Category: Baseball

With twenty games left in Spring Training, it’s looking like the Guardians are going to be pushed to put their money where their mouths have been when it comes to not blocking young players.

All offseason, President of Baseball Operations, Chris Antonetti, and General Manager, Mike Chernoff, have been clear about the plan to fix the Guardians’ hitting woes of 2025 without spending a dime in major league free agency in the attempt to do so:

“As we looked at a lot of the external the possibility of external additions, one of the questions we continually have to ask ourselves is, ‘whose opportunity does this impede’”? – Chris Antonetti, 1/23/2026.

“We need to get better offensively. …we believe that growth and development can come from the guys we have in the organization.“ – Antonetti, 1/30/2026

“One of our key goals was not to impede players with the most upside (from playing in Cleveland). We saw a glimpse of what Chase DeLauter could do in the playoffs. George Valera and C.J. Kayfus also showed up pretty well at the end of the season.” – Chernoff, 1/30/2026

Right now, projected to be on the Opening Day Guardians’ roster, there are two players who have over 1,000 plate appearances who are blocking younger players with less experience, eager to prove themselves as more valuable major leaguers: Nolan Jones and Gabriel Arias.

I am not writing this post to criticize the Cleveland front office for believing in Jones and Arias and for giving them their fair shot. Two years ago, I believed Arias had shown enough to get his fair chance, and last spring, I agreed with the idea of bringing Jones on board in a weak outfield group to see if he could regain his 2023 form at the plate. However, over the past two seasons Jones has now put up a 71 wRC+ in 700 plate appearances and Arias has put up a 75 wRC+ in 634 plate appearances. Jones will turn 28 years old this season and Arias just turned 26 years old; neither is likely to experience a breakout at this point in their major league careers.

In Arias’s case, replacing him involves putting Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Rocchio is 10 and half months younger than Arias, has 100+ fewer plate appearances. He also finished 2024 with a league average 100 wRC+, while Arias finished with a 65 wRC+. There is still some slim hope remaining that Rocchio can be a league average bat – hope that no longer exists for Arias. So, the team needs to give Rocchio the reigns at shortstop and let him sink or swim, while also letting star prospect Angel Genao develop at short in Akron and, soon, Columbus. Most importantly, however, moving on from Arias with a designating for assignment, will allow the team to let Juan Brito try his hand as a full-time second baseman while the team allows Travis Bazzana to heat up at Columbus. Both Brito and Bazzana offer FAR more potential as hitters than either Arias or Rocchio and need to be featured in the Guardians’ lineup in 2026 as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Daniel Schneemann offers a perfect utility bat, capable of playing any position except catcher, and not someone who needs to be given regular plate appearances (ahem, PLEASE catch that last part, Manager Stephen Vogt). Additionally, should an injury take place with Rocchio, Milan Tolentino is having an excellent Spring Training, has an exceptional glove at shortstop, and should be capable of providing something similar to Arias’s career 76 wRC+ at the plate if called upon in a pinch. Arias is not needed on this team; while right-handed, he has a career 50 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. He also looked horrendous when asked to play outfield in the past, so he isn’t as good of an option as Schneemann in the super utility role.

As for Jones, bringing him back as an option in centerfield made sense this offseason, but spring training is making clear that keeping him as that depth is not a priority. Both Kahlil Watson and Petey Halpin have looked very good at the plate and in the field in center. It’s one week of Spring Training, so, please, don’t think I am saying either will be good major league players. However, neither has to be good to surpass average (at best!) defense in center and a 71 wRC+ at the plate provided by Jones these past two seasons. With Steven Kwan gamely taking on the challenge of center field, DFA’ing Jones allows the team to get good, solid looks at George Valera and Chase DeLauter, as well as allowing CJ Kayfus to work on his corner outfield skills in Columbus should either of the above players get hurt. If Jones were capable of hitting left-handed pitching, he’d be a roster shoo-in, but give me Stuart Fairchild and his potential for above-average centerfield play and career 106 wRC+ vs. LHP over Jones’s fielding and career 76 wRC+ against southpaws in the fourth outfielder role.

Finally, with the Guardians’ committed to Jones for $2 million for 2026, designating him for assignment makes it likely no team will claim him. Since Jones is short of five years of major league service time, Cleveland can option him to Columbus when he likely clears waivers and mix him into all three outfield positions there, hanging on to him for needed outfield depth. In effect, they will gain an option on a player who has potential to be a league average bat against RHP and a playable fielder in center. That’s worth retaining… but not at the expense of a roster and lineup spot needed to give exciting, young players like Valera and DeLauter a real chance at establishing themselves.

If the Guardians start the season – as I expect they will – with Jones and Arias on the roster, I will be disappointed. I know, I know… it’ll probably just be for the month of April, but April games count just as much as September games. The reps that players like Brito, Bazzana, Valera and DeLauter could get in April can help them work out early struggles to be prepared for summer success. Nothing against Jones and Arias, personally, as both seem like good dudes, but we need to be clear-eyed about what is best for this team. Giving further opportunities to two players who are extremely unlikely to be above-average major league contributors would be a mistake, given the strategy that Cleveland has espoused publicly all offseason.

The Braves, as they are required, released their 2025 financial results on this past Wednesday. Revenue was up 18% despite the nightmare 2025 season on the field, powered by countless injuries, Alex Verdugo, and Scott Blewett. The Braves have cobbled together commercial real estate, concerts and shows, Banana Ball, parking and oh yes, a Major League Baseball franchise playing 81 games at home and broadcasting 162 regular season games plus Spring Training. If this is all new to you and you’re not familiar with how the Braves get their money outside of ticket sales, please check out this article that has much more background. We’ll look at some of the numbers but first, a brief aside.

