Japan unveiled its 2026 World Baseball Classic roster on Monday, which included Los Angeles Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as expected.
The Dodgers were initially reluctant about Yamamoto’s participation after his full workload last season, but his strong desire prevailed. He returned to Japan immediately after the World Series last year and carefully adjusted his training with his personal trainer, Osamu Yada, building his body to be able to compete in the WBC despite a shorter-than-usual offseason. He commented, “I’ve been training diligently this offseason to build the condition to compete in the WBC.”
Japan won the 2023 World Baseball Classic with strong performances from Yamamoto (two runs allowed in 7 1/3 innings, struck out 12 of his 27 batters faced), who was then pitching for the Orix Buffaloes, and Ohtani (.435/.606/.739 in 33 plate appearances; 9 2/3 innings, two runs, 11 strikeouts, got final three outs in title game).
At the winter meetings in December, Dodgers manager talked about the push and pull of players committing to play in the World Baseball Classic, which takes players out of spring training for potentially a few weeks, and can be especially disruptive for starting pitchers building up toward the major league regular season.
“I don’t want to be dismissive of what it means to them representing their country,” Roberts said in December. “I know the organization doesn’t but I do think that the conversations need to be had, will be had, as far as what each individual is taking on and whatever role that they might be taking on and what potential costs there might be. … But you can’t debate the emotion, what a player might feel of this potential opportunity.”
Japan manager Hirozaku Ibata said at a press conference Monday that the MLB players on Japan are expected to join the team for exhibition games against the Chunichi Dragons on February 27-28. Japan begins its World Baseball Classic schedule in Pool C in Tokyo, with its first game on March 6.
Bader, who reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20.5 million dollar contract with the Giants on Monday, explained why he has the utmost belief in Vitello as a first-year MLB manager during an interview on “The Show with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman.”
“I think it’s awesome, I really do,” Bader said when asked about Vitello’s hire. “Baseball is the same at every single level. You add some guys in the stands, it may speed up a little bit, but it’s the same game. If you have success at a very high level in the SEC, there’s no reason you can’t have success at the major league level. I’m excited for him and his family to go out and test that. I know he has got the energy for that.”
Vitello spent eight seasons at the University of Tennessee, posting an impressive 341-131 record while leading the Volunteers to the school’s first national championship in 2024.
Bader played his college ball at the University of Florida, making connections to plenty of players and coaches who are familiar with Vitello, all of whom seemingly had glowing reviews of the new Giants manager.
“Everybody I’ve spoken to that knows him — and I’m an SEC guy — I’m cut from the cloth of Brad Weitzel, Kevin O’Sullivan, and for those guys who know those guys over at Florida, we’re all cut from the same cloth,” Bader said. “So, that level of baseball, it doesn’t really get better in the country, in the world at that level.
“So I’m excited for him to take what he did, building a really, really good program at Tennessee, I’m excited to play for him and work with him and grow with him and learn from him because you never stop learning in this game at the major league level. So, it’s going to be exciting, I know he brings a lot of energy. Everybody has the greatest things to say about him, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Bader concluded by lauding Vitello’s high-octane energy, citing the need for an invigorated manager over the course of a 162-game season.
“You just want consistent, high, positive energy over the course of a seven, eight month season,” Bader explained. “I certainly have no reason to believe he can’t bring that ands I can’t wait to work alongside him. It’s going to be great, I know he’s excited, I know he has done a lot of things this offseason in creating that level of foundation and familiarity with a lot of his players, which is awesome. He cares a lot, clearly, which is great. I’m just looking forward to it all … I just can’t wait to dive into it all.”
Shohei Ohtani’s hardly the only one bringing home hardware in his household.
The Dodgers superstar’s dog was given a unique award over the weekend that no MLB owner’s pooch has ever received.
Shohei Ohtani’s famous kooikerhondje pup, was given the National League Most Valuable Dog honors at the BBWAA Awards Dinner on Saturday. Shohei Ohtani
Decoy, Ohtani’s famous kooikerhondje pup, was bestowed with National League Most Valuable Dog honors at the BBWAA Awards Dinner on Saturday.
Decoy Ohtani, dressed in a bowtie, posed next to his new award after winning it over the weekend. Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani was so proud of the achievement, he actually posed for a picture with his pet and the plaque. He later snapped a photo of the dog wearing a bowtie next to the award as well.
