Category: Baseball

A late-blooming out of nowhere relief pitcher is one of the great understated joys of baseball, and the Yankees acquired one of their own prior to the 2025 season. Fernando Cruz, who was drafted nearly two decades ago in 2007 by the Royals, didn’t make his major league debut until 2022, at the age of 32.

Following his long journey to the bigs, Cruz spent three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, showing promising stuff and elite strikeout potential, despite struggles in the run-prevention department. The Yankees took a flyer on the righty reliever in the deal that sent Jose Trevino to Cincy prior to last season. He continued to show excellent stuff on the mound, as the Yankees hope he can build on the late-career success that has brought him to this point.

2025 Stats: 49 GP, 48 IP, 3.56 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, 4.5 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, 0.8 fWAR

2026 ZiPS Projections: 61 GP, 61.0 IP, 3.41 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 12.07 K/9, 4.17 BB/9, 0.97 HR/9, 0.9 fWAR

In his four seasons in the major leagues, Fernando Cruz has never struck out less than 32.8 percent of opposing batters — a skill that has gotten him to this point in his mid-30s, and one that will likely keep him around if he’s able to maintain it. When the Yankees took him on, he was on the fast track to a prominent role in the bullpen. On the whole, he did not disappoint.

Across 48 innings of work in his first season with the Yankees, Cruz managed a 3.56 ERA and 3.18 FIP to back it up, all while striking out a characteristic 36 percent of hitters. Walks are and always have been an issue for the righty, as his 12 percent clip in 2025 was an improvement. But the skill is clear to the naked eye, and despite this coming year being his age-36 campaign, there could be plenty of improvement left to be seen.

Cruz relies on his split-finger more than half the time, and it would be hard to blame him. It’s one of the best around the league, as he has generated a whiff rate close to 60 percent with the pitch throughout his career. It’s the obvious money-maker for Cruz, and he’s not afraid to show that, with the pitch carrying plenty of the load and balancing things out with a fastball that is not exactly overpowering.

Not long after a blow-up against the Tigers in early September, Cruz finished the season strong for the Yankees, and clearly earned the trust of the club heading into October. This was evident in the run Aaron Boone and company gave the right-hander in the postseason. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in the Wild Card round, before allowing one run across his two appearances in the Division Series.

It feels safe to assume a decent role for Cruz with the Yankees in 2026. He had a solid year, and has the pieces to put together elite stretches of pitching out of the bullpen. He has a top tier pitch in the repertoire, which can take a pitcher in his circumstances almost anywhere. On top of that, Cruz has already earned himself a level of trust worthy of innings for the Yankees at the highest stakes. He may not be leading the charge in relief, but a significant role isn’t hard to envision.

He is likely a high-variance player in terms of outcomes. It feels equally believable that he posts a low-2s ERA in 60 innings or that he plays much of the season away from the major league roster. Either way, a high-ceiling reliever like Fernando Cruz is far from a bad player to have on a roster.

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See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

Pitchers and catchers have reported, which is a cool symbolic benchmark of “baseball is back!” but is really just a lot of throwing and stretching. Games begin a week from Saturday, though, and slowly truths will begin to unfold. Some of the key story lines I will be watching as February eases into March…

1. Muncy: Plan A at 3B?

It appears Max Muncy will be given first shot to grab hold of 3B (but not yank it from its moorings), with Darell Hernaiz, Brett Harris, and Andy Ibañez competing at least in theory for the job.

Harris is a favorite on AN for the gig due to his superior defense combined with a strong offense around the 3B spot and the A’s need to play good infield defense behind an iffy rotation. But anytime you see depth charts cited by A’s insiders, Harris is listed third as more of an “honorable mention,” and it seems like it’s going to be Muncy’s job to lose going in.

So I will be watching carefully to see if the Muncy who shows up next week has better 3B form than the one who learned on the job in 2025 with very mixed results. Does Muncy look like a true 3Bman with adequate range, hands, and throwing accuracy?

At the plate, when he hit the IL Muncy was showing signs of life but overall his EVs, hard hit %, squared up % all left quite a bit to be desired but are also hard to assess in especially the early days of spring training games. So I will follow his hitting somewhat casually but am keen to see how the glove looks.

2. Barnett: New Angle, New Pitcher?

One reason not to overly wig out around a young player’s stats is that a ‘small’ tweak can make a huge difference seemingly overnight. Be it a toe tap or stance adjustment, development of a new pitch or moving from one corner of the rubber to the other, there can be that moment where a stalled player takes off.

For Mason Barnett, that adjustment could be the arm angle which the A’s say shifted last year and was not easily corrected during a season, better addressed in the off-season/ST. Barnett came to the A’s as a solid prospect and even the anti-A’s oriented Keith Law presently ascribes “mid-rotation SP upside” to Barnett.

Barnett’s debut in 2025 was rough: a 6.85 ERA in 22 IP with 26 hits, 11 BB, and just 18 K following a 6.13 ERA at AAA. Will he come to camp with a new (old) arm slot that elevates his game and allows him to present more like the “mid-rotation upside” SP he was projecting to be as a 3rd round pick whose K rates were between 10.70 and 14.14 at every minor league stop prior to 2025?