No one at Battery Power is going to talk you into buying, selling, or holding financial instruments. Battery Power is interested in a millimeter-level understanding of each and every facet of the Braves organization. That’s why we cover the financials, and we love reporting all of it to you. Also, even if I had a take on a stock don’t listen to me, but rather you should make your own decisions about your financial needs.

Top-Line Numbers

From the release:

• Total revenue grew to $732 million in 2025, up 11% from the prior year.
  • Baseball revenue increased 7% from the prior year to $635 million.
  • Mixed-Use Development revenue grew 45% from the prior year to $97 million.
• Total Adjusted OIBDA [Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization] grew to $108 million in 2025, up 172% from the prior year.
  • Baseball Adjusted OIBDA grew to $51 million in 2025, an increase of over $44 million from the prior year.
  • Mixed-Use Development Adjusted OIBDA grew 51% from the prior year to $69 million.
• Operating income (loss) improved by $26 million to $(14) million, down from $(40) million in the prior year.

The Braves somehow increased baseball revenue this year over last. The Braves had 1800 fewer attendees per game in 2025. But the former streaming option, the Apple TV deal, and Banana Ball helped fill the gap. Premium seating options also help reduce the need to fill every seat.

However, the big difference is the Mixed-Use Development revenue. It increased to a financial-analyst-mouth-watering 45 percent in 2025. There are very powerful and innovative tech firms that don’t increase their revenue 45 percent year to year. Mixed-use development is rental income from The Battery Atlanta, parking-and-tenant-flush Pennant Park, and Truist Park and The Roxy events and concerts.

What’s an impairment charge?

The Braves took an operating loss of $40 million in 2024, but it was $14 million in 2025. But actually, they made money, depending on how you look at it. The Braves took a $30 million impairment charge due to the loss of the contract between their Fanduel-branded television partner Main Street Sports Group, formerly known as Diamond Sports Group. My understanding of impairment charges is when a company has something of value that they thought was worth one amount, but it was worth significantly less later.

So the broadcasting contract was worth $30 million dollars to them, but it’s worth nothing now. But as we have covered here, giving up their contract and going their own way is their more lucrative destiny. But in the financial world, the bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. Although in reality, the Fanduel spoiling fish in the hand is worth less than the three fresh BravesVision ones on a stringer.

Accounting methods are weird, and full of guesses, goodwill, and estimation. But bottom line, the Braves would be up 16 million dollars on 732 million dollars in revenue without the impairment charge. This is pretty good overall for a sports franchise.

The taxing 162 million dollar problem

Since the Braves are a publicly traded company, one of the advantages is that we can get better clarity into their financials. But that comes at a cost. Turns out, it’s easier to claim IRS tax writeoffs as a private-held company versus a public one. Per Investment News/Bloomberg:

Privately held teams like the New York Mets, owned by Point72 Asset Management founder Steve Cohen, and billionaire John Middleton’s Philadelphia Phillies, won’t get hit by the tax. The Mets, for example, can deduct every dime paid to outfielder Juan Soto, a free agent lured from the New York Yankees with a record-setting $765 million, 15-year contract.

[Atlanta]’s five most generously compensated players are set to collectively earn $96 million in 2027 — the year the new rule limiting salary deduction for all but $1 million of each of the top five most highly compensated players’ pay.

That amounts to a potential $19.1 million tax hike on the Braves, assuming a 21% corporate tax rate. The team paid $4.2 million in federal income taxes in 2024, according to a regulatory filing. 

Terry McGuirk was asking in a winding question about this issue. He said that the Braves know which “162M issue” that was asked. He declined to comment, saying that the Braves are weighing their options on how to proceed. They have been lobbying Congress on this issue, but analysts feel this may be unsuccessful.

Ticket sales are very robust

Per the Braves:

Heading into the 2026 season, we were encouraged by strong ticket demand, having already sold more than 1.9 million tickets across seasons, groups, hospitality packages, and single-game inventory. Our premium clubs continue to be sold out, and there is a robust wait list on all season product offerings exemplifying one of the most sought-after season ticket memberships in MLB…

I believe the 2026 premium options (the club seats, private boxes, and suites) were already sold out in October. But the Braves did update us, saying that these are booked solid. On top of that, they have sold 1.9 million overall tickets for 2026. That’s over 57% of the inventory before the season has started. That’s also 23,170 tickets per game sold, which is around 3500 fewer attendees than in 2025. Seems like even after the reported price hikes, fans are buying as if 2025 was a fluke.

Total number of tickets sold doesn’t necessarily tell you everything about revenue, as I reported three months ago:

It would be helpful if you’re trying to put a valuation on the stock if you knew what the price per ticket is, especially since most of their income comes from ticket sales. But I don’t think it’s as easy as average ticket price anymore.

Sports teams are able to price the premium seating behind home plate, in the suites, and in the club level differently. You can raise much more money from this clientele that the rest of us. The New York Knicks make more profit from a floor seat than some entire sections of the regular seating. So it doesn’t make sense to compare the two.

BravesVision revenue won’t show up in financials until next quarter

The Braves announced BravesVision the day before they announced earnings. It’s almost like they expected to get a lot of questions about it. They did tell us that the revenue won’t be reported until Q2, aka three months from now. The BravesVision release did announce a lot of questions, though. However, cable viewers are left in the lurch for the time being. But they could announce cable deals this week, so stay tuned.