Ohtani, of course, didn’t leave the ceremony empty handed either.
The 31-year-old, two-way player took home the MVP prize for the fourth time in his eight-year MLB career.
Decoy has seen a large portion of Ohtani’s best baseball seasons — the only member of the 50 home run/50 stolen base club got the dog a couple years ago and has given it an up-close seat to plenty of his biggest days.
Decoy helped “throw out” the first pitch on the night the Dodgers gave away a bobblehead that featured Shohei Ohtani and the dog. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
So much so, the team ended up honoring the two with a bobblehead in 2024. Decoy “threw out” the first pitch on the night of the memento’s giveaway to fans.
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Ohtani and Decoy have already been training together for the 2026 season, though the four-legged Ohtani might need to work on his fielding a bit more if he hopes for a MVD repeat.
How much snow did you get? Hopefully it’s all cleaned up by now.
Anyways, the Bruins and Rangers will renew acquaintances tonight at Madison Square Garden, with the B’s looking continue a nice recent run of results and the Rangers simply looking for a glimmer of brightness in a very disappointing season.
David Wright took the departure of several Mets mainstays as hard as anybody.
Edwin Diaz (Dodgers) and Pete Alonso (Orioles) left in free agency, while Wright’s former teammates, Brandon Nimmo (Rangers) and Jeff McNeil (Athletics), were shipped off in trades.
The former captain and Mets Hall of Famer called the departures “tough,” but urged fans to trust team ownership in the midst of a transformative offseason.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. Corey Sipkin for the NY POSTFormer Mets third baseman David Wright. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“I love Edwin Diaz, I love Brandon Nimmo. I’ve gotten to know both those guys on a personal level,” Wright said during a recent interview, per SNY. “Pete [Alonso], I respect what he’s done on the field…I don’t know him very well on a personal level. It’s tough for me, and I know the business of baseball, it’s tough for me to see these guys go.
“But I look at it big picture, David Stearns has won, he’s a proven winner, give him a chance and let’s see how this plan plays out.”
Stearns, who became the Brewers’ general manager in September 2015, was the architect of several postseason squads during his Milwaukee tenure – despite the organization’s payroll constraints.
Milwaukee made the postseason five out of six seasons from 2018-23 before Stearns joined the Mets as president of baseball operations.
"It's tough for me to see these guys go.
But when I look at it big picture – David Stearns has won, he's a proven winner. Give him a chance and let's see how this plan plays out."
David Wright gives his thoughts on the Mets moving on from their longest tenured players and the… pic.twitter.com/CBOHfqsOTz
The Mets’ offseason makeover included signing superstar infielder Bo Bichette, who will man third base. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
After the Mets’ collapse in 2025, which saw the team miss the postseason, Stearns said the Mets “were not gonna run back the same group.”
New York’s new-look roster took shape last week as the signing of superstar infielder Bo Bichette became official, while the team shored up the rotation with ace Freddy Peralta and center field with former All-Star Luis Robert Jr.
New York also acquired swingman Tobias Myers in the Peralta deal, while adding depth with veterans Craig Kimbrel, Luis Garcia and Vidal Brujan.
Those moves punctuated the team’s acquisitions of ex-Yankees closers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, first base replacement Jorge Polanco and second baseman Marcus Semien earlier this offseason.
“We’re confident in this group,” Stearns told reporters last week during a Zoom call. “We think this group is gonna fit well together.”
Few players understand Mets fans’ attachment to homegrown stars better than Wright, 43, who spent his entire 14-year career in Queens and became the face of the franchise.
Given that familiarity with the business side, Wright urged fans to think long-term as Stearns and company build for 2026.
“I understand it because it’s a good thing that New York and that Mets fans have the attachment with their players that they do,” Wright said. “With that being said, I think we should give David [Stearns], the front office and ownership a chance to do what the grand plan, the scheme is this offseason.
“It’s easy to jump to conclusions. It’s easy to get the pitchforks out. Let’s see what happens, let the plan play out before judging over a couple of moves.”
Not even two weeks ago, the Braves ended up seeing lefty pitcher José Suarez get claimed off waivers by the Orioles after Atlanta had designated him for assignment. As fate would have it, Suarez’s time with the Orioles ended up being extremely short after the Orioles decided to DFA him last week after they claimed Weston Wilson off waivers from the Phillies.