Having any one of the A’s young arms (Barnett, Ginn, Perkins) strongly emerge would be a huge boon to the 2026 club, especially early in the season when Gage Jump is still in the minors. Let’s see what Mason’s new arm slot delivers.

3. Leo De Vries: Fast Track or FAST Track?

Leo De Vries is not going to break camp with the big league club. But it’s not out of the question at all to think he could be a call up as soon as mid-season 2026. He has been invited to spring training and while he is likely to be an early cut he will have the opportunity to make an impression.

I will be keen to see to what extent he looks so close to ready that the A’s will be “forced” to consider fast-tracking him to the big leagues — or whether he looks “talented but raw” like you would expect from a 19 year old. In particular, we know his bat is special but how does his defense look?

I will also be watching closely to see where De Vries shows up on the diamond. The only position he has ever played so far is SS but the A’s have shown no indications of moving Jacob Wilson off the position. If De Vries sees any time at 2B or 3B it could be seen as significant. Or if he simply comes in at SS to replace Wilson/Hernaiz and get a few innings in there, one could also suggest it means SS is where they see De Vries until further notice.

What story lines do you have to offer for us to watch in the early days of the Cactus League? And what are your thoughts on these 3 that I have identified for myself? It’s just nice to be talking about what to watch for because it means games are coming soon: 9 days but who’s counting?

For first-year Texas Longhorns pitching coach Max Weiner in 2025, the most impressive aspect of producing the sixth-best ERA nationally was how little margin Weiner had to accomplish that excellence.

Without many overpowering fastballs on the pitching staff, the Longhorns had to dominate the zone by largely pitching backwards with the five reliable arms that Weiner had — Luke Harrison, Ruger Riojas, Max Grubbs, Jared Spencer, and Dylan Volantis combined to pitch 300 of the 514.2 innings thrown by Texas last year, almost 60 percent of the total.

In every SEC weekend series, the Horns had a narrow pathway to victory if every pitcher executed their role successfully. But that pathway narrow even further when Spencer, the Friday starter, went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. After Riojas went from the fireman long relief role to the Friday starter, he caught the flu, which turned into bronchitis and led to the rock bottom of the Wimberly product’s baseball career as he lost 20 pounds and velocity on his pitches as a result.

By the Florida series in early May, Riojas was only able to record one out against Florida in allowing six runs on three hits and four walks.

For Weiner and the Longhorns, the margin had evaporated into the hot Central Texas air and Texas was eliminated from the Austin Regional by UTSA.

And so although Spencer was out of eligibility, the other three veteran pitchers had a sense of unfinished business and collectively decided to return to the Forty Acres to cap their college careers.

“Those guys wanted to be here,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said on Wednesday.

“They were the three most important recruits we could possibly have, to get those guys back for their last year, and that really gives us some space to allow the younger guys to develop. Not many better pitchers in the transfer portal than those guys, so getting those guys back to Texas is like getting a great transfer.”

When Texas opens the season against UC-Davis at UFCU Disch-Falk Field this weekend, the three returnees will start each game — Riojas on Friday, Harrison on Saturday, and Volantis on Sunday.

Like several other pitchers, Riojas remained in Austin to develop his body after the season ended. At 6’0, the UTSA transfer isn’t the biggest presence on the mound, increasing the importance of his strength and conditioning. To that end, Riojas is now at 205 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than he was listed last season before his illness, and has seen an increase in his fastball velocity.

The fastball is one of four pitches he throws from a high arm slot, including a slider, cutter, and splitter. From a lower arm slot, Riojas throws a sinker, slider, changeup, and curveball, putting pressure on on his ability to repeat his mechanics from both arm slots, something that he credits to his background as a position player.

“I think it takes a lot of athleticism. I credit playing middle infield and outfield my entire life to being able to adjust to these arm slots,” Riojas said on Wednesday. “And then it’s really just seeing those shapes on both ends and kind of defining them in your own way. You can go through the lineup over and over and over again, because a batter might not see all the pitches.”

When Riojas was at his best as a starter, he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings in the win over Texas A&M in late April, lowering his season era to 2.98 before his illness robbed him of his effectiveness — of the 45 runs allowed by Riojas in 2025, 27 of them came in his last four starts after he got sick, ballooning his ERA to 5.61.

Schlossnagle credits the self-awareness of Riojas for his ability to bounce back from adversity without lingering effects.

“He’s just being who he is. Away from the field, he’s super consistent as a human being. You’ve got a great combination of humility and confidence. So he has the humility to recognize that, or be self aware enough to know that there are things he has to get better at, and he goes to work on them like he did all summer with his body and in the fall with his pitches with Max. But he still has the confidence that one game or one stretch doesn’t define his career, and that he’s also getting better,” Schlossnagle said.

A left-hander who bounced back from Tommy John surgery after the 2022 season, Harrison kept pushing to improve under the new coaching staff after he struggled in his return from injury in 2024, becoming the team’s most consistent starter in 2025, making a team-best 15 starts while notching a 5-1 mark with 3.06 ERA and totaling 24 walks and 72 strikeouts over a team-high 70.2 innings.

Harrison was able to increase his fastball velocity into the low 90s to make it more playable and added a cutter to be able to pitch in on the hands of right-handed batters and a curveball to complement his slider, which become more effective working in tandem with his cutter, coming out in a similar plane with similar arm speed.