Parking and concerts matter, everybody

The Braves took a lot of stick for purchasing Pennant Park. This was not great timing of optics after being pretty quiet in free agency. And then in April, the Braves were terrible out of Opening Day and Jurickson Profar was suspended for PEDs. But honestly, it was the right move. If they want to increase their earnings, they have to buy and enhance properties. They need to collect rent and charge for parking. Truist Park is in one of the busiest places in Atlanta. Parking is at a premium, and the Braves are there to collect.

From the Braves:

Our mixed-use development revenue was $97 million in 2025, a $30 million increase from $67 million in 2024. This was primarily driven by a $27 million increase in rental income due to new lease commencements and in-place leases acquired with Pennant Park and to a lesser extent, sponsorship and parking revenue… Our tenants collectively achieved a new annual sales milestone of approximately 137 million across just 30 doors, which we believe ranks among the most successful mixed-use operations… In 2025, we welcomed nearly 9 million visitors to the battery, mostly in line with our levels from 2024, even as baseball attendance was softer last season.

The Braves are a baseball club and also practically a real estate investment trust. Don’t make me tap the sign. It’s boring, but mixed-use development is where they profit the most. And to be honest, they could double their hotels, shops, restaurants, and parking outside the ballpark and still have room to grow.

Event hosting on the Braves’ properties is strong. They said there were 380 total events and concerts in 2025. And of these 147 were held at the Coca-Cola Roxy, 144 on the common areas, and 95 Truist Park events.

Banana Ball is a gold mine

The row of revenue known as “other” increased 25% this year. Per their statement, “Other revenue increased primarily due to an increase in events held at Truist Park, including concerts and other special events such as hosting two games for the Savannah Bananas.” They made $9 million more through special events at Truist Park. The Savannah Bananas were in town for two games. This May, they are back for three games.

Debt up yearly, down quarterly

The Braves paid off 21 million dollars in debt this last quarter. Their long term debt is up slightly more than 10 million dollars. Pennant Park cost the Braves 93 million. If you assume the Braves debt obligations are 21 million in a three-month period (as is the case with fixed payments), they have made 84 million dollars in debt payment this year. They did this without touching their revolving debt (kind of like a line of credit) and actually pay it down by 25 million.

So they effectively made almost one Pennant Park-sized property worth of debt payments this year. They appear to have the head room for more purchases. Another way to look at it is that in seven or so years, they can be debt-free. With zero debt payments, they could have pay 84 million dollars worth of players.

Braves look to be strong financially overall

Eleven percent revenue growth is great. They had the headroom to increase the payroll, and they’ve done it. They may not be done (please don’t be done, please don’t be done) and if they aren’t, they have the funds to cover it. I’m excited to hear about BravesVision and the numbers behind that. Also, the back-of-the-envelope math suggests that divisional round playoff home games are worth around 7-8 million. You know, just in case the Braves are looking for more revenue growth opportunities.

Perusing former big leaguers as one does and Jose Guillen fascinates me. A freak athlete with a ridiculous arm, he was utterly terrible for the first few years of his career. From 1997-2002, he had -6.1 fWAR, easily the worst of any player over that stretch of time (next closest was Neifi Perez, -3.8 fWAR).

Then from 2003-2005, Guillen produced 10.0 fWAR and had a 124 wRC+.

Funny how this game works.

There will be MLB.tv coverage of the games today with the Pirates broadcast available, along with the Pirates radio feed.

First pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates is at 1:05 at LECOM Park

Today’s highlight package is from June 29, 2008 when the Devil Rays took on the Pirates

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, March 2, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Watch: Sportsnet Pittsburgh

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are hosting the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time this spring in hopes of sending the fans in Bradenton home happy.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s games. Enjoy!

The single most important Kansas City Royal player in 2026 (non-Bobby Witt Jr. division) is Jac Caglianone by a mile. Cags’ rookie campaign in 2025 was a disaster; he didn’t hit well, he didn’t field well, and the end result was a negative Wins Above Replacement campaign. But those results were incongruous with Cags’ immense talent, and no other Royal has the power and potential that Caglianone does.

So it’s been somewhat of a relief to see the large man absolutely tear the cover off the ball in the first few games of Spring Training.

As I type this, Cags has 17 Spring Training plate appearances. He has gotten on base 10 times, which, lol. That’s split between six hits and four walks against only two strikeouts. Caglianone is also displaying his most important skill: elite exit velocity. The harder you hit the ball, the better your result at the plate. The above video is an example of what happens when he elevates and connects with his bat (IE, home runs; big, gigantic, towering dongs).

But it’s not just the home runs that Caglianone has been unleashing so far. A few days ago, Caglianone hit a ball 120 (!!!) miles per hour for a resounding double. The list of players who hit a ball harder than that last year in the regular season is two: Oneil Cruz and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. 

Now, I will be the first to say that Spring Training stats should always be taken with a grain of salt. Players are warming up, they’re working on specific aspects of their game, and rosters are stuffed with Minor League guys on both the pitching and hitting side. And that’s to say nothing of the Small Sample Size problem, which is a thing even in the regular season. A great 17 plate appearances only count for, well, to 17 plate appearances.

And yet, Spring Training is where hope lives. I also think that the mental side of baseball goes underappreciated by many. Last year, Caglianone learned a new position, played on two minor league teams, and made his MLB debut–all one year after being drafted out of college. A little Spring Training success, in other words, may be contagious. 

Our trip through each AL West rival continues this week with a look at the Oakland Sacramento Las Vegas Athletics. With a target arrival date in Las Vegas of 2028, this period of limbo for the Athletics is a crucial time to set the foundation for a competitive ballclub by the time they arrive in the desert. Playing in Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento certainly has its challenges — the team’s pitching staff allowed nearly a full run more per game at home than they did on the road — but that same hitter-friendly environment absolutely bolstered their position players.