It’s apparent now that the Braves were hoping for Suarez to clear waivers after they DFA’d him because now he’s back with the Braves after they claimed him off waivers from the Orioles. The team announced the news first, themselves.
The #Braves today claimed LHP José Suarez off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and designated RHP George Soriano for assignment.
George Soriano got DFA’d as a result. Soriano’s time with the Braves was just as short-lived as Suarez’s time with the Orioles was — Soriano was DFA’d by Baltimore on January 9 while Suarez was claimed by the Orioles on January 15. Now, Suarez is back with the Braves and Soriano is right back in the weird waters that are winter waivers.
At this point now, the big question is whether or not the Braves will try to DFA Suarez again in order to try to get him into their minor league system via that path. He’s out of options so if that’s what they want to do with him then that’s the only way. I think they’d be successful this time around but also wouldn’t be just so goofy if the Orioles picked him up again? Now granted, we’re talking about people’s lives being uprooted at the drop of a dime so I’m rooting for the Braves to get him in their farm system if they choose to DFA him again. If not, then we’ve just got another wacky baseball tale concerning two fringe players.
Suarez made seven big league appearances and pitched 19.1 innings for the Braves last season, where he produced an ERA of 1.86 and a FIP of 3.70 while also putting up solid numbers for Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate during the 2025 season as well.
Keith Law has released his updated Top 100 Prospects List on The Athletic, in an article found here. The only Atlanta Braves farmhand to make the list was Cam Caminiti, coming in at No. 35. This means prospects such as JR Ritchie, Didier Fuentes, and Owen Murphy came up shy of cracking the Top 100 for Law.
In the writeup Caminiti, who will be in his age-19 season in 2026, is said to have “continued to show premium stuff in his pro debut while throwing strikes and limiting hard contact in Low A.” It went on to talk about how he “sits 92-95 already from a low three-quarters slot with a plus changeup that hitters whiffed on half the time they swung at it.” As for his breaking ball, it is “now more of a sweeper, missing some bats in the zone but not generating a lot of chase: it grades out as a 55 or 60 on paper, and I’ve had scouts come in anywhere from average to plus, but right now it plays more average with hitters.”
Law adds notes about how his “low slot helps the sweeper play up against lefties, and he comes slightly across his body due to where he lands on the mound, which helps everything look better against lefties.” Then mentioned his splits, where lefties hit just .184/.283/.207 versus the .251/.328/.371 against right-handers. Law then mentioned his athleticism and former two-way background and said “getting him a little more online to the plate would improve his results against righties while also letting that athleticism show more in the delivery and the command.”
Law finishes off mentioning that Caminiti “passed the biggest test for high school pitchers surviving the first year of pro ball without injury, and if that continues he’ll be one of the top lefties in the minors by next spring.”
Three years ago, a landlord/tenant dispute between the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the City of Glendale, Arizona, made national headlines. To wit: MLB established guidelines requiring facilities to have both male and female locker rooms, and the White Sox and Dodgers, tenants of the Camelback Ranch spring training facility, got into a dispute with their landlord, the City of Glendale, over who would pay for it. Sabers were rattled as the landlord/tenant dispute became quite public.
The most relevant passages from that essay lay out what a slam dunk this case would have been had it escalated further:
There is an old saying in law: if you don’t have the facts [on your side], argue the law; if you don’t have the law [on your side], argue the facts; if you don’t have either, just pound the table and yell really loudly. This adage applies to the City’s position.
When this story broke, I thought that it was quite telling that the City Manager of Glendale was not arguing the terms of the contract. Moreover, the City Manager was attempting to make a moral argument in order to get the City out of its obligations as to the facility….
…But Michael, you say, the White Sox and Dodgers are only paying a dollar a year to lease this facility from the City of Glendale — how on earth is this contract fair? Shouldn’t the White Sox and Dodgers have to pay for these locker rooms out of moral fairness?
That statement is not how contracts work.…
While the White Sox and Dodgers may be the bad guys in the court of public opinion, the City of Glendale dug its own hole for this mess. Digging up is not a solution, either.
Time marched on, and like with most things from the 2023 season, the vast majority of people moved on. I did not receive a follow-up comment after several attempts with the Dodgers and Camelback Ranch, which went unanswered in 2023 and 2024. These setbacks are now moot as I can finally report on what happened next.