Like Harrison, Grubbs benefited from adding effective pitches to his arsenal under Weiner to post a 6-2 mark with 2.84 ERA and five saves with 14 walks and 61 strikeouts over 57 innings. A sinker-slider pitcher over his first two seasons on the Forty Aces, Grubbs took the next step in his development as a long reliever by introducing a cutter and a split-finger pitch to his repertoire.

Volantis is also developing a changeup as he moves from his closer role into the starting rotation to explore his upside after a sensational freshman season that saw him earn the Baseball America National Freshman of the Year award and first-team All-America recognition from four publications.

A younger returning player who should find a role on the staff is sophomore Jason Flores, who drew praise from Schlossnagle earlier this week for his improved maturity and work habits from his freshman season, when he showed promise with a 4-2 record and 2.78 ERA with five starts over 14 appearances. Flores was hard to hit, holding opponents to a .205 batting average. If the 6’1, 240-pounder doesn’t earn a role on the weekend, he’ll be a valuable asset during midweek games.

Last month, second baseman Ethan Mendoza picked redshirt senior right-hander Cody Howard as a pitcher who could surprise. The Baylor transfer struggled with his command last year, but has the pure stuff to get hitters out — opponents only batted .196 against him in 2025.

Also returning are junior left-hander Kade Bing, a midweek starter for the Longhorns in his first season on the Forty Acres, junior right-hander Hudson Hamilton, who earned two midweek saves as a sophomore, and redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker, a soft-tossing southpaw who was able to get through 4.1 innings in his start against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.

Expected to move into the closer role is 6’3, 230-pound junior right-hander Thomas Burns, a starter at Arizona State in his freshman season before experiencing some ups and downs as a reliever in his first season on the Forty Acres.

With a fastball that can reach triple digits, Burns has considerable upside that was limited last season by his lack of command, never more evident than in a bad appearance against Arkansas in which he allowed five runs over 1.1 innings despite only giving up two hits because he walked five batters.

But new starting catcher Carson Tinney believes that Burns will be the breakout star on the staff because of his mental maturity.

“Just his ability to control himself and his mind, I think is elite and probably the best I’ve ever seen,” Tinney said.

Burns also added a splitter he’s throwing instead of a changeup because he can throw it from the same arm slot as his fastball and has better command with it.

Is he going to be the closer, though?

“We’re all just a bunch of savage out-getters,” Burns said with a smile.

Sebastian Walcott will miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season due to a torn UCL, per the beats.

This sucks, to put it mildly. And puts a damper on our poll yesterday, asking when Walcott will make his major league debut.

Walcott, a shortstop who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, is the top prospect in the Texas Rangers system and a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball. He spent the 2025 season at AA Frisco, and was slated to be in Round Rock for the 2026 season. That isn’t happening now.

Walcott was originally set to play in the Arizona Fall League last year, but appeared in just one game before being shut down with what was described as arm fatigue.

Walcott’s arm has been one of his strengths, and while he has been seen as likely to have to move off of shortstop eventually, his arm strength led prospectphiles to suggest he could land at third baes or right field. Now we will have to see how he recovers.

The land of movies that are so bad that they’re good but somehow still wrap back around to being bad will be sharing some space with baseball this Spring. Major League Baseball has revealed the broadcast schedule for this year’s World Baseball Classic and things are pretty simple when it comes to figuring out which channel these games will be on. Fox Sports will be carrying the entire competition, so if you’re looking for a game then it’ll likely be on FOX, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes.

The 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic U.S. broadcast schedule is here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lZwNi9t9bM

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 12, 2026

They’ll also be streaming all of the games as well — some of which on an exclusive basis. When it comes to those streaming-exclusives, FOX has decided to utilize free streaming platform Tubi to broadcast some games as well. As it turns out for us Braves fans who have an interest in the Braves players who are participating in the WBC, the game involving all four Braves players participating in the WBC will, in fact, be streamed exclusively on Tubi. So just in case you’re interested in making a doubleheader out of watching a smash box office hit like “Robocidal” or “Trail Cam Sasquatch” either before or after you watch Ronald Acuña Jr. and Venezuela lock horns on the baseball diamond with Ozzie Albies and Jurickson Profar representing the Netherlands, now’s your chance to do so.

Fortunately, all of Team USA’s games will either be on big FOX or FS1 so you won’t have to go too far to find them. If you’re interested in watching Pool C action over in Japan then you’d better be ready to burn the midnight oil with a pot of coffee nearby because the games are going to be starting either very late at night or at the crack of dawn here on the East Coast. Which games and/or teams are you the most interested in keeping track with as the WBC gets underway soon?

Over in Japan’s NPB, every team has a new slogan for the season. The slogans set out the team’s hopes, goals, and attitude. They hype the fans up. They’re fun. Thanks to the nature of the Japanese language, there’s also fun tricks to be had with the slogans, too: for example, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants both have the slogan “Zenshin”, but with different kanji characters and thus, different meanings.

Due to the limitations of the English language, the Phillies can’t quite pull off that trick. But they can still have a great slogan. Here are some suggestions.

Run It Back?