If there is one reason to fear the A’s in 2026, it’s because they’ve assembled one of the most dangerous young lineups in baseball. Last offseason, they signed Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler to long-term contract extensions. This winter, they locked up Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson to a pair of seven-year contract extensions. Along with Rookie of the Year winner Nick Kurtz, this quintet should form the core of the next great Athletics team, and all of them are signed or under team control through at least 2029.

In 2025, the A’s had the 12th best offense in baseball by runs scored, 10th best by wRC+, and eighth best by wOBA. At home in their cozy little minor league ballpark, they sported a .331 wOBA, though that mark dropped to .317 while on the road. As far as home/road splits go, the A’s weren’t as extreme as teams like Rockies or Mariners, which is a testament to the quality of their batters.

With the strength of their team clearly established, the Athletics spent this offseason adding around the margins of the roster and improving their depth.

Notable Transactions

Out: OF JJ Bleday, UTIL Max Schuemann
In: 2B/OF Jeff McNeil, INF Andy Ibáñez, UTIL Justin Riemer, 1B Joey Meneses, INF Michael Stefanic
Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite

The biggest move the Athletics made this offseason was bringing in Jeff McNeil in a trade with the Mets just before Christmas. He had fallen out of favor in New York after a couple of injury-plagued seasons in 2024 and ‘25, undergoing thoracic outlet surgery this offseason to relieve an issue in his shoulder. He’s playing out the final season of his four-year extension he signed in 2023, though he does have a $15.75 million club option for next year. I have a hard time seeing the A’s pick up that option, especially since they have Leo De Vries quickly pushing for a debut within the next couple of seasons.

Andy Ibáñez had a bit of an interesting offseason; he was non-tendered by the Tigers in November, signed a major-league deal with the Dodgers in January but was designated for assignment just a month later — ostensibly to sneak him through waivers so that Los Angeles could stash him in Triple-A. The Athletics swooped in with a waiver claim and now he’ll serve as a right-handed utility infielder for them. It’s not that impactful of a move, but Ibáñez mashes left-handed pitching (career .335 wOBA vs. LHP) and can reasonably play almost everywhere on the field.

The Lineup

Order/Role	Player	Age	Position	Bats	PA	wRC+	Fld	WAR
1	Nick Kurtz	23	1B	L	616	137	-1.6	3.6
2	Shea Langeliers	28	C	R	524	117	-8.6	2.7
3	Tyler Soderstrom	24	LF	L	588	114	-2.1	2.1
4	Brent Rooker	31	DH	R	665	130	0.0	3.1
5	Jeff McNeil	34	2B	L	581	110	-1.6	2.6
6	Jacob Wilson	24	SS	R	616	113	-2.3	3.5
7	Lawrence Butler	25	RF	L	588	104	3.5	2.5
8	Max Muncy	23	3B	R	322	90	1.4	1.0
9	Denzel Clarke	26	CF	R	420	85	3.1	1.3
BN	Colby Thomas	25	OF	R	259	98	1.1	0.7
BN	Andy Ibáñez	33	INF	R	245	89	0.3	0.5
BN	Austin Wynns	35	C	R	166	79	0.3	0.5
BN	Darell Hernaiz	24	INF	R	147	92	0.2	0.5

It took a while for Nick Kurtz to acclimate to the majors after getting called up on April 23, but about a month into his big league tenure, he collected three home runs in two games on May 20 and 21. From that point through the end of the season, he was the best hitter in baseball — yes, better than Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Cal Raleigh. He wound up blasting 36 home runs — including a historic four home run night on July 25 — and easily won the AL Rookie of the Year award for his efforts.

If Kurtz hadn’t erupted in late May, it’s quite possible Jacob Wilson would have won the award anyway — he wound up getting second place behind Kurtz’s unanimous selection. These two players are polar opposites. While Kurtz produces some of the most potent damage on contact in baseball, Wilson relies on elite bat-to-ball skills to put the ball in play more than nearly any other player in baseball. But rather than a prototypical slap-dash approach, Wilson can produce a bit more power than you might expect from someone with just a 24.7% hard hit rate; he surprisingly hit 13 home runs last year! The tiny stadium in West Sacramento certainly helped, but if he elevates to his pull side, he can muscle out a few long balls just over the left field wall.

And then there are the breakout kids Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom. During the second half of the season, Langeliers was the best hitting catcher in baseball. He managed to cut his strikeout rate by 7.5 points thanks to a career-high contact rate. His contact quality was already excellent, so more balls in play meant a lot more hits. As for Soderstrom, the A’s finally settled on a permanent position for him — left field — and he responded with a huge season at the plate. As a prospect, he was always known for his bat rather than his defensive prowess behind the plate. The challenge, then, was finding a way to get his bat into the lineup without any defensive lapses. The outfield grass turned out to be a good fit as he turned in an above average season in the field.

While those four youngsters enjoyed tremendous success in 2025, it wasn’t such smooth sailing for Lawrence Butler. He struggled to follow up his big breakout in ‘24, seeing his strikeout rate spike up to 28.4% and his power output drop a bit. He had the opposite problem as Soderstrom; his contact rate fell by 5.5 points and fewer balls in play, despite excellent contact quality, meant fewer hits. Brent Rooker also struggled to replicate his massive ‘24 season last year. I actually think he was a bit unlucky to post a 122 wRC+; his plate discipline metrics have significantly improved year-over-year the last three seasons and his contact quality remained excellent, if a little less excellent than in his breakout season. Even though it feels like he’s been around forever — he’s the elder statesman of the A’s core at 31 years old — he’s only been a full-time player for three years.

