHP	7	28	25%	NA
12	Xavier Isaac	1B	9	28	32%	3
13	Caden Bodine	C	10	25	40%	NA
14	Brendan Summerhill	OF	11	27	41%	NA

A personal favorite of mine that I have been voting for since the No. 5 poll, Summerhill was a lucky find in the 2025 draft. I believe in the power potential, and think that could vault him to a sure fire projection in a year’s time. We shall see! Prospects will break your heart. At No. 14 we got three new players receiving votes in Flewelling, Harrison, and Baumeister. This round adds Guerrero.

Candidates

Jackson Baumeister, RHP
23 | 6’4” | 224
AA | 4.62 ERA, 4.15 FIP (15 GS) 62.1 IP, 19.5% K, 9.6% BB
AFL | 6 ER (1 HR), 9.0 IP (4 G, 3 GS), 10 K, 9 BB

A shoulder injury derailed what should have been Baumeister’s coming out party, as his previously plus breaking ball was expected to carve up Double-A. After a tough start to the year and two months on the sidelines, Baumeister returned in August and salvaged the season with a brilliant finish. The tough luck continued, however, in the Arizona Fall League, where a line drive struck him in the head, but he escaped without significant injury. Currently, Baumeister has taken on a fastball/slutter profile, with a slow curve in his back pocket, and has shown teachability and pitchability over the years. The former Seminole currently thrives on his frequently used major league fastball that may be better challenged by a promotion to Triple-A.

Slater de Brun, OF
18 | L/L | 5’10” | 187

Drafted 37th overall in 2025, through a draft pick traded by the Rays, de Brun was essentially re-acquired in the Shane Baz trade. Like many Rays outfield prospects he’s not expected to develop much power, but compensates with an ability to hit to all fields, and has the benefit of years to develop. His hit tool rates plus thanks to a quick, compact swing, and his double-plus speed elevates both his baserunning and range in center; he has a solid arm and can stick long term. The key to his development will be improving pitch selection to maximize his power potential. Despite not yet playing in a pro game, he’s a good bet to skip the complex league and debut in Charleston this season.

Homer Bush Jr.
24 | R/R | 6’3” | 215
AA | .301/.375/.360 (122 wRC+) 546 PA, 0 HR, 57 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.9% K

Acquired in the 2024 Jason Adam trade, the starting center fielder at Double-A passed the test of advanced pitching, but just barely. He lacks in-game power due to a lack of use of his lower half in his swing, and he whiffed more often than you can for long term success with a low-power approach. His calling cards are Rays-grade defense and plus-speed, having notably swiped 57 bags in back-to-back seasons.

Nathan Flewelling, C
19 | L/R | 6’2” | 200
A | .229/.393/.336 (126 wRC+) 439 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 20.3% BB, 27.6% K
A+ | 22 PA, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 K

The 94th overall pick from 2024, Flewelling made his debut at 18 years young and caught a full season (75 C, 26 DH), plus a five game cup of coffee (3 C, 2 DH). Taking the longview, he could grow into 50-60 grade power with 50 grade defense, which makes him one to follow. His plus zone awareness at the plate offsets his lagging contact, and most importantly for the position his ability to call games and frame pitches are already plus. A strong season with the bat at High-A could vault him into Top-100 consideration.

Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | 249.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

Good news: the $3.7 million 2023 signee made the leap out of the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad News: He was injured yet again, with hamstring and knee injuries limiting him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in only two hits in 29 plate appearances. He makes loud contact from a quick, quiet swing which he pre-loads by reaching back for even more power. He appears to make early decisions to swing, leading to a bit extra whiffs against anything off-speed, but that could easily clear up with some consistent playing time.

Trevor Harrison, RHP
20 | 6’4” | 225
A | 2.61 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 82.2 IP (17 GS), 22.4% K, 10.7% BB
A+ | 3.33 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 24.1 IP (5 GS), 23.8% K, 12.4% BB

Harrison entered the season as Baseball America’s top pitcher in the system thanks to a cleaned up delivery and high heat. He ran into some bumps in the road by running up his pitch count against batters, but he still made it over 100 innings in 22 starts. A power pitcher through and through, his hard slider flirts with cutter classification and could evolve into two distinct pitches down the road. It will be interesting to see how his change up plays as he’s challenged at higher levels, but for now he has premium stuff and the upside of a rotation anchor. (video)

Tre’ Morgan, 1B/LF
23 | L/L | 6’0” | 215
AAA | .274/.398/.412 (119 wRC+) 402 PA, 8 HR, 8 SB, 15.9% BB, 19.2% K

Morgan continued to hit without power in 2025, a great discouragement for some evaluators, but his present 50-grade hit tool and feel for the zone allow a major league projection. He continued his improved, quieter two-strike approach in 2025 that built on his success retooling his swing in the AFL last year. The Rays gave Morgan 14 starts in Left Field last season, and Baseball America called the defense “playable,” but his value is tied to his plus-plus defense at First.

Aidan Smith, OF
21 | R/R | 6’2” | 190
A+ | .237/.331/.388 (114 wRC+) 459 PA, 14 HR, 41 SB, 11.5% BB, 31.2% K

Acquired in the Arozarena trade, Smith became the prince who was promised, a five tool athlete with a strong bat, good face, and a preternatural glove in center field. That promise unraveled a bit in 2025, with his strikeout rate rocketing nine percent and his power stroke faltering after facing harder velocities in High-A, causing both his hit and power grades to drop into the 40’s. It was a full transformation into a “center field” profile, but with his ceiling that’s not a compliment. He plays with a fire, but the dip in contact rate left some evaluators feeling burned.

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in between, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth the squeeze, as the Rays have elected to invite Taylor to major league Spring Training this year.

Jose Urbina, RHP
20 | 6’3” | 180
A | 2.05 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 92.1 IP (19 GS), 26.4% K, 8.2% BB
A+ | 2 ER (2 HR), 4.0 IP (1 GS), 5 K, 0 BB

Good pitchers grow and adjust, and Urbina has done that consistently at an age young for his level. Physically he has grown in strength, sitting at 96 with the fastball after flashing high octane in 2024, and technically he has grown, refining his dialed up slider and his two-plane curveball into complementary pitches — which lack plus command but are thrown with feel. He shouldered a starter’s workload at 19, and was awarded one additional start at High-A, where he allowed two solo shots and struck out five. Overall, the age, body, and body of work have him on the trajectory of top prospect lists in the near future.

Sluggin’ infielder slash designated hitter Eugenio Suárez belted 49 homers between time spent with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners in 2025. He blasted 49 homers for the Cincinnati Reds back in 2019, too, a year when everyone was seemingly blastin’ dingers at a record clip.

He’s done it when everyone was doing it, and he’s done it when none of the Reds were. He’s a homer-bashing machine with 325 of them already on his ledger, and a quick glance at some of the underlying metrics behind his swing suggest he’s not about to immediately slow down at age 34 in 2026.

For instance…

• Per Statcast, his 113.8 maximum exit velocity in 2025 was actually the highest mark of his career
• His Barrel/PA of 8.7 last season was his highest since 2021 (8.9) and the second highest of any season in his career
• The 21.9 degree launch angle from last season was the highest of his career, continuing an upward trend that began by jumping up to 17.7 degrees in 2019 from 14.8 degrees in 2018 – in other words, he’s implemented a continuous plan to hit moonballs, and it’s working!
• The 47.6% hard-hit rate he posted in 2025 was far and away the best of his career, as were the 57 total Barrels off his bat
• The 26.5% fast-swing rate – meaning the rate at which he swung a bat faster than 75 mph – was the best single-season mark of his career since they began tracking that in 2023, and was up a full 5% from his 21.5% mark in 2024

He’s a fundamentally different hitter than he was during that brilliant 2019 campaign with the Reds, but the game itself is fundamentally different now, too. What isn’t fundamentally different now, though, is that a) Great American Ball Park is still a homer-honkin’ launching pad and b) Geno Suárez can still very much knock the crud out of the ball, and does so mostly into the air. In fact, his 50.4% fly-ball rate (per FanGraphs) ranked as athe 4th highest among the 145 qualified hitters in the game last season, with Seattle teammate Cal Raleigh (he of the 60 smashed dingers of his own) leading the pack at over 57%.

Factor in that he’s on a one-year ‘prove it’ contract, and there’s every reason to believe Suárez is going to belt 40, 50, even 123 homers in a Reds uniform in 2026.

What say you?

Dodgers pitchers and catchers have their first official workout at Camelback Ranch one week from today, so let’s look at the primary backstops for Los Angeles, after previous looks at the infieldersand outfielders.

40-man roster catchers

• Will Smith
• Dalton Rushing

Things to watch

Under the radar? Will Smith hit the championship-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 in Toronto, just the second go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later in Game 7 of the World Series (along with Bill Mazeroski in 1960). But it feels like that homer hasn’t been talked about nearly as much as the game-tying home run by Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of Game 7. There’s room for both, to be clear, but maybe this was more about Rojas exceeding expectations while it’s now the norm that Smith is considered one of the best players in the sport. Smith was an All-Star for a third straight season in 2025 and made his second All-MLB second team, and led all National League catchers in OPS (.901), on-base percentage (.404), batting average (.296), wRC+ (153), and fWAR (4.1).