The locker room was completed in time for the start of Spring Training 2024.
At the same meeting, the City of Glendale approved a $75,000 contract with Beacon Sports Capital Partners to serve as a consultant for 12 months to provide advice and support in the operation of Camelback Ranch.
Specifically, Beacon Sports was to review the financial statements of Camelback Ranch (the facility), determine the level of annual usage of the facility, identify any aspects of the facility not up to MLB standards, how much it will take to bring the facility into compliance, prepare an estimate to the life cycle of the facility and related equipment with the intent to project any future obligations of the City of Glendale, prepare an assessment of current and planned real estate development of the facility, and prepare a valuation methodology of the facility.
Subsequently, upon review of the minutes and agendas of the Glendale City Council from 2024 to 2026, nothing unusual stood out in the facility’s operation, aside from the April 16, 2024, discussion of difficulties with the construction of a parking garage that the city expected to generate revenue from upon completion.
In the interim, the Dodgers, through the Canopy Team firm, completed construction of the Dodgers Performance Lab in 2024, consisting of 12,000 square feet of large-market, baseball precision flex, which certainly did not hurt during the title campaigns:
Completed in 2024, the Dodgers Performance Lab added 12,000 square foot indoor lab and outdoor agility space, comprised of two instrumented batting/pitching lanes as well as complimentary office/conference/work spaces, storage areas, and technology infrastructure. Initial siting and design was a careful balance struck with players, staff, and executive leadership while construction was planned/sequenced in order to only take nine months to complete and minimize disruption to the team’s occupancy.
The design and programming of the lab is intentionally flexible as the primary occupant besides players is the Dodgers Performance Science department, who are responsible for remaining on the cutting edge in both equipment and training methods. The enabling work in the building’s design is complicated on the design side in order to remain simple and flexible into the future in operation.
Have chair will travel
In early April 2025, lifelong Dodgers fan Yolanda Garcia filed suit in federal court for alleged injuries sustained during a March 2024 Spring Training game at Camelback Ranch.
While walking to the Dodgers’ gift shop, some stacked folding chairs on a dolly allegedly fell on Garcia, causing a laceration and eventual knee replacement surgery months later. Garcia alleged that the Director of Facility Operations publicly reprimanded the staff about the incident immediately afterwards.
Initially, Garcia filed suit in Arizona federal court against the Dodgers, the White Sox, the City of Glendale, the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Camelback Spring Training LLC, and other unknown entities, as is common practice. The case is ongoing, and the only defendant remaining is Camelback Spring Training LLC.
Premise liability cases are often fairly straightforward, and the facts that the case is in federal court under diversity jurisdiction (citizens of two different states with a dispute valued at more than $75,000 — a knee replacement would certainly do it) and that the case is still ongoing are unsurprising. True Blue LA will continue to monitor this lawsuit and provide updates as they become available.
The contract is worth $20.5 million, plus incentives.
Bader signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins last offseason and produced a .277/.347/.449 slash line with 17 home runs, 61 runs scored and 54 RBI in 146 games − all career highs.
He was especially productive down the stretch after being acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. In 50 games with the Phils, Bader hit .305/.361/.463, in addition to playing stellar outfield defense.
Bader, 31, was a third-round draft choice by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. He made his MLB debut with the Cards in 2017 and played parts of six seasons, winning a Gold Glove with them in 2021 before being traded to the New York Yankees the following season.
He's also spent time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets during his nine seasons in the majors.
A .247/.313/.401 career hitter, Bader has been even more valuable on defense. Since he debuted in 2017, no other outfielder can top Bader's 77 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast.
He likely will take over as the Giants' everyday center fielder, with Jung Hoo Lee moving from center to right field and Heliot Ramos as the likely starter in left.
2017 – Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz
2018 – Chipper Jones, Ivan Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez
2019 – Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Thome
2020 – Roy Halladay, Derek Jeter
2021 – None
2022 – None
2023 – David Ortiz
2024 – Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer
2025 – Ichiro Suzuki
2026 – Andruw Jones
2025 voting
We had 26 votes this year, but I had to discard a pair because the people in question voted twice. I don’t think there was anything malicious: for both, one ballot was submitted when I initially posted, and the other when I bumped the form earlier in the week. I accepted the first ballot only from each, so we ended with 24 valid ballots, and those discards proved crucial. Because Todd Helton appeared on both of them: 19 of 26 would have been more than the necessary three-quarters of votes, but 17 of 24 fell one vote short for the Toddfather, for the second year running. Carlos Beltran also missed out on becoming a SnakePit Hall of Famer by the narrowest of margins.