With seven positions filled by fantastic regulars, third base and center field are a bit of a question mark for the A’s. Max Muncy — no, not the Dodgers’ Max Muncy, the other one — is penciled in at third base, but Darell Hernaiz, Carlos Cortes, or Zack Gelof could see some time there throughout the season. There are fewer options in center field. Denzel Clarke is a phenomenal defender in the middle of the park but there are real questions about his bat. He ran an untenable 38.4% strikeout rate in limited action last year, though he does have a bit of pop if he can ever make contact. Colby Thomas is more suited for an outfield corner and has the same concerns about his bat as Clarke. It’s possible the A’s would slide Butler over into center if Clarke’s bat falters, but I think they’d prefer the elite defender to find a way to stick in the majors.

I’m running out this morning, so I’m posting this early.

The Red Sox are coming to Dunedin for a 1:00 Eastern game.

There are a number of regulars (or at least guys likely to make the roster) in the lineup today. And Cody Ponce is starting, so there are reasons to watch.

Max Scherzer has made it to camp. The team is likely to announce his signing tomorrow. They say he could make his first spring game on Saturday, which surprises me.

And tomorrow, WBC exhibition games start. Team Canada will play the Blue Jays tomorrow at 1:00 Easter. Canada plays their (real) first game on Saturday against Columbia. It will be an 11:00 am Eastern time. The US plays their first game Friday.

And Ben Cowles was taking by the Cubs off waivers. I didn’t hear that he had been DFAed, but they needed 40-man space for Max Scherzer. I had figured that Anthony Santander would be placed on the 60-IL.

Good morning, baseball fans!

San Francisco Giants Spring Training baseball is in full swing, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck this week.

First up, the Giants will hit the road to take on the Chicago White Sox at 12:05 p.m. PST this afternoon. This will be the only road game until the weekend.

Get ready for a real treat on Tuesday as the Giants welcome the World Baseball Classic Team USA to Scottsdale Stadium for an exhibition game at 12:05 p.m. PST. This game will be a nationally televised broadcast, so you can watch it on ESPN or listen on KNBR.

Wednesday will feature a match-up against the Seattle Mariners at 6:05 p.m. PST. This game will also be televised, this time on NBC Sports Bay Area.

No game on Thursday.

Friday will feature a match-up against the Cincinnati Reds, starting at 12:05 p.m. PT.

Saturday will be a split squad day, with the travel squad taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks starting at 12:10 p.m.. The home squad will take on the Texas Rangers at 12:05 p.m., and this game will have multiple options to tune in. It will be on KNBR for those who want to listen on the radio, NBC Sports Bay Area for our local fans and it will also be on MLB Network (out-of-market only).

The Giants will wrap up the week on the road as they take on the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST. This will have a MLB Network broadcast, but only for out-of-market fans. Local fans can tune in on KNBR.

Baseball fans, March is finally here. Real baseball is right around the corner. Let’s celebrate it by taking a little time to look at MLB Pipeline’s updated top 30 Atlanta Braves prospects.

Our rollout of the 2026 Top 30 Prospects lists begins!

Here are the brand-new lists for all AL & NL East clubs: https://t.co/KcSvpihlcJpic.twitter.com/OEBxk9wsB9

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 2, 2026

Taking a look at the list and a lot has changed. Didier Fuentes rises from 7th all the way to 3rd on the list. Owen Murphy came back from Tommy John surgery and rose from 8th to 6th. Luke Sinnard, after his breakout season, went from 16th overall to 11th. Interestingly, despite the increased velocity from Garrett Baumann, he dropped from 6th overall to 12th to start the year. There was no bigger fall than Jose Perdomo who went from the 15th overall prospect down to 25th after his first full season of baseball where he struggled at complex ball. David McCabe, the former top positional prospect in the organization according to many, has fallen of the top 30 entirely.

There were some new additions to the list as well. Isaiah Drake came in at 30th overall after his successful season last year, while Raudy Reyes debuted at 29th. Dixon Williams comes in at 28th overall after a strong 2025 season where he had a 150 wRC+, though did still have a near 30% strikeout rate. Also debuting on the list is newly signed international free agent Jose Manon, who comes in at 27th, while Patrick Clohisy and his 100 steals last year help him make the list at 26th. Owen Carey was not ranked to start the year in 2025, but found himself at 19th overall after he hit .258/.330/.345 across 117 games played. Right behind him is 20th round pick Eric Hartman, coming in at 20th overall.

While some of the rankings are interesting to say the least, what we do have is a clear addition of several position prospects within the Braves top 30 – something that has lacked for the past few years. As this core of young Braves continue to develop, along with the addition of the 9th and 26th pick in the upcoming MLB draft, as well as the potential signing of the talented Alfredo Sena next year it’s time to start getting excited about the future of the Braves once again.

Yordan Alvarez makes his 2026 Grapefruit League debut today for the Astros.

Houston Astros (1-6-2) host the Washington Nationals (5-3-2) today in Grapefruit League action.

RHP Hunter Brown will make his second start of the Spring today. He hurled 2.0 scoreless innings in his first start on Feb. 25 at MIA. Brown, who will be the Astros 2026 Opening Day starter, established himself as one of the top starters in the Majors in 2025. For the season, he was 12-9 in 31 starts with a 2.43 ERA with 206 strikeouts in 185.1 innings of work.

Among AL starters, Brown ranked second in ERA and Quality Starts (21), third in strikeouts (206), fourth in WHIP (1.03) and fourth in pitch­ing WAR (4.8). For his efforts, he was named to his first All-Star team and finished third in the voting for the AL Cy Young Award. Brown also earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors for June (1.19 ERA, .130 opp. avg.). He also had a 28.0-in­ning scoreless inning streak in 2025.