Many Phillies fans consider this year’s largely similar lineup to be an example of running it back. Rob Thomson disagrees, and surely some fans do too. Any attempt to pick a side here would result in controversy. So why choose? This slogan lets you, the fan, decide whether or not the 2026 Phils are running it back. It also gives you, the fan, some wiggle room. If the Phillies win it all this year, you can say you meant it affirmatively. And if they fall short, you can say you meant it facetiously.

Bryce Harper is(n’t) Elite

Dave Dombrowski’s remark about Bryce Harper not putting up an elite performance last year clearly got Harper’s dander up. That sort of motivation can really prompt a turnaround. Imagine Braves and Mets fleeing in terror as a rage-fueled Harper sends screaming line drives right at them. But it would be overdoing things to make “Harper isn’t elite” the team’s slogan; that sort of motivation isn’t needed when he’s playing well. So the team can put “Bryce Harper Isn’t Elite” in lights above Citizens Bank Park, then turn the “n’t” on or off as needed. Motivation on demand!

With Age Comes Wisdom

The Phillies aren’t decrepit, but they’re an older bunch. The Daycare is now in their late twenties. This slogan would be a reminder that the greater experience that comes with age can be a real boon for a team. And hey, Patrick Wisdom is a free agent. Brand synergy opportunity?

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren

If you can’t come up with anything original for a Philly sports slogan or alternate jersey design, you can always rely on old faithful: the Declaration of Independence, a Philadelphia original. Bad news, though: nearly every line in the thing has already been taken as a slogan by one team or another at one point or another. We checked, and the only line untaken is “nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren”. Which doesn’t work very well as a slogan. It’s no “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. But Team USA and her Phillies representatives are about to take on Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic, so maybe there’s an opportunity there?

It’s Lit Like Schmidt

The kids like to say “lit”, right? Though, they seem to have moved on to “67” (and while we could give one of the Phillies’ stars that jersey number as a promo to draw in the youth, it seems terribly unfair to the player who will be forced to do the accompanying hand motion ad nauseam). Nothing drives the youth away faster than outdated slang. But perhaps that could be a selling point: use cringe slang of yesterday to keep the meme-loving youth away, so that adults made grouchy by endlessly hearing social media slang can have the ballpark as a place of respite. Down in front!

Go Birds

It doesn’t fit, but let’s be honest: people are going to say it anyway.

Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday and I’m already wondering whose turn it is to let us down. Not to be a Debbie Downer or anything, I’m just suspicious. Every A’s pitching stuff unfolds like an Agatha Christie novel to me. They stuff these large casts of characters in the bullpen, near the end of the dugout, and by the middle of the season….something’s dead, and we the fans are left pointing fingers, wondering why and how this could’ve happened (despite us all knowing it was inevitable to begin with).

Aside from he who shall not be named (Jose Leclerc), last year’s biggest culprits were none other than the now-banished Mitch Spence and Osvaldo Bido. When the two put up solid numbers during their rookie campaigns in ‘24, a lot of us were feeling a little cavalier. Like of course, the A’s snag two guys from the clutches of obscurity and turn them into success stories. What a classic move by a traditionally savvy ball club.

But you see, as Mitch Spence’s pants got tighter in ‘25, so did the leash Mark Kotsay had initially given him. May’s infamy can partially be attributed to the ten earned runs he gave up in just seventeen innings. For reference, it would take the A’s six games into that month’s eleven game losing streak to score more than that amount.

Bido, on the other hand, teased us to begin the season. His five-inning route of the Seattle Mariners in the opening series had me grooving a little bit, believing he was the real deal Holyfield. Don’t forget there was lot of buzz around Bido at the time. Many saw him as a breakout candidate. He had even been chosen by Luis Severino, the “ace” himself, to be the team’s proverbial diamond in the rough.

All this noise, however, would quickly die down after his first start of the season as, like Evander Holyfield, opponents began to chew him up and spit him out.

I’ll never forget the second-hand embarrassment I experienced last May 15th, as I watched from the cheap seats of Dodger stadium, Osvaldo Bido get tossed around like a Kardashian. What’s crazy is that less than a year prior, he was putting up six frames with six strikeouts against the Dodgers. Now he couldn’t even get out of the second. Six earned runs in less than two innings later, Bido had booked himself a ticket to AAA Las Vegas. He’d spend the rest of the season, like Spence, going back and forth between Vegas and the big leagues, until the front office eventually deemed him totally incompetent.

So who’s next? Someone in our rotation, in our bullpen, that we’ve got an odd amount of faith in, will be guilty of dropping the ball. If we’re able to get to the bottom of it now, we could save ourselves some trouble down the road.

Any ideas?

I hate even saying it, but Jacob Lopez’s trajectory seems a little iffy to me. Yes, he was my favorite pitcher to watch last season aside from Luis Morales, but there’s just something a little too mercurial about the guy. No part of me truly believes he can replicate last year’s rate in which he struck out batters. Not to mention the injury history dating back to his days with the Devil Rays. So while I could totally see the guy becoming the next great unassuming lefty, I’d also believe you if you told me he ended up just being really good at golf. Both are dignified in their own right, but I’d obviously prefer the first scenario.