Another way to frame it: While Smith is one of the best offensive catchers in the sport, he’s devolved defensively, going from average to above in his early years to one of the worst in baseball in framing the last two seasons. By catcher framing runs, Smith in 2024 was 18 runs below average, 55th among 55 qualified catchers; in 2025 Smith was 10 runs below average in framing, 56th among 57 catchers. That’s been part of the cost in Smith improving in throwing out runners. Factoring that all in, by catcher defense added at Baseball Prospectus, Smith was 7.8 runs below average in 2025, 32nd among 35 catchers, after 7 runs below aveage in 2024, 31st among 35 catchers.

Second time the charm? The Dodgers last May cut the cord with 11-year vet Austin Barnes, which opened up a chance for Dalton Rushing to make his major league debut. Rushing played intermittently as the backup catcher over the final four-plus months and struggled mightily at the plate, hitting just .204/.258/.324 with a 37.4-percent strikeout rate. There’s plenty of room for improvement for the 25-year-old whose bat has been his calling card ever since he was drafted.

Testing the depth: Smith has been one the most durable catchers in the sport, since 2021 second in the majors in games, starts, and defensive innings behind the plate, trailing only JT Realmuto. Smith’s 97 starts last season were his lowest in five years, mostly because he took a foul ball that broke a bone in his right hand which sidelined him for about a month in September and into October, not starting again until Game 3 of the NLDS. Rushing fouled a ball off his shin on the same cursed road trip in September and landed on the injured list as well, giving the Dodgers a rare test of their catching depth. From 2020-24, only 10 times did a catcher other than Smith or Barnes start behind the plate. But in 2025, the Dodgers needed 18 starts from catchers other than Smith, Barnes, or Rushing, 17 of which came from Ben Rortvedt. As of now, Smith and Rushing are the only two catchers on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

Another depth question: If Smith is hurt for any extended amount of time, ideally that would be a chance for Rushing to seize the reins behind the plate. The only problem is he’s never really had that kind of workload as a pro. The night be fouled a ball off his shin on September 5 in Baltimore was the first time since getting drafted in 2022 that Rushing caught in a game three days in a row. He started 45 games behind the plate in both 2023 and 2024 before starting 55 games at catcher last year between the majors and minors. In the minors, Rushing stayed in the lineup by playing games at first base, left field, and designated hitter. It’s unclear if those chances at other positions will arise with the Dodgers.

Royals baseball will soon be back, which means watching the boys in blue, but also getting FREE STUFF at the K. The Royals released their 2026 promotional schedule today, and there is plenty of swag for fans. The Royals will give away bobbleheads throughout the year, a Nickelodeon Slime Jersey, a Bobby Witt Jr. sliding mitt, and City Connect replica jerseys. Here are some of the highlights from the promotional schedule.

Bobbleheads! There are ten bobblehead days throughout the year:

• Sunday, May 4 vs. the Guardians – Caglianone Blazin’ Bat bobblehead
• Thursday, May 8 vs. the Tigers – Rock, Paper, Scissors bobblehead
• Sunday, May 18 vs. the Red Sox – Lights Out Lucas bobblehead
• Monday, May 26 vs. the Yankees – The Pasquatch bobblehead
• Saturday, July 4 vs. the Phillies – Red, White & Bobby bobblehead
• Friday, July 17 vs. the Padres – City Connect Big Bobby Bobblehead
• Saturday, July 18 vs. the Padres – Big Bobby bobblehead
• Sunday, July 19 vs. the Padres – Big Bobby bobblehead
• Tuesday, July 21 vs. the Giants – Maikel’s Big Time Bat Flip bobblehead
• Friday, September 25 vs. the Guardians – Salvador Perez City Connect bobblehead

Ok you may have made my plans for the 4th of July easy with this beauty 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/EOVFytTobL

— DrewMor22 (@DrewMor22) February 6, 2026

Here are the items the team is giving away throughout the year.

• Sunday, April 10 vs. the White Sox – City Connect flag
• Sunday, April 12 vs. the White Sox – Bobby Witt Jr. youth sliding glove (14 & under)
• Friday, April 24 vs. the Angels – City Connect crewneck
• Saturday, April 25 vs. the Angels – Royal-Tees (theme TBA)
• Saturday, May 9 vs. the Tigers – Nickelodeon Night slime jersey
• Friday, May 22 vs. the Mariners – City Connect hat
• Saturday, May 23 vs. the Mariners – Royal-Tees (theme TBA)
• Monday, May 25 vs. the Yankees – Stainless steel QuikTrip Splash Cup
• Friday, June 12 vs. the Astros – City Connect beach towel
• Saturday, June 13 vs. the Astros – Royal-Tees (theme TBA)
• Friday, June 19 vs. the Cardinals – City Connect scarf
• Monday, June 30 vs. the Rays – Sluggerrr’s Gym tank top
• Wednesday, July 1 vs. the Rays – Here Comes the Bloom Hawaiian shirt
• Thursday, July 2 vs. the Rays – Armed Forces Day thermo
• Friday, August 7 vs. the Cubs – City Connect replica jersey
• Saturday, August 8 vs. the Cubs – Royal-Tees (theme TBA)
• Friday, August 21 vs. the Tigers – City Connect crossbody bag
• Friday, September 4 vs. the Blue Jays – City Connect reverse retro jersey
• Saturday, September 5 vs. the Blue Jays – Royal-Tees (theme TBA)
• Sunday, September 6 vs. the Blue Jays – Big Bling Birthday Bash chain (14 & under)
• Monday, September 7 vs. the Diamondbacks – Iced Out hockey jersey giveaway
• Saturday, September 26 vs. the Guardians – Jersey jacket giveaway

There are also themed nights. Some of them may involve giveaways if a special ticket is purchased.

• Sunday, April 1 vs. the Twins – Bark at the Park
• Sunday, April 12 vs. the White Sox – PAW Patrol Day, Scout Day
• Monday, April 20 vs. the Orioles – Grateful Dead Night
• Saturday, April 25 vs. the Angels – UMKC Night
• Wednesday, May 6 vs. the Guardians – Bark at the Park
• Friday-Sunday, May 8–10 series vs. the Tigers – Nurses Weekend
• Saturday, May 23 vs. the Mariners – Star Wars Day
• Wednesday, June 10 vs. the Rangers – Pride Night
• Friday, June 12 vs. the Astros – Teachers Night
• Sunday, June 14 vs. the Astros – Mizzou Day
• Thursday, July 2 vs. the Rays – Armed Forces Night
• Friday, July 17 vs. the Padres – K-State Night
• Saturday, August 8 vs. the Cubs – KU Night
• Saturday, August 22 vs. the Tigers – Ladies Night
• Sunday, August 23 vs. the Tigers – Elephant & Piggie Day
• Tuesday, September 1 vs. the Marlins – Harry Potter Night
• Tuesday, September 8 vs. the Diamondbacks – Jewish Heritage Night
• Wednesday, September 23 vs. the White Sox – Bark at the Park
• Friday, September 25 vs. the Guardians – Viva Los Royals
• Sunday, September 27 vs. the Guardians – Italian Heritage Day

The Royals will also bring back Fireworks Fridays, and Tuesday home games will feature Dollar Dog Nights, although there are only six scheduled, rather than 12.

The Royals will begin the home schedule on Monday, March 30, against the Twins, with a 3:10 game time.

The full rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were revealed on Monday, featuring 17 different Mets players across the tournament’s 20 teams. It’s the most players the Mets have ever had rostered in a WBC, beating their previous record of 16 set in 2009 and matched in 2023. The following is a list of all 17 Mets, in alphabetical order:

• Josh Blum (Israel)

• Huascar Brazobán (Dominican Republic)*†

• Alex Carrillo (Mexico)*†

• Jamdrick Cornelia (Netherlands)

• Daniel Duarte (Mexico)*

• Jordan Geber (Israel)

• Carlos Guzman (Venezuela)

• Clay Holmes (United States)*†

• Daviel Hurtado (Cuba)

• Nolan McLean (United States)*†

• Nick Morabito (Italy)†

• Jose Ramos (Panama)

• Benjamin Simon (Israel)

• Juan Soto (Dominican Republic)*†

• Robert Stock (Israel)*

• Mark Vientos (Nicaragua)*†

• Jared Young (Canada)*†

* = Has played at the major league level

† = Currently on the Mets’ 40-Man Roster

Notable former Mets participating in the WBC include Harrison Bader (Israel), Edwin Díaz (Puerto Rico), Andrés Giménez (Venezuela), Amed Rosario (Dominican Republic), Luis Severino (Dominican Republic), Gregory Soto (Dominican Republic), and Taijuan Walker (Mexico). Francisco Lindor and former Met Javier Báez were planning to play with Team Puerto Rico for a third consecutive WBC, but Lindor was one of several players to face insurance issues while Báez was ineligible because he tested positive for marijuana use during the 2023 WBC.

The Classic will kick off with the first game of pool play on March 5 (the night of March 4 in U.S. time), and the Championship game is scheduled for March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami. The Mets will open their regular season nine days later against the Pirates at Citi Field.

Last night, the World Baseball Classic rosters were released. Seeing that got me really fired up, especially considering how much fun the last one was. There are current and former Nationals players and coaches littered across the rosters. I wanted to take a look at some of the Nats ties to this amazing event.