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP J.P. France, RHP Hudson Leach, LHP Steven Okert, LHP Bennett Sousa, RHP Logan VanWey.  

ASTROS-NATS: Today is the third of six scheduled meetings between the Astros and Nationals this Spring. HOU is 0-1-1 thus far vs. WAS. The two clubs will meet in the regular season for a three-game series, July 6-8 in Washington.

ROSTER MOVES: This morning, the Astros reassigned IF Edwin Diaz and C Will Bush to minor league camp. The Astros now have 64 players in camp, including a full 40-man roster and 24 non-roster invites – 36 pitchers, seven catchers, 12 infielders and nine outfielders.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, March 2, 12:05 p.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.

TV: No Local Broadcast

Streaming: MLB.tv (audio only)

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

Some big boys in the lineup for Nationals at Astros, including Yordan Alvarez for the first time this spring pic.twitter.com/QiX15dCDMf

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 2, 2026

josiah bump day! pic.twitter.com/ShX4g637P2

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 2, 2026

Today we look at one of the Cubs’ veteran relievers.

Phil Maton has been around for a minute. He was drafted in the 20th round by the Padres in 2015, and debuted with the same club two years later. He’s piched for six teams over nine years, having amassed 23 wins, 20 losses, boasting a 3.98 ERA, 10 saves, 539 strikeouts, and 183 bases on balls during that period, over 471.2 innings spanning 487 games. He has gathered 2.2 bWAR (3.6 fWAR) and has been used as a middle/short/setup man, so he has a little versatility.

Most of his WAR come from his 2025 season, which is good news for the Cubs, and perhaps the soon-to-be 34-year-old can keep Father Time away for another season.

Maton does not throw a fastball. Instead he has a curveball, cutter, sweeper, and sinker. The curve and cutter are his main pitches, with the cutter and sinker coming in around 90 mph and the curve and sweeper at 75.9 and 83.6 mph.

He’s likely to be a bullpen stalwart. Of course that will depend on his degree of success but his track record speaks for itself.

Fun fact: When he makes his Cubs debut he will be the first player in franchise history to wear No. 88.

This morning, MLB Pipeline released their updated top 30 prospect list for the Washington Nationals. There were some interesting risers and fallers, as well as some useful tidbits in their write-ups. The new rankings give us a better understanding of how the system is viewed at the current moment. Unsurprisingly, Eli Willits ranks number one, but there are some unique rankings down the board.

Our rollout of the 2026 Top 30 Prospects lists begins!

Here are the brand-new lists for all AL & NL East clubs: https://t.co/KcSvpihlcJpic.twitter.com/OEBxk9wsB9

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 2, 2026

MLB Pipeline does a good job keeping their rankings relatively up to date, so there were not any insane changes. However, there were some new rankings that intrigued me. We will dive into a few of them here. Everyone knows about the top five of Willits, Travis Sykora, Harry Ford, Jarlin Susana and Gavin Fien. The stuff down the board honestly interests me more.

One ranking that stood out to me was Yoel Tejada at 13. That is higher than most outlets have him and is much higher than Pipeline had him before. We wrote about Tejada the other day and mentioned that he was 29th on Pipeline’s old list. The folks over at Pipeline must have come away very impressed by the right-hander’s first pro season.

They mentioned that Tejada has been sitting in the mid-90’s this spring according to club sources. This both intrigues me, but also is not surprising. That is where he sat in college, but in his first pro season, Tejada was in the 91-94 range because he was emphasizing his control. If Tejada can get his old velocity with his new found control, he could truly break out this year.

He gets a crazy amount of extension down the mound and was throwing a lot of strikes last year. Fangraphs gave him a shoutout as a pitcher who could be a sneaky top 100 candidate in a year. If his stuff and command are both there this year, that is possible. His height makes him very unique and he has a good slider to go with that. Look out for Yoel Tejada this year.

Picks to Click: Who We Expect to Make the 2027 Top 100 https://t.co/NAkmngu426

— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) February 19, 2026

Interestingly, Alex Clemmey fell out of the Nats top 10 and sits at 11 now. Some of that is due to new players coming in, but he also slipped a bit. We know the deal with Clemmey, he has nasty stuff, but the strikethrowing is a work in progress. Despite walking a lot of hitters, he still managed to be productive last year.

However, Pipeline mentioned that his slider was not quite as sharp in 2025 and his velocity settled more in the 92-96 MPH range. His weird release traits help his stuff play up and his changeup was much better in 2025. Clemmey is still only 20 years old and is already in Double-A. He is an interesting prospect because he is productive, but it seems like he needs to make pretty big changes to fully convince scouts.

The highest ranked prospect I will dive into here is Gavin Fien. He was the headliner in the MacKenzie Gore trade and ranks fifth in the system. Fien is a bat first infielder, but some scouts have questions about his swing. Despite an unorthodox swing, he hit at a very high level against the best high school opponents he saw.

"To have that level of talent that you can train with, I think it only enhances you and makes you better."

Gavin Fien has gotten in work with a fellow 2025 first-rounder since joining the #Nats — No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits: https://t.co/navH4fZw9Qpic.twitter.com/jTdZM6JfPm

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 25, 2026

One thing that stood out in his writeup was the Nats plans for him defensively. It seems like they are going to have him split time between shortstop, third base and second base. Most scouts viewed him as a third baseman despite the fact he played shortstop in high school. It is no surprise he is getting action there, but the second base part is interesting.