(I just remembered Max Schuemann represented the A’s in the inaugural MLB Open last November)

Michael Kelly’s also someone I’m keeping a close eye on. The gambling icon made his season debut against the Twins last June, and immediately became a much needed lynchpin. The way he helped hold things down when Sterner would forget how to shot-put, when Hogan Harris’ curveball was nothing but a hanging hoagie — I strongly believe we don’t recover the way we did if Kelly wasn’t there. But this is a new season, and there is one thing we still haven’t seen from Kelly — his ability to perform across a full slate. A quick peak at his numbers, will you show a 33 year old, who was at his best last year in low leverage situations, and at his worst when called upon in back to back days.

Does this make him a performative workhorse?

In theory, bringing in guys like Barlow and Leiter Jr. should help take a load off Kelly’s shoulders, but should we even be putting the weight of expectation on him to begin with? I’m not too sure. Just keep him away from the sportsbook so we can find out.

Who has you sweating?

A’s Coverage

• A’s Designate Grant Holman, Mitch Spence For Assignment
• What Offseason Decision Makes You Nervous?
• A’s Sign Starter Aaron Civale
• Athletics Community Prospect List: Barnett Finds His Spot At #11
• Athletics add developmental leaguer in trade with Yankees
• Athletics Community Prospect List: Taylor Rounds Out Top 10
• Little Signings Everywhere
• What to know as A’s head to spring camp with high hopes for ’26
• A’s Claim Andy Ibanez, Add Scott Barlow In Busy Roster Shuffle
• Athletics Sign Jacob Wilson to Extension
• Athletics Community Prospect List: Echavarria Takes #9 Spot
• Extensions For Everyone! (Except Kurtz)
• Wilson extension signals shift for A’s ahead of Vegas move
• Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects list
• After monster stats as rookie, Nick Kurtz has a new number in mind: 162
• A’s 2026 Roster Prediction

MLB News and Interest:

• What is the hamate and why are so many players injuring theirs?
• Orioles To Sign Chris Bassitt
• Liam Hendriks agrees to Minor League deal with Twins
• Phillies Remove Nick Castellanos Picture, Tell Him To Stay Away From Camp
• Veteran lefty Quintana will bring experience to Rockies’ rotation
• The mantra that has brought British baseball coaches to MLB
• Spring Training Hats Drop
• An assist from KK: Former star CF aiding next wave of Rays OFs at camp
• Justin Verlander Signs with the Detroit Tigers
• Pirates to sign Marcell Ozuna
• Francisco Lindor injured his hamate bone
• Former speedster Terrance Gore passes away at 34
• Yasiel Puig found guilty in gambling probe
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Yikes! I haven’t seen that many 4’s since the last time I visited UC Davis

A’s Latest Projected Rotation & ERA@fangraphs

Luis Severino — 4.48
Jeffrey Springs — 4.38
Aaron Civale — 4.64
Jacob Lopez — 4.17
Luis Morales — 4.46

Do you agree with Civale jumping the order? 🤔 https://t.co/GJ9YZVwAEy

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) February 12, 2026

Was I the only one who liked Stickman Nick Kurtz in the lead-off spot?

A’s Projected 2026 Starting Lineup@MLB

1. Nick Kurtz, 1B
2. Shea Langeliers, C
3. Brent Rooker, DH
4. Tyler Soderstrom, LF
5. Jacob Wilson, SS
6. Jeff McNeil, 2B
7. Lawrence Butler, RF
8. Max Muncy, 3B
9. Denzel Clarke, CF

Do we really want Kurtz leading off?#Athleticspic.twitter.com/mlOEoZZATK

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) February 11, 2026

Soderstrom better burn his draft card. We didn’t just throw the guy a Christmas miracle for him to risk it representing our country.

Team USA is considering Steven Kwan, Tyler Soderstrom, Riley Greene, Roman Anthony, James Wood, Wyatt Langford and Kyle Stowers to replace Corbin Carroll on the WBC roster, per @jonmorosipic.twitter.com/3NGWXCZ13J

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 11, 2026

Not A’s-related but this is just too funny to me haha why didn’t anyone tell Getz he couldn’t even hit right handed?

The GM of the White Sox thinking Luisangel Acuna is a switch hitter is insane. How… https://t.co/3K7SSc6kKZ

— Marc Luino (@GiraffeNeckMarc) February 12, 2026

This season will determine if Gelof is the Daric Barton of this current A’s squad (does that make Jeff Mcneil our Brandon Moss?)

Zack Gelof provided an update on his status entering camp, and joked about whether or not he'd received an extension offer from the A's. https://t.co/tpiiFX8wRM

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) February 12, 2026

The equivalent of I-Hop buying an old Denny’s and painting over it

Atlanta now has seven former A's projected to be with them in the big leagues in 2026 https://t.co/gVAqzjZoXu

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) February 11, 2026

This was tweeted after Barlow told Kurtz he knows what champagne tastes like

A few reminders for everyone as guys start reporting to camp:

1. No one in the locker room cares at all if you show up with your stuff in your old team’s bag.

2. It is pretty much physically impossible to gain “15-20 lbs of muscle” in 4 months of offseason training.

— Brent Rooker (@Brent_Rooker25) February 11, 2026

Never been a fan of an A’s lid where “gold” was the dominant color. Just flip it and give us a cool little kelly green cactus variant of the normal A’s cap. I’d pick one up right now if it were offered.