However, Andruw Jones will be enshrined in SnakePit Towers and Cooperstown this year, after also missing out on the ‘Pit by a single vote in 2025. This was his ninth year on the ballot, and it has been a slow climb for him to our Hall of Fame. Back on his first appearance, in 2018, Jones got 24% of the vote – actually one vote fewer than Manny Ramirez that year. Though a lot more than the BBWAA, where Jones barely survived, getting only 7.3% his first year – a record low for a subsequent inductee. However, Manny being Manny, left him around the same mark in subsequent polls, and this was his tenth and final appearance, both here and on the BBWAA ballot.
Jones, on the other hand, has seen his reputation improve, perhaps connected to a greater appreciation these days for defense. His ten Gold Gloves sit behind only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays among outfielders, and Andruw’s career 24.4 dWAR is the most ever there. That helped counter a low .254 batting average in voters’ minds, although he his 434 home-runs in his career. He becomes the first player from Curacao to enter the Hall of Fame, which I am sure will delight DbacksEurope! Of course, his son Druw Jones is in the D-backs’ farm system. If his career approaches anything like his dad’s, I think we’ll all be more than satisfied.
On the outside, there was a gaggle of players in addition to Beltran and Helton, who came fairly close. C.C. Sabathia and Scott Rolen both got in the sixties, so still have a change of impressing the (generally tougher) SnakePit Hall voters. Rolen will be on his final shot for this site next year, as will Omar Vizquel. Among this year’s new arrivals, Cole Hamels did best at 20.8%, but most of the other newcomers will be one and done. An interesting exception: Ryan Braun. I’ll be reaching out to the two who voted for him, with a business proposal to avoid your identities from “accidentally” being leaked to the mob of angry SnakePitters, forming as I speak. 😀
Everyone else can feel to provide their ballots in the comments, and explain their choices. For example, did Beltran’s involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing impact your decision? Thanks to everyone who took part! We’ll be back next off-season – perhaps with the “Veterans Committee” idea discussed in the ballot comments! But certainly, in December with the 2027 ballot. The leading new candidate there is certainly Buster Posey, but other names to make their first appearance will be Jay Bruce, Jon Lester, Kyle Seager and Ryan Zimmerman. We’ll see how they, and the candidates returning from this year’s ballot, do on next year’s edition.
The 2026 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List marches on, and folks, we’re getting close! After this next chapter concludes, we’ll be three-quarters of the way to ranking the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization.
Friday’s ballot was very close, but a winner emerged: it’s outfielder Lisbel Diaz, who has been voted as the No. 32 prospect in the system. It’s a drop of 15 spots for Diaz, who debuted at No. 17 in last year’s CPL.
That drop might suggest that Diaz had a bad 2025, but it’s more that he merely held serve while others around him rose (and were added to the system). The right-hander, who signed in 2023 out of Cuba, spent the entirety of the year with Low-A San Jose, where he had spent a good chunk of time in 2024 as well. Diaz, who turned 20 over the summer, did some good things, though the overall offense was middle of the road: he slashed .269/.320/.405 for a .725 OPS and a 96 wRC+ in the Cal League.
In many ways, that was disappointing, after Diaz posted a slightly better line (.767 OPS, 101 wRC+) at the same level the year prior, with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates. But there were some things that he made improvements on: most notably, Diaz looked very comfortable in the outfield in 2025, and was quite solid in center field when he filled in for the injured Dakota Jordan and Carlos Gutierrez. He also boosted his performance on the basepaths, stealing 26 bases in 32 attempts, after just nine thefts in 2024.
While Diaz will need to boost the offense to have a Major League future, there’s a solid framework in there. He has very strong contact skills, and posted just an 18.7% strikeout rate and an 11.6% swinging strike rate in 2025. Presumably he’ll be starting at a corner in High-A Eugene when the Minor League season begins in a few months, and hopefully we’ll get to see some offensive improvements.