The Nats current roster is not exactly littered with participants. Only two players will be leaving big league camp to play in the event. Harry Ford will be playing for Great Britain and Matt Mervis will suit up for Team Israel. Both players participated at the last WBC as well, so they are not new to this.

C Harry Ford (Great Britain) and 1B Matt Mervis (Israel) are the only Nationals players in big league camp this spring who will be participating in the World Baseball Classic.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) February 6, 2026

While both players are born in the US, they have ties to the countries they are representing. Ford has British parents and has represented the country for a while now. Mervis is representing Israel because of his Jewish faith. 

It is interesting timing for them though. Both Mervis and Ford will be leaving camp while competing for a roster spot. Mervis is part of a wide open first base competition. As a left handed bat, his main competition is likely to be Abimelec Ortiz. Mervis leaving camp could provide an opportunity for Ortiz to lock down a job. The same thing goes for Keibert Ruiz, who will get a chance to show what he has without Ford around.

Harry Ford is one of the biggest names on the Britain roster. He will co-captain the team along with Yankees star Jazz Chisholm. Ford was one of the breakout stars of the last competition. The event elevated his stock as a prospect, with Ford swinging a hot bat. He hit a key home run against Colombia, which was his signature moment.

HARRY FORD GOES YARD 💪🇬🇧

📺: WBC on FS2 pic.twitter.com/e8sGn4VPoj

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 13, 2023

However, these current players are not the only people with Nationals ties participating at the event. There are plenty of former Nats who are in the competition. Team USA has a couple of them, with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Other big stars like Juan Soto will be playing at the event as well.

There are also some lesser known former Nats at the WBC. Cult hero Joey Meneses will be representing Mexico and Erasmo Ramirez will be with Nicaragua. Some of the coaches also have ties to the Nats as well. A pair of 2019 Nationals will be coaching at the event. Gerardo Parra will be the first base coach for Venezuela and Yan Gomes will be the catching coach for Brazil. Here is a list of all the former and current Nats at the WBC.

Current and former #Nats players (farmhands included) participating in the WBC.

The last slide is coaches: pic.twitter.com/bYKOlWC8Ai

— Hashim Horne 🐢 (@_SoundTheHorne) February 6, 2026

There are a lot of forgotten Nats on that list! The WBC is such a special event that I had so much fun watching in 2023. Hopefully this WBC is just as exciting as the last one. However, I am rooting for America to come out on top this time.

Who is your favorite former or current Nat at the event and who are some guys that you totally forgot about that are participating? Let me know down below. Also, who do you guys think will win the WBC this year? Can Japan repeat, or will Team USA or the Dominican Republic be too strong? The WBC starts in about a month and the final is on March 17th in Miami.

The people have spoken and right-handed pitcher Yorman Gomez is our No. 18 Cleveland Guardians prospect for 2026. Gomez snuck through in a tight race, earning 22.9% of the vote, defeating the likes of the likes of Andrew Walters (17.1%), Austin Peterson (12.9%), Josh Hartle (20%) and Petey Halpin (10%).

Not every path to becoming a top prospect is a straight line. Gomez was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2019. Due to the lost COVID season, he didn’t make his pro debut until appearing in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, where he had a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts at age 18, striking out 23.3% of batters he faced.

Gomez made his stateside debut in 2022, posting a 3.76 ERA and a more impressive 3.49 FIP over 10 starts in the Arizona Complex League. The following season, he spent the entire year at Single-A Lynchburg where he made 25 appearances (22 starts) and had a 4.40 ERA. He repeated 2024 at Lynchburg, but earned a late promotion to High-A Lake County after 20 additional starts where he dropped his ERA to 3.81 and FIP to 3.75.

The talented right-hander took off as a prospect after adding some velocity this past offseason, which paid dividends across the board with all of his numbers. He began the year repeating at Lake County as a piggyback partner, pitching 4.0 or more innings of long relief after another starter began the game.

Gomez pitched so well out of the piggyback role that he was moved back to starting pitcher by early June and he continued to dominate. Over 17 appearances (six starts) at High-A spanning 76.0 innings, he had a 2.84 ERA and an elite 2.92 FIP. Gomez’z strikeout rate improved six percentage points to 27.3% while his walk rate was 9.5% with a rock solid 1.11 WHIP.

This earned Gomez a promotion to Double-A Akron for the final 1/3 of the season. He did not slow down while there, maintaining his improved strikeout numbers at 28.0% and not dropping his walk rate even one-tenth of a point, keeping it at 9.5%. Over nine starts spanning 45.2 innings, he had a 3.15 ERA and a career-best 2.50 FIP at Akron.

Gomez had been Rule 5 eligible for several years, but Cleveland protected him this past November by adding him to the 40-man roster. He’s now one of the team’s top starting pitcher depth options, although with two above average pitches and the ability to hit 97 mph, he could eventually be slated for the bullpen at the major league level.

Now, it’s time to determine who is number 19 in the Guardians’ loaded farm system and you now have a whopping 10 players to choose from! Your options are below:

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Robert Arias, OF (Age 19)
2025 (ACL) 198 PA, .287/.389/.402, 2 HR, 29 SB, 14.6 BB%, 11.1 K%, 116 wRC+

A top Cleveland international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2024, Arias has easily walked more than striking out and had a strong stateside debut last year in the Complex League.

Dauri Fernandez, SS (Age 18)
2025 (ACL) 176 PA, .333/.398/.558, 6 HR, 16 SB, 9.1 BB%, 12.5 K%, 147 wRC+
2025 (A): 24 PA, .273/.250/.318, 0 HR, 2 SB, 0 BB%, 12.5 K%, 57 wRC+

One of Cleveland’s top performers in the Arizona Complex League in 2025. Undersized, but makes solid contact and doesn’t strike out often. Earned a small taste of full-season ball at the end of the year.

Franklin Gomez, LHP (Age 20)
w/ Mets 2025 (A): 14 G, 82.0 IP, 1.85 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 21.4 K%, 11.7 BB%, 1.09 WHIP
w/ Mets 2025 (A+): 6 GS, 48.2 IP, 1.70 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 23.4 K%, 9.9 BB%, 1.83 WHIP

Acquired from the Mets in a trade for international bonus cash, Gomez lit up Single-A in his age-19 season, then improved his walk and strikeout numbers after being promoted to High-A.

Jacob Cozart, C (Age 23)
2025 (A+) 308 PA, .229/.344/.364, 7 HR, 0 SB, 13.3 BB%, 21.1K%, 106 wRC+
2025 (AA) 94 PA, .256/.330/.390, 2 HR, 0 SB, 8.5 BB%, 25.5K%, 113 wRC+

Selected as a defense-first catcher with some pop in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Cozart had above-average offensive seasons at both High-A and Double-A in 2025.

Petey Halpin, OF (Age 23)
2025 (AAA) 553 PA, .249/.321/.414, 14 HR, 15 SB, 9.2 BB%, 28.2 K%, 95 wRC+
2025 (MLB): 8 PA, .333/.500/.333, 0 HR, 0 SB, 25.0 BB%, 25.0 K%, 157 wRC+

Earned a cup of coffee in Cleveland last season after an average year at Triple-A at age 23. Impressed with five runs scored in just six games played with the Guardians.

Josh Hartle, LHP (Age 22)
2025 (A+): 22 GS, 103.1 IP, 2.35 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 24.0 K%, 8.9 BB%, 1.05 WHIP
2025 (AA): 2 GS, 10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 16.3 K%, 4.7 BB%, 1.50 WHIP

Acquired from Pittsburghin the Spencer Horwitz trade, Hartle was one of Cleveland’s most successful starting pitchers in its minor league system in 2025. Stands 6-foot-6, but doesn’t have a ton of velocity.

Austin Peterson, RHP (Age 26)
2025 (AA): 11 GS, 55.0 IP, 1.47 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 23.9 K%, 4.9 BB%, 0.84 WHIP
2025 (AAA): 15 GS, 90.2 IP, 4.27 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 20.2 K%, 7.8 BB%, 1.37 WHIP

Absolutely dominated Double-A to begin 2025 looking well on his way to repeating his tremendous 2024 season, but then struggled after an early-season promotion to Triple-A. Remains on the 40-man roster.

Gabriel Rodriguez, SS (Age 18)
2025 (ACL) 122 PA, .294/.393/.402, 1 HR, 11 SB, 12.3 BB%, 18.9 K%, 116 wRC+

One of Cleveland’s top recent international signings, Rodriguez put up strong offensive numbers in his stateside debut in his age-18 season in 2025. Expected to transition to full-season ball this year.

Andrew Walters, RHP (Age 25)
2025 (AAA): 12 G, 12.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.91 FIP, 46.0 K%, 18.0 BB%, 1.17 WHIP
2025 (MLB): 2 G, 1.1 IP, 13.50 ERA, 9.89 FIP, 33.3 K%, 0.0 BB%, 1.50 WHIP

Walters maintains his rookie status due to limited MLB appearances because of an injury in 2025. If he returns at 100%, he’ll once again be a factor in the back end of Cleveland’s vaunted bullpen.