How are we feeling about this year’s Spring Training hats, A’s fans? #Athleticspic.twitter.com/SXUIMMbpT4

— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) February 11, 2026

Nick Castellanos should have a new home within a day, maybe two. It's clear there's no space for him at his old one. 

Castellanos did not have a locker assigned to him in the Philadelphia Phillies' spring training clubhouse, according to news media in Clearwater, Florida. The Athletic reported the club asked him to stay home and await either a trade destination or his release. 

Castellanos is owed $20 million in the final year of a five-year, $100 million deal he signed with the Phillies. But his performance fell off last season and he fell out of favor with the club, earning a one-game benching after a conflict with manager Rob Thomson. 

The Phillies signed former Texas Ranger Adolis Garcia to a one-year deal to supplant Castellanos in right field. Philadelphia would have to take on almost all of Castellanos' salary in any trade; if they release him, they will owe him the full $20 million once he clears waivers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Castellanos-Phillies breakup looks imminent. Trade coming?

The 2026 MLB regular season is still more than a month away, but we are turning the page on various MLB odds.

Aaron Judge (+350) is the early favorite to lead MLB in home runs in 2026, narrowly edging Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani (+400). Meanwhile, 2025 home run champion Cal Raleigh is fourth on the board at +900, just behind Kyle Schwarber (+800).

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz represents the new blood, sitting at +1000 as we get ready for spring training.

Let's take a look at the early MLB home run title odds for 2026 below.

Odds to win 2025 MLB home run title

Odds as of 2-12.

Recent single-season home run leaders

Here are each of the last 10 home run champions:

Popular MLB futures markets

• MLB World Series odds
• MLB MVP odds
• MLB Cy Young odds
• MLB Rookie of the Year odds
• MLB playoff odds

Understanding MLB HR title betting odds

Betting MLB home run title odds is about as simple as it gets. You are just betting on which player will end the regular season with the most home runs in the MLB. HR title betting futures are usually shown in American-style odds and usually look like this:

• Pete Alonso +800

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $800 if Alonso wins the MLB home run title. Now, most of these markets close when the season starts. But some sportsbooks may post updated odds at different points in the season, and if one player has a large lead in home runs you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of their odds:

• Aaron Judge -110

This means that you would need to bet $110 to win $100 on Judge winning the MLB home run title. If you want to see the odds in a different format check out our odds converter tool.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Morning, all!

Wyatt Langford is being considered as an injury replacement for outfielder Corbin Carroll for Team USA, which would make him the fifth Ranger playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Kumar Rocker has to commit to fully developing his changeup and to actually using it in games if he’s going to have an effective 2026 campaign.

Jordan Montgomery’s elbow surgery in April of last year is the second of his career, with his first being in 2018.

Private equity has entered MLB with Sportsology Capital Partners buying a stake in the Rangers after a year and a half of negotiations, and we all know how private equity always makes our favorite brands better.

Everyone’s open for business. And there’s an awful lot of it for Major League Baseball teams to take care of over the next 40 days of spring training.

Pitchers and catchers are officially in and working out at all 30 camps, kicking off the game’s period of relative tranquility before the grind of 162 games and five weeks of playoff settle in.

Yet what unfolds in Florida and Arizona the next six weeks will surely frame what happens in the months to come. With that, USA TODAY Sports examines 30 issues worth monitoring among the Cactus and Grapefruit:

Philadelphia Phillies: Can Zack Wheeler clear all the hurdles?

The rib is sitting in a closet at home, Zack Wheelertold reporters in Clearwater, Florida, safely removed from his vascular thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. It can’t hurt him, and he kept it for posterity.

Now, six months removed from getting shut down and having to watch the Phillies bow out in the NL Division Series without him, Wheeler, 35, once again represents their best chance to separate from the NL pack.

He will not be ready for opening day, manager Rob Thomson intimated, though that artificial deadline doesn’t matter that much. Soon Wheeler, currently long tossing from 90 feet, will get up off a mound, progress as any pitcher might and, perhaps, get in some Grapefruit League games in March.

That would put him squarely in the middle of the six to eight months recovery time for his form of TOS surgery. And as stretched out and effective that Wheeler looks as March nears April, the less Philly may have to rely on prospect Andrew Painter – who may or may not be ready – and vets like Taijuan Walker to hold down the rotation.

No, Wheeler won’t clear every hurdle this spring. But getting closer to the finish line would make the Phillies far more imposing.

New York Mets: Will the new mix prove cohesive?

David Stearns’ January scramble drill brought the Mets another highly competitive, big-budget behemoth. One probably better than the 83-win dud in the first year of Juan Soto’s $765 million contract.

But that will involve disparate parts coming together, Bo Bichette learning third base with aplomb, a sentient right fielder emerging and the gaggle of first base/DH types sliding into roles.

Oh, and all this with All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor missing all of spring training with a hamate injury.

"We’ve got a fun group. Even these first couple days down here you can feel it," Stearns insisted the day before camp opened. "The guys are smiling, they’re having fun with each other.

"We do have new faces here. But baseball is such a small community. It hasn’t felt, these first couple days, like we’re integrating a lot of new people."

Ideally, the new-look infield of Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Lindor and Bichette coalesces. And the 83-win bar set last year proves easy to clear.