Now let’s add to the list! As a reminder, voting now takes place in the comment section using the “rec” feature.
Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page.All stats are from the 2025 season.
The Giants have reportedly signed outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year deal, $20.5 million deal, that includes another $500,000 in incentives. The Royals had been reportedly interested in Bader earlier this offseason, but later reporting by Ken Rosenthal indicated they were being priced out on his market. Bader was coming off a career-best season at age 31, hitting .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs in 146 games last year.
The signing leaves what was already a thin free-agent outfield market even thinner. Austin Hays is among the best of those available, and the Royals were reportedly keeping an eye on him earlier this offseason. Hays specializes in hitting left-handed pitching, and he hit .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs in 103 games overall last year.
Miguel Andujar is another option remaining after a strong season with the Athletics. The once top 100 prospect hit 27 home runs his rookie year in 2018, but battled injuries for several years afterward. Last year he resurfaced to hit .318/.352/.470 with 10 home runs in 94 games and he was particularly good against lefties.
Other remaining outfielders include Michael Conforto, Starling Marte, Tommy Pham, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, and Alex Verdugo. Max Kepler is also available, but will be out for 80 games, as he serves a suspension for PED use. The Royals could also bring back outfielder MJ Melendez, who was non-tendered last fall, or Randall Grichuk, whose mutual option was declined by the Royals.
The Royals have already added Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas to an outfield mix expected to include Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone, with Michael Massey and Kameron Misner potential options for some outfield play. Royals outfielders last year hit .225/.285/.348, worst in baseball.
Miles Mastrobuoni was the 26th man on the roster for most of his time with the Cubs in 2023 and 2024, a substitute fielder, pinch-hitter and pinch-runner.
The Cubs were 14-10 after defeating the Padres April 27, but then went on a long losing skid, losing 10 of 15 entering the final game of a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field.
They had used five pitchers in losing the previous day 11-1, so when Marcus Stroman, Michael Rucker, Keegan Thompson, Julian Merryweather, Brandon Hughes and Michael Fulmer had the team in an 11-3 hole in the bottom of the eighth, Mastrobuoni was summoned to try to finish things off.
This, he did not do. There were two out when Mastrobuoni entered the game and he allowed four straight hits: Single, double, single, home run.
And so, a game where the Cubs trailed 9-3 heading to the last of the eighth wound up as a 16-3 loss. Mastrobuoni’s career Cubs ERA of 108.00 is the highest for any Cubs position player in the divisional play era, though for his career that dropped to 27.00 when he threw a scoreless inning for the Mariners June 26, 2025 — also against the Twins.
Mastrobuoni batted .250/.324/.296 with one home run in 76 games for the Mariners in 2025, better than either of his Cubs seasons. He’ll likely be back as a backup infielder with the Mariners in 2026.
Michael Forret, RHP 22 | 6’3” | 190 A+ (BAL) | 1.51 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 59.2 IP (16 G, 15 GS), 33.5% K, 7.5% BB AA (BAL) | 1.88 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 14.1 IP (3 GS), 15 K, 3 BB
A product of the State College of Florida Manatee – Sarasota (formerly Manatee Junior College), Forret was a well above slot ($450k) 14th round draft choice in 2023 and arrives via the Shane Baz trade. Despite missing some time to a back injury in 2025, his array of fastballs and breaking balls already look major league ready. He seems adept at trying new things, as he picked up a whiff-worthy kick change in 2024, and is already tinkering with a Rays-like sweeper, both through his offseason program at Tread Athletics. He has a low release point (below 6 feet) but a rising fastball, and has — to quote Eric Longenhagen — “sensational feel.” Forret pitches with efficiency and variety, and could climb the ladder quickly in 2026.
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%
N/A
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
A remarkable turnout resulted in four players getting at lest 5 votes for this recent poll: Bodine, Brito, Forret, and Suarez. Forret won by two votes overall. This poll adds teenage catching prospect Nathan Flewelling.