Our list so far:
1. Chase DeLauter, LHH OF
2. Travis Bazzana, LHH 2B
3. Parker Messick, LHP
4. Ralphy Velazquez, LHH 1B/RF
5. Angel Genao, SH SS
6. Braylon Doughty, RHP
7. Cooper Ingle, LHH C
8. Khal Stephen, RHP
9. Juan Brito, SH 2B/1B/RF/3B
10. Jaison Chourio, SH OF
11. Kahlil Watson, LHH OF
12. Daniel Espino, RHP
13. George Valera, LHH OF
14. Jace LaViolette, LHH OF
15. Joey Oakie, RHP
16. Alfonsin Rosario, RHH OF
17. Juneiker Caceres, LHH OF
18. Yorman Gomez, RHP

Legendary Blue Jays announcer Buck Martinez’s career ends in the World Series.

Martinez announced his retirement Friday in a statement, citing that he and wife Arlene came to the decision that he should step away from the booth through conversations after the season.

He went on to thank the Blue Jays and their fanbase, along with Sportsnet, Toronto’s broadcasting partner. He added that he will miss taking selfies, shaking hands and seeing the smiles of fans everyday.

Legendary Blue Jays Broadcaster Buck Martinez Announces Retirement

Press Release: https://t.co/Rau43YzBG2pic.twitter.com/gqoDn9hg1p

— Sportsnet PR (@SportsnetPR) February 6, 2026

“I had hoped to be part of the 50th year of the Toronto Blue Jays but it’s time to pass the torch. Enjoy 2026 and beyond, I will see you down the road,” Martinez wrote at the end of his statement.

Before getting into broadcasting, Martinez enjoyed a 17-year MLB playing career.

From 1969-86, he batted .225 with 58 homers and 321 RBIs. His final six seasons were spent in Toronto after a trade to the Canadian franchise, which Martinez referenced in his statement.

“It’s hard to believe I came to Toronto in a trade in May of 1981, thinking that would be the end of a very good career,” Martinez said. “Little did I know that I still would be associated with the Blue Jays through the 2025 season.”

After retiring in 1986, Martinez immediately turned to the mic as the Blue Jays’ color analyst in 1987. He then spent a few years as the color commentator for the Baltimore Orioles’ broadcasts, even winning a Sports Emmy Award for helping broadcast Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,131st straight game.

In 2010, he returned to the Blue Jays and remained with the team before taking a leave of absence in 2022 to undergo treatment for cancer.

Last year, he came under fire for comments he made about the Yankees on a Blue Jays broadcast.

Following New York’s 10-run loss to the Detroit Tigers, Martinez eviscerated the Bronx Bombers’ playstyle, ultimately foreshadowing their eventual loss to Toronto in the playoffs.

“The Yankees — they’re not a good team,” Martinez said. “I don’t care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, they don’t run the bases very well. If they don’t hit home runs, they don’t have a chance to win.”

Martinez’s career with the Blue Jays ended in nearly the best way it could have.

Toronto made the World Series for the first time this century and fell one win — and two outs — away from downing the Dodgers in Game 7.

Now, Martinez will watch from the stands as Toronto tries to finish the job.

As we continue our Northwestern softball 2026 positional previews, it’s time to take a look at the outfielders. NU returns some top talent in the outfield this season, and it has also added some newcomers who will seek to make an impact. Let’s take a look.

Kelsey Nader, Senior

Put simply, Nader is a franchise cornerstone. She started every single game for Northwestern last season, batting .340 and putting up a team-high .454 on-base percentage. Last year proceeded an incredibly-prolific 2024 where she finished eighth in the Big Ten with a .375 batting average.

Nader is also reliable in center and right field, with no errors in each of the past two seasons, and she’s started nearly 150 games in her illustrious Wildcat career. She can be counted on as a steady lineup presence in 2026.

Isabel Cunnea, Junior

After a quiet first-year season where she started seven games and batted .250, Cunnea exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting a team-high .360 and starting in 47 of her 48 appearances. The junior outfielder doesn’t hit for quite as much power as many of her Wildcat teammates, but she makes up for it with speed and efficiency, and her .928 OPS was still good for third on the team among regular starters in 2025.

The Wildcats are also fortunate to have Cunnea’s presence back in left field, as she has not yet committed an error in her career. Nader and Cunnea are likely locks to hold down the fort in two of the outfield spots.

Avery Garden, Sophomore

Garden has the versatility to play almost anywhere in the field, and she showed that in 2025, making 34 starts in her first-year campaign. She wasn’t as efficient of a hitter as Nader or Cunnea, batting .245 overall, but there’s still plenty of potential for rapid growth in her sophomore season, as shown by Cunnea’s rapid rise last year.

The ‘Cats are fortunate to have Garden’s presence, as she gives them the outfield flexibility they need. Wildcat coach Kate Drohan could opt to give Garden time all over the field, and she could theoretically slot in at right field if Nader sees regular time in center. Because Northwestern’s infielder group is extremely deep in 2026, fans should expect to frequently see Garden as an outfielder or designated player.

Kate Dowden, Sophomore

Dowden made one start as a designated player last year, and barring an unexpected turn of events, she will likely be the fourth outfielder or a pinch-hit option for the ‘Cats in 2026. Dowden could still see playing time depending on where Garden slots in consistently, but the former will certainly have work to do to crack the starting lineup. The good news for Dowden is that she was efficient despite few plate appearances last season, picking up four hits in eight at bats (including a double and a triple).

Kate Renschen, First-Year

Renschen has a high-level bat and blazing speed, and she showed it in her senior season at Lake Central High School, racking up a .510 batting average and 36 stolen bases without committing a single error. Because of the depth that Northwestern has in the outfield, Renschen may struggle to gain initial playing time, but she certainly has the potential to jump into that third outfield spot at some point this year.

Abby Harvey, Graduate Transfer

Harvey is listed as a catcher/outfielder on Northwestern’s website, so she may not see a ton of time in the outfield, but she did show a lot of potential at Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA, batting .426 in her senior season. The lone transfer in Drohan’s upcoming class of newcomers, Harvey adds much-valued experience to this Wildcat squad, but it remains to be seen just how well she is able to adjust to Big Ten play.

Oswaldo Cabrera’s Yankees career started with him breathing a breath of fresh air into a floundering 2022 team that was well on its way to blowing a massive division lead, helping them right the ship. That 44-game stint that included a go-ahead home run in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS has turned out to be the highlight of his career to this point.

After two seasons where he struggled to take the reins in two different position battles (left field in 2023, third base in 2024), Cabrera suffered a season-ending ankle injury on May 12th in Seattle, destabilizing an already extremely shallow Yankees infield that was then forced to give serious reps to Oswald Peraza, DJ LeMahieu, and Jorbit Vivas.

Fast forward to 2026, and Cabrera, after spending his downtime being the positive locker room presence he’s known for, is expected to be ready to go when position players report later this month. After several moves fortified the Yankees’ infield, what’s next for the super-utilityman?

2025 statistics: 34 games, 122 plate appearances, .243/.322/.308, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 83 wRC+, 9.0 BB%, 20.5 K%, -1 Defensive Runs Saved, -1 Outs Above Average, 0.1 fWAR

2026 ZiPS DC projections: 44 games, 189 plate appearances, .230/.297/.350, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 83 wRC+, 8.2 BB%, 20.3 K%, 0.2 fWAR

Waldo was not a highly-touted prospect in the minor leagues, even as he won MVP in the Eastern League in 2021 while playing for Double-A Somerset. He brute forced his way to the big leagues, not being given a red carpet rollout like top prospects get across the sport. For that reason, the soon-to-be 27-year-old from Venezuela is a great story.

But ever since that 2022 season, he just hasn’t been able to do much with the bat. That 2023 season in particular, he looked nothing like he did in the minors or in 2022, changing his approach to go from someone who looks to lift and pull the ball to more of a slap hitter. His ISO, predictably, fell from .182 to .087.

Since then, he appears to have shifted to being between what he was in 2023 and 2022, which is a pretty mediocre backup. If that’s his role for the Yankees this season, that’s perfectly fine. His value is primarily on the other side of the ball.

Cabrera will enter 2026 as the team’s utilityman, at least to start. With José Caballero ticketed for a majority of reps at shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery, Cabrera will be used around the diamond. He’s most likely to be seen at second and third base, as well as left and right field, but don’t rule out reps at first base in a pinch (though if that happened, something went terribly wrong). His flexibility will be an asset, as he’s been solid wherever he’s defended throughout his career:

• 1B: 0 DRS, 1 OAA (74.2 innings)
• 2B: -4 DRS, 0 OAA (126.1 innings)
• 3B: 9 DRS, 3 OAA (972.2 innings)
• SS: -1 DRS, -1 OAA (103 innings)
• LF: -2 DRS, -1 OAA (402 innings)
• RF: 7 DRS, 0 OAA (483 innings)

The most intriguing part, though, is shortstop. There is a path for Cabrera to enter a full platoon with Caballero, but it will require him to prove he can be a serviceable platoon bat. He does hit better in his career against right-handed pitching (.660 OPS vs .579 OPS), but has been extremely inconsistent year-to-year. If he wants to be penciled into Aaron Boone’s lineup more often, he needs to be able to hit.