Atlanta Braves: Still time to add more pitching?

The loss of Spencer Schwellenbach is fairly devastating for an Atlanta team that dipped under .500 for the first time since 2017 and was, somewhat rightfully, counting on internal improvement to make up much of the shortfall.

Schwellenbach’s elbow dislocation dampened their hopes last year and now, his inflammation in the same wing raises many questions about his 2026 season.

Yet the Braves are 0-0, and can triage this loss now, with a gaggle of available starting pitchers on the market. But they're going quickly: Chris Bassitt came off the board on the first day of Orioles camp; a Lucas Giolito or similar arm slotted behind Chris Sale and Spencer Strider – both struck by injury woes last year, too – would give the squad more than a fighting chance.

Miami Marlins: Are young arms ready to seize opportunity?

It would be quite a gambit: Trading from pitching depth to acquire a slugging right fielder in Owen Caissie and then plugging the vacancy with quality rookie arms.

That would certainly be a best-case scenario for the Marlins, who knocked on the playoff door last year after playing excellent ball from late June on. Robby Snelling, Baseball America’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2023, bounced back from a 2024 dip to get his stock back up while Thomas White is a high-end prospect whose walk rate still raises eyebrows.

The Marlins signed Chris Paddack as a back-end stopgap. But solid springs for Snelling and White could bring the future closer to Miami than anticipated.

Washington Nationals: Will youth be served?

Once Blake Butera manages a Grapefruit League game, he’ll check one key box off his never-have-I-ever list: Holding forth in a big league dugout.

At 33, he’s the youngest major league manager since 1972, and comes highly regarded from the highly respected Tampa Bay Rays development apparatus.

Connecting with a projected roster where just one player – starter Miles Mikolas – is older than him shouldn’t be difficult.

"I feel really prepared," he said the day before Nationals camp opened. "And ready to roll."

Chicago Cubs: Will a mystery guest make them even deeper?

Adding Alex Bregman to a 92-win team is quite the power move. Yet are the Chicago Cubs even more all-in than it appears?

They held onto invaluable second baseman Nico Hoerner and turned Matt Shaw into a utility guy. And are set to see three of their starting pitchers walk after this year, too.

Which makes you wonder whether the club, connected in various forms to unsigned Zac Gallen virtually the entire winter, might see the right-hander come back to them before long. That would give them admirable starter depth and a hedge against the future.

Perhaps it won’t be as dramatic as Dexter Fowler’s 2016 return that portended a World Series title. But it would certainly spice things up.

Milwaukee Brewers: Faith no more?

Nothing quite like trading the ace of your 97-win team one month before spring training begins. It is the kind of maneuver that can damper a clubhouse spirit before workouts begin. Yet the Milwaukee Brewers are accustomed to such indignities.

Dealing Freddy Peralta to the Mets doesn’t leave the cupboard bare, though. It just turns a lot of hoped-for things into musts.

Like Brandon Woodruff getting north of 20 starts again. Jacob Misiorowski uninhibited by governors on his youthful arm. Logan Henderson looking ready to build upon a fantastic five-start cameo.

Throw in Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick, and there’s a path to Surviving Freddy. But that margin for error has narrowed a bit, where any hint of injury, regression or lack of polish may upset the formula.

Cincinnati Reds: A void in left field?

Left field at Great American Ball Park is a pretty sweet place to ply your trade. Not a lot of ground to cover and then a very hitter-friendly yard when there’s a bat in your hands.

Yet the Cincinnati Reds may fill that slot with a combo of J.J. Bleday (career OBP of .307, adjusted OPS 92) and Dane Myers (.299, 80).

It’s a curious pairing, though in Bleday, the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, there’s still the whiff of upside after he hit 20 homers in Oakland in 2024. He regressed in almost every category in ’25, though, and was non-tendered by the A’s.

Myers provides speed but little pop, though both would give the outfield a fairly elite defensive look with TJ Friedl flanked by them and right fielder Noelvi Marte, who has proven a very quick study out there.

Will this alignment last all spring? Or might the Reds kick the tires on Nick Castellanos if/when the Phillies must release him? Stay tuned.

St. Louis Cardinals: How close is JJ Wetherholt?

The St. Louis Cardinals’ rebuild has indeed filled up a farm system that ranks in the upper third of the majors, thanks largely to depth amassed in their many trades. But JJ Wetherholt is the guy everyone’s dying to see.

A relative steal with the seventh overall pick in 2024, Wetherholt nearly knocked down the door to Busch Stadium last year, when he slashed .306/.421/.510 and stole 23 bases in 26 attempts across AA and AAA ball.

Now, the trade of Brendan Donovan to Seattle opens up a slot at second base. The allure of pairing Wetherholt up the middle with Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn is undeniable. And Wetherholt’s spring plate appearances will certainly bear watching.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Does the Konnor Griffin era begin now?

Speaking of gifted young middle infielders, Konnor Griffin does not turn 20 until April. But he does move fast.

The young man got married over the winter, coming off a year he hit 21 homers with a .941 OPS across three levels, finishing at Class AA in his first pro season. Increasingly, it’s simply a matter of "when" and not "if." That said, the Pirates might be putting an awful lot on the young man by tossing him out there opening day after a winter they sparked relative hope with a handful of moves to improve the offense.