Candidates
Caden Bodine, C 22 | S/R| 5’10” | 200 A (BAL) | .326/.408/.349 (133 wRC+) 49 PA, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 8 K
Drafted 30th overall in 2025, Bodine was acquired in the Shane Baz trade. He profiles as a relatively safe prospect thanks to 60 grade bat-to-ball skills, and comfortably-plus blocking and receiving behind the plate. There is some concern that his smaller frame limits him to fringe power, but those concerns are off-set by solid plate discipline from both sides of the plate; his sweeter swing is left handed. All catching prospects will see their value proposition shift with the challenge system, but his defensive actions, leadership, and receiving give him real value, projecting him as a solid major league contributor.
Acquired in the Brandon Lowe trade, Brito has three plus pitches with a fastball that touches 100 with cut-ride, and two breakers in a mid-80s curveball with surprising depth and a mid-80s slider he commands best. He also mixes in a developing low-90s cutter and a scattershot but intriguing mid-80s changeup with strong velocity and movement separation, with some added deception from his smaller frame helping limit hard contact. The concern is control, as he’s posted below-average strike rates in A-ball across 2024–25 and lacks consistent feel outside the slider, leaving him to project as a slightly wild, high-leverage reliever for now. Still, with multiple plus pitches, improved durability, and meaningful command gains, he has mid-rotation starter upside, giving him possibly the widest range of outcomes on this list. Baseball Prospectus describes him as having “Shohei Ohtani’s stuff with Johnny Cueto’s body.”
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.
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.
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)
Isaac had his season cut short large-in-part due to the discovery of a brain tumor, disrupting an otherwise great start to the season that duplicated his cup of coffee in Double-A as a 20-year old, despite some minor arm injuries along the way. He has the best power projection in the system, and if he can hold his own for a full season in 2026 — particularly against southpaws, which is somewhat of a concern — the former first round pick (29th overall, 2021) could see his status restored near the top of the Rays prospect rankings.
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.
Santiago Suarez, RHP 21 | 6’2” | ? A+ | 2.88 ERA, 2.07 FIP, 40.2 IP (10 GS), 26.9% K, 3.6% BB AAA | 5 ER (9 H, 2 BB, 3 HR) 11.0 IP (2 GS), 9 K
Suarez climbed the ladder to Triple-A to finish a short season, as some triceps/shoulder issues hampered his 2025, but when called upon this Venezuelan strike-thrower has earned the trust of his managers to go out there and pitch. He has two plus fastballs, with easy heat but average ride on the 4-seam, and a hard cutter with tight bite. His only complimentary pitch thus far is a 12-6 curve, which makes it a fairly vertical arsenal. He gets good extension, although I’d be remiss to not mention the double pump in his plant leg that on first glance looks like noise, but has led to evident repeatability. What Suarez boasts in control he might lack in command. Right now it’s a supinator’s profile with an average arm slot. To progress he either needs to add some east-west depth to his arsenal (à la Chris Bassitt), or find ways to unlock the spin rates a touch more (Shane Baz). I’d expect him to slot into Montgomery’s rotation as one of the younger starters for his level.
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.
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 fiv
The JJ Wetherholt hype train continues to pick up steam as the St. Louis Cardinals get closer to Spring Training as Keith Law has just ranked him as the #7 prospect in baseball plus he makes a bold prediction about his future.
If you haven’t already subscribed to Keith Law’s work, I highly recommend it. The fact that the St. Louis Cardinals JJ Wetherholt was ranked in Keith’s top 10 wasn’t a surprise, but there’s one prediction that he made about JJ which is bold to say the least. Keith Law said “He’s the National League prospect about whom I’d feel most confident saying that he’ll win a batting average title some day.“ He praised JJ’s hard hit and barrel rates plus his use of all fields for his frequent contact. He did mention that Wetherholt’s 2-strike decision making could use some work, but his power numbers might actually go up in the big show eventually.
I’m frankly surprised that JJ didn’t rank higher in Keith’s list. MLB Pipeline had Wetherholt ranked at #5 just a few days ago, but there’s little doubt that the expectations for JJ being a huge part of the St. Louis Cardinals roster in 2026 remain sky-high. What JJ had to say during the Winter Warmup a week ago was interesting including his mention that there were some in the development pipeline that were encouraging him to focus on acquiring more pull power which he rebuked since he is an all-fields hitter. He mentions this just after the 7-minute mark in the video.
JJ Wetherholt – “I’m a swing decision guy. Make good swing decisions, control the zone, drive the ball to all fields…power is usually a tool that comes later…being myself and continuing to drive the ball to all fields and make good decisions”.