Here’s the problem. Everything he does, Caballero does better. Caballero is one of baseball’s best baserunners and can defend at a high level in both the infield and outfield. Although his torrid hitting post-trade is likely an aberration, he still possesses a greater offensive floor and ceiling. When push comes to shove, Caballero will get more opportunities than Cabrera.

So when Volpe returns from injury, assuming Caballero doesn’t Wally Pipp him, that’ll push Caballero into the super-utility role. Where does that leave Waldo? He has two minor-league options, so a return to Triple-A if he’s not hitting above his weight is possible, but it would be a blow to a locker room that loves him.

Cabrera, despite being the 25th or 26th man on the roster, might be one of the more intriguing. A good spring could have him in a true platoon role at shortstop while being a primary backup at multiple positions, but a slow start off of ankle surgery could have him reduced to emergency depth in Triple-A. There’s a wide range of outcomes for one of the most positive dudes in the clubhouse, and we’ll have to see if he can get back on track.

---

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

And just like that….we find ourselves at the end. After a rather fun week where we got to profile a lot of new intriguing players in the organization, we turn our focus to the top of the list. Players that come with the shine of being high round draft picks, big bonus international prospects, and the absolute steal that is Didier Fuentes. It’s been a really fun week rolling this out, and we genuinely look forward to connecting with you all this evening at 7 for our Q&A.

12-7 | 18-13 | 19-24 | 25-30 | Honorable Mentions

6. Tate Southisene – SS

How he got to the Braves: 2025 1st round pick (22nd overall)

The Braves took Tate Southisene in the first round this year out of his Las Vegas high school. The 5’11, 180-pound infielder is the brother of 2024 Cubs fourth rounder Ty – and they have a bunch of similarities –  but is considered a stronger prospect because he has more power in his game. Tate is a player who is considered to be average or above with all five tools, with his speed being his only true plus tool. He is a potentially above average hitter with a good approach and feel for hitting, and his average power can play up because of that. He’s an average defender with an average arm who will get a real shot to stick at short, but is athletic enough that some teams liked him as a center fielder going into the draft. In 66 plate appearances after signing with Augusta he hit .219/.242/.297 with a walk to 27 strikeouts – though it is a very small sample after making the jump from high school. Tate should be able to adjust after what he showed during his amateur career and MLB Draft Combine, but will likely need the whole year in Augusta in 2026. He is probably a full three years away from making a big league impact, but has the tools to develop into a solid every day shortstop for the Braves.

5. Diego Tornes – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2025 international free agent

The Braves have been searching for an elite position player prospect on the international side now, and reports currently favor Diego Tornes as the clear best of the bunch in the post-sanction era. After the disappointing returns on Luis Guanipa and Jose Perdomo there was a lot of hesitance in raving over Tornes after he received a $2,500,000 signing bonus out of Cuba last January, but he went to the Dominican Summer League and posted a performance that impressed both from a traditional and metrically-inclined perspective. Tornes has elite bat speed and produces eye-popping exit velocities, regularly clearing the 110 mph mark. He has the potential to anchor a lineup with his power potential, and he is able to generate his power and contact without an overly elaborate swing. This gives evaluators a belief he can be an average or better hitter as well, though high now his contact rates and in-game production trail a bit behind the eye test.

Concerns have been raised about his ability to maintain his speed into maturity and the likelihood he will have to move out of center field, though he has the offensive profile to project nicely into a corner if it comes to that. Tornes should get an opportunity to come stateside in 2026, giving us a better opportunity to see him against competent pitching and a larger sample size to work with. Tornes missed nearly 40% of his games last season. Tornes is the highest ceiling offensive talent in the system and could be the next elite hitting prospect, a profile which gives him huge helium in the ranking. Yet, he is also highly volatile (as is any 17 year old) and hasn’t proven himself against legitimate competition yet. Tornes’s profile will likely change significantly over the next calendar year, and he is arguably the most exciting player to anticipate going into 2026.

Cuban outfielder Diego Tornes (16) has officially signed with the Atlanta Braves.

Bonus deal: $2,500,000.

Trained by Alex Sanchez Academy, Tornes left Cuba in 2021 at the age of 13. A switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate. Five-tool player. pic.twitter.com/rQMRC0cgMS

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 15, 2025

4. Owen Murphy – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2022 1st round pick (20th overall)

The 2025 campaign for Owen Murphy could have simply been about getting him back on the mound. Recovering from Tommy John surgery, simply seeing Murphy back in action would have been a good enough win across the board. 

What ensued for the 22-year-old, however, exceeded even the greatest expectations as he reminded everyone why the Braves took him with their first round selection back in 2022. 

Murphy finally made his season debut on Aug. 2, tossing 3.1 innings is masterful ball in which he struck out eight batters and scattered just two hits. From that point forward, Murphy proceeded to dominate the competition as he got back into a familiar groove after being out of action for more than a year. 

In six starts for Rome, Murphy posted a dominant 1.32 ERA across 27.1 innings pitched. He also managed to strike out 26 batters and only walked six over the course of his outings while opposing hitters batted just .161 against him. 

Sure, it may have been a relatively small sample size of only six games, but the simple fact that Murphy seemed to return with little to no hiccups after his lengthy absence is very encouraging for one of Atlanta’s top arms. 

There’s no reason to rush Murphy, so there’s a strong likelihood he returns back to Rome for a few starts to make sure he’s in physically good shape before giving him the bump to Columbus for his first taste of double-A ball. Unlike other arms in the minors, there’s a legitimate chance we could see Murphy in Atlanta some time this season — depending on injuries and his individual performance. 

If he doesn’t make it to the big leagues this year, all eyes will be on him competing for a backend rotation spot in 2027 right out of the gate. 

3. Didier Fuentes – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2022 international free agent

Didier Fuentes had an incredible 2024 season, and he bankrolled his second-half momentum into a dominant 2025 that saw him blaze through the system in a fashion typical of top pitching prospects for the Braves. With that came the same pitfalls faced by many pitching prospects before him, as Fuentes made four major league starts and never looked ready for that stage with a 9.14 FIP over 13 innings. Fuentes struggled a bit to transition back to Triple-A after this disappointing stretch, but finished with two incredible outings at the end of the season totalling 11 innings with one run and two walks allowed while striking out 16 batters. Fuentes will be 20 still for much of the 2026 season, and will likely get a second shot to make a major league impact throughout the season. Fuentes operates with a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s with a low release point and average carry that is able to produce high whiff rates. He pairs that with a sweeper that projects to be below average, and he is working to develop a curveball and spliiter.

Fuentes showed potential for an average splitter throughout the 2025 season, but struggled with the shape and consistency of the pitch which made it difficult for him to rely on in games and got him hit hard. For Fuentes to stick as a starter the development of that pitch is key, as his fastball, command, and slider are already MLB-ready. Without the splitter it was difficult for him to approach major league hitters, who were able to key in on and exploit his high fastball usage and hit him hard especially late into outings. Fuentes has the athletic traits to develop plus command and continue to improve his splitter while potentially adding other pitches, but he is currently just a hair off from being a major league starter. For Fuentes, he is either going to drop significantly by midseason or graduate entirely, as if he shows the sort of success that will get him bumped up he is almost certain to earn a permanent major league spot.

2. JR Ritchie – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2022 CB-A pick (35th overall)

Coming off of Tommy John surgery JR Ritchie finished out with a solid series of starts to end 2024, but he raised significant questions when he showed well-below average velocity and struggled to snap off his sliders as well as he had prior to his surgery. When Ritchie showed upper-90’s velocity in his spring breakout performance that question immediately became secondary, and though his velocity did dip with regular work it was still higher and more consistent than it ever was prior to his surgery. His slider was still a tick below where it was at its best, and that may have hurt him later in the season when he struggled to find a consistent whiff pitch at the Triple-A level, but it looked solid and was paired with a much-improved changeup. His changeup was his best pitch at times in 2025, and his overall command and raw stuff improved over even where he was prior to surgery. Still, he had some trouble with inconsistency and walked too many batters, though many believe with more reps he has the athleticism to grow into above average command.

The Braves made changes to Ritchie’s delivery which gave him more carry on his fastball, improving its results, and with that he was able to diversify his arsenal by adding a sinker, a cutter, and a curveball. Right now his arsenal is a bit quantity over quality as none of his pitches has emerged as a clear plus offering, though his ability to command six pitches and force weak contact gives him a high floor.  Ritchie has no glaring holes in his game at the moment and is more in a state of needing seasoning across the board. His cutter in particular showed significant improvement throughout the season, and if he can see a bump from his slider or changeup, he could settle in as a mid-rotation starter this upcoming season. A true step forward from his slider and the consistency of his fastball velocity could even push that ceiling higher, but in any case Ritchie is on the right path to being a major league starter in the immediate future.