The bat will always be the best part of Fien’s game, but the Nats seem like they want to make him a versatile player. Over the last few years, we have seen more big guys play second base. Max Muncy playing second for the Dodgers a few years ago is the best example of that.

The Nats have a ton of young infield prospects, so giving Fien exposure to multiple positions gives him more paths to playing time. I like that plan by the Nats. Fien will always be a bat first prospect, but versatility would give him more defensive value.

One player who moved up the list despite not throwing a pitch is Miguel Sime. That must mean Pipeline is getting good reports about him from their sources. He is ranked 16th in the system and moved past Coy James. While Sime was drafted higher, James got a bigger bonus.

Sime is known for his fastball which can reach triple digits. However, he has some control questions and his secondary pitches could use some development. Based on the write-up, it seems like the Nats are developing those secondary pitches already. Sime already has a curveball, but is reportedly toying with a harder slider.

Miguel Sime. pic.twitter.com/aKCEfkZhWm

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) January 15, 2026

Sime’s pure velocity makes him a very interesting prospect. It gives him a bigger margin for error. He does not need pinpoint command, it just has to be decent. If starting fails, Sime also has the arm to be an electric reliever. I am interested to follow his progress this year.

These are some of the most notable notes, but there are other rankings that interest me. Pipeline still seems to be bearish on Sam Petersen, only moving him up to 22nd on their list despite his production. It seems like they are worried about his bat to ball skills as he climbs up the minors.

Their rankings of the Nats 2024 draft picks were interesting too. Seaver King and Luke Dickerson were not very productive, but still rank 7th and 8th in the system. Caleb Lomavita had better production, but slipped to 28th on the list. They did not sound overly excited in the writeup.

Marconi German rose to 21st on the list, but they are not all in on him yet. He was very productive in the DSL, but Pipeline wants to see what he can do when he comes stateside. German is a smaller player, at just 5’10 and does not have much physical projection. However, he has a good approach, solid power and nice speed and defense. He could be a riser if he continues to produce.
If you want to look at the whole top 30 list and the writeups, the link is here. Pipeline is a great resource for fans and it is free. The folks over there do a great job and I really enjoyed their writeups this year.

My dad turned 64 this weekend, and so far things are looking good. I still need him, and he’s been well-plied with an assortment of Thai food, homemade brioche and apple cobbler. He taught me about rhythm and keeping time one afternoon while we sat on the floor in his office, my clumsy five-year-old hands working hard to hit the one, TWO, three, FOUR of “Love Me Do” before giving up in the chaos of “Yesterday,” so there were lots of these jokes leading up to Saturday. 

Baseball isn’t really his thing. He’s more driven by nitrate-rich hot dogs than discourse around the hot corner, but we turned the radio on yesterday and midway through the seventh inning, as he sliced salami and cheese (are you sending a theme?), he looked up and asked, “Is this Shannon Drayer?” I was flabbergasted. 

“Wow. Um, yeah, it is.” And then, because meat isn’t the only thing this man thrives on, “Great job, Dad! I’m shocked – and so impressed!”

He smiled, pleased to still be surprising me. “Of course I know her. She was so nice to my girl, I’ll always remember that.”

Almost a decade ago, I was granted Mariners media credentials for a freelance piece I’d pitched without considering the consequences of my actions. Namely, that in order to write said piece, I’d have to actually conduct interviews with the players. I was so petrified of appearing as young, foolish and inexperienced as I was, I did something absurd. I asked for help. Specifically, I sent a message to Shannon Drayer on Twitter (rip), asking for any tips about how to navigate the clubhouse. Rather than send me some vague info, or leave me on read, or any of the other things she would have been well within her rights to do, she replied and said I could meet her in the press box and shadow her as needed that day. Sure enough, I arrived hours before first pitch, heart pounding, and there she was. I followed her everywhere, as she introduced me to folks, kindly explained the unwritten rules of the clubhouse, helped me navigate the elevators and did her best to get me in front of the players I needed to talk to. I’d never felt like a more grateful duckling, and it solidified me as a Shannon fan for life.

This is a long-winded series of anecdotes to get to the real question, but it’s an off-day during Spring Training and we are a community, not (just) a soulless pit of letters and numbers. Sometimes it’s nice to channel the beloved old-school blogger vibes. Anyway, what’s one of your favorite baseball celeb memories? Did you almost step on Mike Leake while he was lying on the floor? Did you lose by a country mile to Jonatan Clase in a foot race? Did you have to chase after a perhaps-not-sober Wade Boggs on a golf course? Did you flag a random guy over during BP to ask for an autograph without knowing who he was, only to show the accompanying picture to your family and learn it was mid-Cy Young Award-winning season Blake Snell? Did you have a near-death experience after choking on your coffee when Félix Hernández walked into Chace’s Pancake Corral while you were enjoying your Tuesday morning ritual? Lay it all on me (or try to guess which of these examples is made up)

March has suddenly snuck up on us, which means actual real baseball will begin in earnest later this month. We’ll get to experience the thrill of the World Baseball Classic once it begins in a few days, but the curtain raising on the MLB season is mere weeks away at this point. That means rosters are starting to get formed and while injuries may still have their say in which team gets assembled in what way, the basic skeleton of the Phillies is likely already in place.

Roster projections are nothing new and help us get ready for the games, so making one is something of a warm up for the year. We have done this already once this season, so now, a month later, it seems appropriate to do so one more time. Let’s take another stab at what the final 26-man roster is going to look like.

Catcher – J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan

While Realmuto is entrenched at the starter’s position, it’s the backup spot that is more interesting. There has been no indication that Garrett Stubbs is an immediate threat to taking the job back from Marchan, yet it doesn’t seem implausible that it could happen. Doing so would require the team moving on from Marchan in either a trade or a waiver placement, something they might be loathe to do so as to protect whatever catching depth they might possess.