1. Cam Caminiti – LHP

How he gotto the Braves: 2024 1st round pick (24th overall)

Cam Caminiti was selected with the 24th pick of the 2024 MLB Draft and signed to an overslot bonus after many expected him to end up being a Top 10 pick. His first year got off to a late start thanks to a minor injury early in his spring, but he was excellent after making his first four decent rehab starts in the FCL. Over his 13 starts with Augusta he went 2-3 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts to 26 walks in 56.1 innings. Those numbers are especially impressive considering he didn’t turn 19 until August, as he was initially set to be a member of the 2025 MLB Draft, before a reclassification into the 2024 crop. Caminiti has a plus fastball that has previously touched as high as 98 MPH, a slider and change that can get swings and misses but will need to continue improving each, and an average curve. He will also be adding a cutter for this year and has solid command at present despite spending his prep career as a legit two-way prospect. He is expected to start the season in Rome, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he reached Double-A this year. The ceiling if he has everything come together is a top of the rotation arm, but he still has middle of the rotation potential even if he doesn’t max out.

Today we’re counting down the top five prospects in the Cubs minor league system. Because of the requests of some of you, I’m going to do today’s in reverse order. I’ll try it this year. If I don’t like it, I’m going back to the other way next year.

If you want to look back, here are the other four entries:

Introduction and 21 to 25

16 to 20

11 to 15

6 to 10

Because I know some of you are going to ask, I had made up a preliminary list that I was working off of at the time of the Edward Cabrera trade. When the deal was made, I had Owen Caissie as the Cubs’ number-three prospect. I was considering moving him up to two. It was a hard call. I can see the argument for making him the number-one prospect, but I don’t think I would have done that. So he would have been two or three.

I had Cristian Hernández at 20 when the trade went down, but I was really playing with the picks in the teens and I was strongly considering moving him up. Off the top of my head, I think putting Hernández at 15, give or take a place or two, would be the right call.

So with that said, here are my top five Cubs prospects.

5. Kevin Alcántara. OF. B:R, T:R. 7/22/2002. 6’6”, 188. Trade with Yankees (2021).

Alcántara has been around so long that it’s easy to forget he’s still only 23 years old. The scouting report on Alcántara is pretty much the same as it’s been the past five years. He’s a terrific athlete with great raw skills and a sky-high ceiling. He has plus raw power and plus speed. He’s a very good defensive center fielder with a strong arm who could be a Gold Glove right fielder. The only thing holding him back is a difficulty making consistent contact at the plate, particularly against breaking pitches from right-handers.

After making his major league debut at the tail end of the 2024 season, there were big expectations for Alcántara in 2025. Instead, he battled a nagging sports hernia for much of the season and seemed to be stuck in a holding pattern. Alcántara went through hot streaks and cold streaks in 2025 and finished with a line of .266/.349/.470 with 17 home runs and ten home runs over 430 plate appearances. That’s not bad, but we were all hoping for more.

There were some bright sides to that line. For one, Alcántara destroyed left-handed pitching in a way he had not done in previous years with a line of .320/.396/.588 versus southpaws. He also became slightly more selective at the plate and was able to draw a few more walks. And while it was a minuscule sample size, Alcántara didn’t look as overmatched in the majors in his brief cup of coffee with the major league team at the end of the season like he did in 2024. 

The downside is that he still swings at too many pitches out of the zone, especially curve balls from right-handed pitching. His strikeout rate of 29.8 percent in Iowa last year is scary high for a top prospect. He will probably always strike out a lot with that big body and big strike zone, but major league pitchers will be merciless on those weaknesses unless he can demonstrate that he can either lay off those pitchers or do damage against them. Alcántara’s ground ball rates also increased last year and his fly ball rates decreased. Maybe that was because he was playing hurt. Maybe it wasn’t. 

Despite the somewhat disappointing season, Alcántara did seem to make some progress in pitch recognition. Not enough, to be sure, but he was at least moving in the right direction.

Alcántara apparently got an extra option year, so that should give the Cubs the flexibility to let him build on the good parts of 2025 in Iowa, as well as work on eliminating the bad stuff. His defense and ability to hit left-handers would make him a good fourth outfielder right now, but the Cubs obviously have higher hopes for him than that. He has been around seemingly forever, so this is the year that Alcántara is going to have to prove to the Cubs that he can be their right fielder of the future. 

Here are some highlights of Alcántara in Iowa for the first half of last season.

4. Ethan Conrad. OF. B:L, T:L. DOB: 07/05/2004. 6’3”, 220. Drafted 1st round (2025) Wake Forest.

I have to keep myself from getting too excited about Ethan Conrad. The Cubs first-round draft pick last year has yet to make his professional debut after a season-ending shoulder injury during his junior year at Wake Forest. So all I have is the video that I can find online about him and those highlights get me very excited about Conrad. 

Ethan Conrad went to Marist College for two years where he was an elite talent in a small school. He hit .389/.467/.704 his sophomore season before going .385/.433/.486 in the wooden bat Cape Cod League that following summer. Those numbers had the the power four conference of Wake Forest and the ACC calling. Conrad was just as impressive there—.372/.495/.744 with seven home runs in 21 games before he suffered a season-ending injury to his left shoulder when he was diving for a ball. Unfortunately, the ACC regular season had just started when he suffered the injury, so those numbers were put up against non-conference competition that wasn’t much better than what he faced at Marist. In fact, two of those games were against Marist. Conrad did put up those good numbers in the competitive Cape Cod League and we know the Cubs place a lot of emphasis on results in the Cape. So it’s not like he has no experience with tough competition, but his resume is thin on that front.

Conrad is the kind of player that I fall in love with quite easily — the guy who is above-average but maybe not plus in every category. Maybe his arm rates out more as average, but the other four tools are in the 55 to 60 range on the 20-to-80 scale. Conrad has a simple left-handed stroke and features above-average contact skills. He only struck out 14 times in 97 plate appearances last season. He’s also getting better at identifying pitches and laying off stuff out of the zone. Conrad walked 18 times, which is more than he struck out. 

With good loft in his swing, Conrad projects out to be a 20-to-25 home run player. Some think that he still has room on his 6’3” frame to add a little more weight, which might push up his power totals some more. However, that could come at the cost of his above-average speed, which is an asset both on the base paths and in center field, where he’s an above-average defender. The Cubs are hopefully set in center field for quite a while, but Conrad projects out to be a very good defensive right fielder. His arm isn’t his best tool, but it’s at least average and good enough to play right. 

From all accounts, Conrad is fully healthy now and you can see video on social media of him working out in Mesa. He should make his professional debut in Myrtle Beach this March or, less likely, South Bend. There will be a lot of eyes on him in this season. There is always concern that his shoulder injury will linger and affect his swing, although that’s no more likely with Conrad than with any other hitter with a shoulder injury. His upside is a 25-25 above-average outfielder who will make a few All-Star Games. He has a very good chance to be the Cubs’ number-one prospect at this time next year.

Here are some highlights of Conrad playing for Wake Forest before he got hurt.

3. Jefferson Rojas. SS. B:R, T:R. DOB: 4/25/2005. 5’11”, 150. International Free Agent (2022) Dominican Republic.

On July 18, 20-year-old Jefferson Rojas was promoted to Double-A Knoxville. There he did something he’d never really done before: he struggled. Over 39 game in the Southern League, Rojas hit .164/.279/.205 with no home runs with the Smokies.

That’s not good, but I’m not overly concerned for several reasons. Rojas was promoted after having the best half-season of his career in South Bend. Over 67 games in the Midwest League, Rojas hit .278/.379/.492 with a career-high 11 home runs. He became a more selective hitter and drew walks at a career-high percentage of 12.7 with no real increase in his strikeout rate at 15.7 percent. Rojas also started to drive the ball much harder with more pulled contact in the air. 

Rojas also suffered a from poor luck in Knoxville, hitting just .211 on balls in play. Also, it was just 39 games at a new level. I won’t argue that it’s a good thing that he struggled here so that he learns to deal with adversity, but it did give Rojas a good sense of what he needs to work on over the winter. 

Rojas was also just 20 years old in Knoxville, which is very young for Double-A. In fact, throughout Rojas’ career he’s been either the youngest or one of the youngest hitters in the league. 

So overall, I’m not worried. At least not yet. What makes Rojas an exciting prospect is his above-average contact skills and growing power profile. He pulled the ball in the air a lot more in South Bend, which is a very good sign. Rojas hit left- and right-handed pitching roughly equally in 2025. Rojas is a smart baserunner, which allows his average raw speed to play up. He stole 19 bases in 22 attempts between the two levels last year. 

Defensively, Rojas has a strong arm and all the tools to stick at shortstop. He still makes some mistakes, which I chalk up more to inexperience than a lack of skills. Rojas could be a roughly average defensive shortstop, but he does have the arm to move to third base if necessary where he could be above average.

Rojas still doesn’t turn 21 until April, so he’s still quite young for his level. Obviously he has to demonstrate that the poor performance in Double-A last August was just a small speed bump on the road to Wrigley. If Rojas continues to improve like he did in South Bend last year, he’ll be a top 100 prospect at this time next year and he will be knocking on the door for his major league debut in 2027.

Some highlights of Rojas in South Bend.

2. Jaxon Wiggins. RHP. DOB: 10/03/2001. 6’6”. 225. Drafted 2nd round (2023) Arkansas.

Jaxon Wiggins is something the Cubs have not had in a long time — a big hard-throwing right-handed starter. Wiggins blew through three levels last year, starting the season in High-A South Bend and finishing the year in Triple-A Iowa. While he is not quite ready to make his major league debut to start the season, he certainly could be a fixture in the Cubs rotation down the stretch if he can stay healthy. That last caveat is certainly a big one, however. 