Yet there might be a tinge of merit to the idea that Stubbs’ familiarity with the incoming ABS system might be somewhat beneficial to the team. Having had a full-ish season in Lehigh Valley with the system might be attractive in a weird sort of way. Couple that with his having worked for most of the season with Andrew Painter, an increasingly important part of the 2026 Phillies, and there could be a benefit to his remaining Realmuto’s caddy. In the end, that meager “upgrade” over Marchan probably isn’t worth a roster change, but it’s at least something to pay attention to as the spring games continue.

Infield – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp

This group is six remains the same as nothing has changed about what may or may not happen with alignment. Outside of a surprise trade this late in the game, these will be the infielders. There is always the chance that Dylan Moore sneaks in as that 26th man that gets cut almost immediately, but he just hasn’t done much of anything this spring to warrant getting additional serious looks.

What, were you expecting Rhys Hoskins?

Outfield – Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Johan Rojas

No change here either, yet the specter of Bryan de la Cruz hovering in the corner and taking over for Rojas is very real.

Designated hitter – Kyle Schwarber

Easiest choice there is.

Starting rotation – Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter

Again, no changes. If anything, Rob Thomson might be chiseling this starting five in a stone tablet as opposed to writing in pencil. The reports around Painter and his re-emerging arm slot have invigorated the coaching staff and lent credence to the idea that last season was more of a rumble strip that woke him up on his path to Philadelphia. A full season of pitching after having sat out for two seasons will wear a body down, but now with a full offseason behind him and the major league coaching staff getting their hands on him, optimism is high.

Sunday’s outing helps as well.

Relief pitching – Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Zach McCambley, Kyle Backhus, Jonathan Bowlan

The reporting surrounding Kyle Backhus, coupled with the views that we have seen from him, are likely landing him the final bullpen spot. A slight uptick in velocity to go with his general funkiness on the mound are going to cause headaches for opposing batters.

McCambley is possibly teetering at this point as he either make the team or goes back to Miami thanks to Rule 5 draft rules. That return to the Marlins possibly happens whenever Wheeler is ready to return to the rotation, but if he, McCambley, can continue to get outs during spring training games, the team might lean into the idea of keeping optionable pitchers in Lehigh Valley to continue to preserve depth for the long season ahead.

Injured list – Zack Wheeler

Wheeler throwing off a mound already is good news for the team, though caution will still the rule of the day. An early May return looks like the best outcome as some minor league rehab starts will probably be needed before the team waves the green flag on his season.

With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at infielder Justin Foscue.

Not a great 2025 season for Justin Foscue.

In a year in which the Texas Rangers saw numerous position players go down — particularly in the final two months of the season — it seemed like there should have been opportunities for Justin Foscue to get a decent amount of major league playing time.

Instead, Foscue appeared in four major league games — two in June, two in July — going 1 for 9.

His one hit was a double, though. So that’s something.

And yet it was still an improvement over his time in the majors in 2024, when he had that ridiculous hitless streak and ended the year 2 for 42 with two walks. His 2025 OPS of 333 more than doubled his 2024 OPS of 162.

In case you are curious, Justin Foscue is currently sporting a career .059/.094/.098 major league slash line in 53 plate appearances.

What had to be particularly disappointing was that Foscue went backwards in AAA. Foscue has now spent three seasons with Round Rock, and after putting up an 862 OPS in 2023 and an 897 OPS in 2024, he dropped to 814 for the Express in 2025.

That’s a problem, particularly for a guy who is supposed to be a bat-first guy without a firm defensive position.

And so the clock is ticking for Justin Foscue. He is entering 2026 with one option year remaining. He needs to show that he can stay healthy — something he’s consistently failed to do as a pro — and that he can hit well enough to deserve a major league roster spot despite his defensive limitations.

It is worth noting that Foscue performed well against lefthanders in 2025, slashing .288/.367/.629 against them in 150 plate appearances. He slashing .265/.390/.500 against them in 2024, and .282/.415/.504 in 2023.

For a Texas Rangers team that needs a righthanded bench bat, someone who can platoon with Joc Pederson at DH, there’s an opportunity for Foscue this year to try to carve out a role as a righty bench bat. Of course, taking advantage of that opportunity requires him to stay healthy, and Foscue has already been sidelined this spring due to a hamstring strain.

The 2020 first round has been not terribly productive thusfar. Spencer Torklelson went first overall, and despite being a college bat who got an $8M plus bonus and was supposed to be close to major league ready, 2025 was his first decent season. The eight players selected immediately after him — Heston Kjerstad, Max Meyer, Asa Lacy, Austin Martin, Emerson Hancock, Nick Gonzales, Robert Hassell III, and Zac Veen — have all disappointed. Garrett Crochet and Pete Crow-Armstrong are easily the standouts of the 2020 first round, with Jordan Westburg, Reid Detmers, Patrick Bailey, Garrett Mitchell and Tyler Soderstrom also providing some value.

Interestingly, three of the top nine players taken in the first round that year are catchers — Bailey, Soderstrom, and Austin Wells.

There was a pandemic going on in the world that year, and so it shouldn’t exactly be surprising that that draft shook out kind of weird.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

Dylan Moore

Michael Helman

Evan Carter

Cole Winn

Rowdy Tellez

Dane Dunning

Marcus Semien

Billy McKinney

Jose Corniell

Jonah Heim

Cody Freeman

Sam Haggerty

Jacob deGrom

Merrill Kelly

Caleb Boushley