Wiggins has one of the best fastballs in all of the minor leagues. It sits at 95-to-98 miles per hour and has touched 100 on more than one occasion. It also has good arm-side movement. His second pitch is an 88-90 mph cutter/slider that grades out as a second plus pitch. His upper-80s changeup is a solid third pitch that plays well off of his fastball. He also has a curve that he rarely throws and even more rarely throws for strikes. It does, however, have a real “fall of the table” movement when it’s right. 

Wiggins has a very simple, whip-like pitching motion that should be easy to repeat. Of course, that didn’t stop him from getting hurt in college.

Despite blowing through three levels, Wiggins only threw 78 innings last season. The Cubs only let him make one start over a two-month period from mid-June to mid-August because of “arm fatigue” on his right arm, which is just two years removed from Tommy John surgery which cost him his junior season at Arkansas. They were also limiting his innings. After June 20, Wiggins did not make another start all season more than four innings and only one more than three innings. 

Between the three levels last season, Wiggins went 3-4 with a 2.19 ERA. He struck out 97, which works out to 11.2 batters per nine innings. He walked 36 men, which translates to a too-high but not terrible 4.2 per nine. He does have some control issues, which limits his upside at the moment. 

But that upside is still considerably high. With two plus pitches and a third solid one, Wiggins has number 2/3 starter potential. But there are some warning signs. Certainly his control, which abandons him at times, and his health give himself more reliever risk than a lot of pitchers with his talent. And then there is the possibility that I hate to mention, but the last Cubs prospect with a fastball this good was Brailyn Marquez. We hope history doesn’t repeat itself there, but it’s a possibility. Wiggins probably has as much upside as anyone in the system, but his downside should have us crossing our fingers. 

Wiggins only made three starts and threw just 9.2 innings in Iowa last year, so he’s certainly ticketed for a return to Des Moines to start 2026. From there, his major league debut is up to him. Cade Horton only made 11 starts in Iowa, and six last year, before he forced his way up to Chicago. History could repeat itself with Wiggins this year.

Here are some highlights for Wiggins from last year.

1. Moisés Ballesteros. C/DH. B:L, T:R. DOB: 11/08/2003. 5’8”, 195. International Free Agent (2021) Venezuela. 

Moisés Ballesteros can hit at the major league level and he can do it now. Of that, I have little doubt. Last year in Triple-A Iowa, Ballesteros hit .316/.385/.473 with 29 doubles, one triple and 13 home runs over 509 plate appearances. He struck out a minuscule 13.2 percent of the time and walked at 9.6 percent. That earned Ballesteros a September call-up to the majors, where he continued to hit to the tune of .298/.394/.474 with two home runs over 66 plate appearances over 20 games. 

It wasn’t just last year that Ballesteros hit. He’s hit at every level he’s been at throughout his minor league career. He rarely even has a bad month. Ballestros has excellent bat-to-ball skills and the ability to drive the ball hard to all fields. He is an aggressive hitter who maybe swings at more pitches than he should, especially out of the zone, but he’s a good enough hitter that he often either fouls those pitches off or gets a base hit off of them. His level swing is geared more towards line drives than home runs, but he hits the ball hard enough that some of them are going to clear the fences. His swing is especially tailored to take advantage of the short power alleys at Wrigley, like the time he hit his first major league home run right at Anthony Rizzo in left center.

As far as a pure hit tool goes, Ballesteros is the best Cubs prospect since Starlin Castro. His power projects out to be more slightly above-average at the moment, but it’s not inconceivable that he’ll add more lift onto his swing as he ages and goes from a 15-to-20 home run a year player to a 30 home run guy. I wouldn’t count on it, but it’s possible. In any case, he’s likely to add a ton of doubles.

Of course, you’re familiar with the downside to Ballesteros. He simply isn’t a good defensive catcher. While his raw arm strength is good, he struggles to get out of the crouch and takes way too much time releasing the ball. Opposing teams tend to run wild on Ballesteros. He only threw out 13 percent of baserunners trying to steal on him in Iowa last year. He also doesn’t block the plate well and he’s slow even by catcher standards, although he always hustles the best he can. The one thing Ballesteros does well behind the plate is deciding which pitches to challenge on the Automatic Ball/Strike system. That could be a plus with the majors adopting this system this year, but it doesn’t make up for all the other minuses.

Most of you are familiar with Ballesteros’ body by now and while he’s definitely slimmed down a bit over the past two seasons, he’s still a big man and all that getting up and down as a catcher is going to be hell on his knees eventually. Conditioning is going to be a key for him going forward.

Keith Law of The Athletic wrote last week that he thought Ballesteros was “OK” as a first baseman, and that may be a way of getting him some more at-bats. Most likely, he’s a designated hitter who plays occasionally behind the plate and at first base. Fortunately, he’s got the kind of bat that they you have to find a way to get into the lineup.

Some minor league highlights for Ballesteros.

And because it’s too fun not to re-live, here is Anthony Rizzo muffing Ballesteros’ first major league home run.

Thanks for reading! Please follow along with the Minor League Wrap all season long.

With the recent moves made by David Stearns and the Mets, the team’s starting lineup has finally come into focus. As everyone’s positions and roles have become more clear as a result, so has the bench situation for the Mets, and it’s looking to be a fairly strong group, though the DH position is one of the few places that still could be open to some interpretation for New York.

Last year, the Mets relied heavily on Starling Marte (when healthy) to man the DH spot, and with Mark Vientos’ subpar defense, he spent a lot of his time DHing as well. The bench mostly consisted of younger guys like Brett Baty, the now-traded Luisangel Acuña, and Ronny Mauricio taking turns shuffling between the minors and majors depending on their play. In addition, guys like Jared Young got a lot of playing time with the Mets. Behind the plate, Luis Torrens mostly manned the bench spot held set aside for the backup catcher, though Hayden Senger spent a lot of time in the majors as well when Torrens was filling in for an injured Francisco Alvarez.

This year, the DH spot is likely to be split between Baty and Vientos, neither of whom necessarily has a set position with the club. Stearns alluded to Baty getting a lot of time at a number of positions, something Joel Sherman’s recent article referenced, so you can expect to see Baty get some reps at third, second, and even a lot of action in left field, depending on how Carson Benge impresses in spring training and whether the club wants him to get some more time in the minors. However, if he’s still on the team come Opening Day, DH also makes a lot of sense. Vientos, meanwhile, doesn’t really have a home anywhere else. He’ll probably be expected to pick up a first baseman’s glove this year and could split time with Jorge Polanco (another guy who could spend some time at DH). However, should Vientos remain a Met, DH makes the most sense for him, since his bat is more valuable than his glove.

The Mets will also likely use the DH spot to give some guys a breather from the field. The club will probably try to get Juan Soto some at-bats at DH when they want to rest him in the field, and the same could go for Bo Bichette, who is learning a new position at third. Should Alvarez’s bat finally progress like the club is expecting, he would also be a solid candidate to start a game or so a week at DH, in order to keep his bat in the lineup while giving the defensively-superior Torrens some reps behind the plate.

As for the bench, the team will carry four guys (13 pitchers: six starters and seven relievers; 13 position players: nine starters and four bench players). Torrens has an automatic spot on the bench (with Senger serving as the emergency catcher on the 40-man roster, and Austin Barnes waiting to battle it out in spring training). From there, one of Vientos or Baty (whoever is not serving as Designated Hitter) also has a guaranteed spot on the bench. That leaves two openings: One for a fourth outfielder, and one for a utility player. On the former, Tyrone Taylor, now relegated to the bench after the Luis Robert Jr. trade, is going to be the main guy on the bench and see plenty of action (as mentioned, Baty will also get his chance in the outfield, especially in left).

That leaves one spot remaining to fill. The club recently acquired Vidal Bruján in a trade with the Twins, and as he played almost every position last season for Minnesota, he couple be a valuable asset for New York. He was a former top-100 prospect, but he has not enjoyed anything remotely resembling success in the majors. To date, he has hit .199/.267/.276 with five home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 54 wRC+ over parts of the past five seasons. Nick Morabito is on the 40-man, but that was mostly to protect him from the Rule V draft, and there’s little chance he snags a spot on the Opening Day roster.

So there are basically two options to compete with Bruján right now: Jared Young and Ronny Mauricio. Young hit .186/.234/.488 with four home runs in 43 at-bats last season. Young brings a lot of potential power, which is demonstrated in the fact that four of his eight hits left the yard. However, he doesn’t provide much beyond that, as his hitting overall is hardly something to write home about, and he’s mostly someone who would play outfield and DH, though he could see a little time at first two. That leaves Mauricio, who struggled in his first season back from a torn ACL. He hit .226/.293/.369 with six home runs in 168 at-bats for New York last year. Mauricio can play a number of positions, including second, third, and short, but with Baty around, he may be seen as redundant and not worthy of a roster spot. He also has an option left, so stashing him in Triple-A to start the year makes the most sense for the club as opposed to DFAing one of the other players.

The Mets could still acquire someone to play left field instead of rolling with Baty or Benge (they have been linked to guys like Lars Nootbar via trade and Austin Hays via free agency so far), which could change the equation in terms of the DH and bench spots. However, as things stand today, you can expect Baty and Vientos to split the DH duties on most days, and the bench to consist of whomever is not DHing, alongside Torrens, Taylor, and either Bruján, Young, or Mauricio. The safe bet is for Mauricio to start the year in Triple-A, giving Young and Bruján the leg up, unless the team makes another move to fortify their bench. All that said, you could make a case that the team’s bench is in a better spot than last year, while the production they receive at DH depends largely on how well Vientos rebounds from a rough 2025 (or how well Baty progresses at the plate after an up-and-down 2025 campaign).

Full 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters were announced on Thursday, and the Brewers have plenty of representation, with 14 players playing for eight countries, including a few of Milwaukee’s stars. Let’s take a country-by-country look at the Brewers participating in this year’s WBC.

Canada: Tyler Black & Rob Zastryzny

Tyler Black and Rob Zastryzny will both represent their home country of Canada.

Black, 25, was a competitive balance pick by the Brewers back in 2021 and has displayed strong plate discipline throughout his career. He broke through in the majors in 2024 and has had minimal success in the bigs, hitting .211/.357/.263 with three doubles, three RBIs, and five runs across 57 at-bats between 2024 and 2025. He’ll be looking to compete for an MLB roster spot this spring as a depth piece for the infield.

Zastryzny, 34 in March, was a second-round pick by the Cubs in 2013, making it to the majors with Chicago in 2016. He’s spent the last two seasons with Milwaukee, appearing in 35 games (four “starts” as an opener) with a 2.12 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 29 2/3 innings as a reliable left-handed arm. He previously played for Team Canada in the 2023 WBC, appearing in one game and allowing three runs over two innings of work (13.50 ERA).

Dominican Republic: Abner Uribe

Abner Uribe, 25, was an international signee out of the D.R. He made his debut with the Brewers in 2023, pitching to a 1.76 ERA over 30 2/3 appearances in the second half of the season. He struggled to open 2024, pitching to a 6.91 ERA over 14 1/3 innings before being suspended (which he served in 2025), demoted, and injured the remainder of the year with Triple-A Nashville. He bounced back in 2025, pitching to a 1.67 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 75 1/3 innings as one of Milwaukee’s most reliable bullpen arms.

Great Britain: Miles Langhorne & Jack Seppings

Miles Langhorne, 22, and Jack Seppings, 23, are both relative unknowns in Milwaukee’s minor league system. Both U.S.-born (Langhorne in Connecticut, Seppings in Minnesota), they’re both undrafted free agents who reached High-A Wisconsin in 2025

Langhorne, who went to college at Charlotte, pitched in 15 games with the Low-A Carolina Mudcats, sporting a 3.33 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings. After his promotion to Wisconsin, he made 12 appearances, striking out 15 over 14 innings with an 8.36 ERA.

Seppings, who went to college at Brown, debuted with Carolina in 2024, making three appearances with four earned runs over four innings (9.00 ERA). He then made 17 appearances with the Mudcats in 2025, pitching to a 3.46 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 26 innings. After being called up, he made 20 appearances with the Timber Rattlers, pitching to a 3.82 ERA and 25 strikeouts across 35 1/3 innings. Seppings was on the 2023 Great Britain WBC roster while still at Brown, though he didn’t make any appearances.

Italy: Andrew Fischer

Fischer, 21, was Milwaukee’s first-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2025 draft. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s top third base prospect, Fischer spent the second half of the 2025 season at High-A Wisconsin. Across 19 games with the Rattlers, he hit .311/.402/.446 with a homer, triple, five doubles, 10 RBIs, eight runs, and eight steals.

Mexico: Joey Ortiz

Ortiz, 27, was a fourth-round pick by the Orioles in 2019 before coming over in the Corbin Burnes trade. He had a solid rookie season in 2024, hitting .239/.329/.398 with 11 homers, 60 RBIs, 58 runs, and 11 steals over 142 games while playing above-average defense. Unfortunately, he was unable to repeat that performance in 2025, as just about all of his stats regressed in 2025. He’ll look to bounce back in 2026, starting with Team Mexico this spring.

Nicaragua: Stiven Cruz, Carlos Rodriguez, & Freddy Zamora

We’ll start this group with Carlos Rodriguez, 24, a sixth-round pick by the Brewers in 2021 out of Florida Southwestern State Junior College. He’s bounced between Triple-A and the majors the last couple of seasons. In 2025, he had a 3.82 ERA with 82 strikeouts over 77 2/3 innings with Nashville and a 6.52 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings with Milwaukee across four relief appearances. A member of Nicaragua’s 2023 WBC team, Rodriguez made one start with one run allowed (2.25 ERA) and three strikeouts over four frames.

Stiven Cruz, also 24, is another Nicaraguan right-hander in Milwaukee’s minor league system. He reached Double-A Biloxi in 2025, with 35 appearances (one start) between Wisconsin and Biloxi. Across 65 2/3 innings between the two levels, he had a 4.39 ERA with 63 strikeouts.

Freddy Zamora, 27, was Milwaukee’s second-round pick out of Miami in 2020. He hasn’t been able to put together a consistent track record thus far, but he did have a solid 2025 season with the Nashville Sounds. Across 104 games, Zamora hit .257/.353/.348 with four homers, 46 RBIs, 49 runs, and 13 steals.

United States: Brice Turang

Brice Turang, 26, is one of the headliners for Milwaukee, both because he’s one of the team’s top players and because he’s the lone U.S. representative from the Crew. A first-round pick in 2018, Turang has put together back-to-back solid seasons. After a defense-centric 2024 that saw him win the NL Platinum Glove Award, he took a slight step back defensively in 2025 but put it together at the plate, hitting .288/.359/.435 with 18 homers, 81 RBIs, 97 runs, and 24 steals across 156 games.

Venezuela: Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, & Ángel Zerpa

Jackson Chourio, 22 in March, is one of the many stars to watch in this year’s WBC. He’s put together a pair of solid MLB seasons thus far, appearing in 279 games while hitting .272/.317/.463 with 42 homers, 157 RBIs, 168 runs, and 43 steals as one of Milwaukee’s regular contributors.

William Contreras, 28, is another star on this roster as one of the top catchers in the league. He hit .260/.355/.399 with 17 homers, 76 RBIs, and 89 runs across 150 games with Milwaukee this year, and he’s a career .273/.357/.448 hitter over six MLB seasons.

Ángel Zerpa, 26, is one of the newest Brewers, joining the squad as the return for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears back in December. The lefty reliever spent the first five years of his MLB career with Kansas City, pitching to a 3.97 ERA with 150 strikeouts over 177 innings.

Buck Martinez has announced he is retiring from the broadcast booth:

It’s hard to believe I came to Toronto in a trade in May of 1981, thinking that would be the end of a very good career. Little did I know that I still would be associated with the Blue Jays through the 2025 season.

What a glorious season it was. It was a joy and an honour to be involved in each and every game through Game 7 of the World Series. Only one other outcome could have topped the fantastic year.

After the World Series, my wife Arlene and I had plenty of time to think about the past and look forward to our future. After many heartfelt conversations, we both decided it was time for me to step out of the booth and enjoy the years ahead.

It has been a fantastic journey with Sportsnet, the Blue Jays and the wonderful Blue Jays fans all over the world. Thank you all for embracing me and welcoming my family and me in a way that has made us feel like we are part of yours. I will dearly miss my working partners, the leadership at Rogers, and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club, all of whom made it so much fun to be at the ballpark talking about the game I’ve loved for my whole life. As to the fans specifically, I will miss the “selfies,” the handshakes and the welcoming smiles. I will never forget any of those, nor the unwavering support and generosity, which has meant more than words can say. I look forward to continuing to root for the Blue Jays along with you, and you’ll always be in my heart. My sincere appreciation to all of you.

I had hoped to be part of the 50th year of the Toronto Blue Jays but it’s time to pass the torch. Enjoy 2026 and beyond, I will see you down the road.

With the utmost gratitude and respect,

Buck Martinez

I know it is a minor thing, but I love that he spelled honour the Canadian way.

Dan Schulman said:

“From the first day I worked with Buck way back in 1995 right through Game 7 of the World Series, I couldn’t have asked for a better broadcast partner. No one worked harder, no one cared more,” said Shulman. “He’s one of the most significant figures in Blue Jays history, and someone who has meant the world to everyone he worked with at Sportsnet, both as a colleague, and even more importantly, as a great friend.”

The press release tells us that Buck worked more the 4000 games in the broadcast booth in two stints from 1987 to 2025 and that he has won an Emmy for his work during Cal Ripkens 2,131st consecutive game and another for Best Sports Analyst when he was working for the Orioles.

Buck joined the Jays in 1981, coming in a trade for Gil Kubski and played with the Jays until 1986, in a platoon with Ernie Whitt at catcher. We’ve all seen the play that effectively ended his career, when Phil Bradley of the Mariners ran him over at the plate. I’m glad that running over the catcher isn’t a play in baseball anymore.

Before the Jays, he played eight seasons with the Royals and three with the Brewers.

He went into broadcasting soon after that, with a year and a half as the Jays manager in between. He spent a few years working in the booth with the Orioles, but he returned to the Jays in 2010.

Congratulations on a great career, Buck. I hope you enjoy many years of retirement.