Then again, the Paul Skenes era is entering Year Three. If nothing else, Griffin gives Bucco fans in Bradenton something to train their eyes upon the days Skenes doesn’t pitch.

Los Angeles Dodgers: How slow will they play it?

Blake Snell is already on the remedial spring program after the Dodgers’ back-to-back championship run pushed them all the way through 11 innings of World Series Game 7. Will others join him?

Beyond their checkbook championships, the Dodgers have displayed an uncanny ability to get a crew of oft-injured pitchers just right for the playoffs. Snell and Tyler Glasnow, most notably, struggled to stay upright until the lights shone the brightest last year – and then they saved their season.

As for this year? Playoff hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto is pitching for Japan in the WBC. Not ideal, given the body blows he took last fall.

Conversely, youngsters like River Ryan, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack, along with last year’s phenom, Rōki Sasaki, are all healthy. The Dodgers could roll with an 11-man rotation if they wanted.

And the ramp-up through the Cactus League may yet reveal a few more arms who might need a siesta early to make sure they’re available late.

San Diego Padres: Is Joe Musgrove ready to roll?

Easy to forget the San Diego Padres won 90 games last year, this with Dylan Cease giving up more damage than his numbers might have indicated. Now, Cease is in Toronto – and a former rotation stalwart is hoping to be ready to replace him.

Joe Musgrove missed all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery, his elbow giving in during the 2024 wild-card series. He might have been available had the Padres advanced a couple rounds in ’25, but it was probably best he stayed on ice through the winter.

Now, his performance may determine whether the Padres can sustain their consistent level of contention: With Nick Pivetta and Michael King atop the rotation, anything resembling the Musgrove of old would give them a solid chance to play .550 or better ball and unlock another playoff spot.

San Francisco Giants: Will skipper accidentally call spring training ‘Fall Ball?’

We kid, we kid. Tony Vitello’s unprecedented leap from Knoxville to the NL West has gone swimmingly so far, the San Francisco Giants’ early arrivers believing in this unprecedented hire.

Still, though, until he manages a regular season game, it’ll be interesting to chart how he handles the 40 days and nights that lead up to the opener.

And no pressure: Opening night is simply a standalone Netflix game against Aaron Judge and the Yankees.

Vitello’s doing OK, though. He named Logan Webb his opening day starter – not his Friday night starter.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Will the oldies stay golden?

Spring training’s a time for veteran dispensation: An extra day off, a hall pass from bus trips that are too long, early checkout time from a workout.

Well, there’s a lot of Arizona Diamondbacks who can claim those extra privileges.

The Diamondbacks’ late winter run netted them experience, and lots of it: Nolan Arenado will turn 35 and first baseman Carlos Santana 40 in April. Re-signed ace Merrill Kelly is 37. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez and catcher James McCann will soon be 33 and 36, respectively.

They’re certainly in the right spot. Who wouldn’t want to retire to the Valley of the Sun – or at least play ball a little while longer?

Colorado Rockies: Are the lab rats ready for Coors Field?

The Paul DePodesta era is almost certain to get weird. And the manner in which the new club president added to the rotation at winter’s end seemed to buttress that.

Oh, in a vacuum, they were totally normal maneuvers: Signing veteran starters Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals. It’s just that a team likely bound for another 100-loss campaign doesn’t necessarily dip into the veteran market in that fashion.

After all, what’s the difference between 96 and 106 losses, say?

But all three pitchers bring such divergent skill sets to the table, it’s almost like DePodesta will take the year and workshop what does and doesn’t work in Coors Field. For now, those three will be living a little easier in the Cactus League. The Coors missiles will be flying soon enough.

New York Yankees: Can they avoid the spring injury bug?

Sure, the Yankees can be just fine with "Run It Back+Ryan Weathers" as a 2026 strategy. Yet a fairly placid offseason leaves them deficient in the depth department.

Their past two springs were clouded by Gerrit Cole’s elbow woes – first a 2024 shutdown from March until late June, and then last spring when his UCL got gone for good. With seven of their 13 position players north of 30, the spring aches might hit a little harder.

There is something of a cavalry coming: Shortstop Anthony Volpe will soon return from shoulder surgery and Cole and Carlos Rodón will buttress the rotation, their recoveries inspiring the club to acquire the lefty Weathers to hold down the fort.

Yet save for outfielder Jasson Dominguez and veteran non-roster invite Paul DeJong, it gets pretty thin just beneath the surface. Staying upright this spring – and there’s nine dudes headed to the World Baseball Classic, including a No. 99 in red, white and blue – is paramount.

Toronto Blue Jays: Time to shake off the 'hangover?'

It’s tough to repeat, as we learned over the past quarter century. Yet it should theoretically be just as tough to get back to the World Series after getting to Game 7 and losing, right?

The Blue Jays would hope that’s not the case. It largely bodes well they shook up the mix from a club that fell two outs shy of a championship, with Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce bolstering the pitching staff for this and future years.

Yet the loss of Bo Bichette will be significant, for a club that relied on his contact and clutch hitting abilities. No one can move the baseball like Bo, unless Ernie Clement’s 30-hit postseason is a harbinger of his next 162 games.

February hasn’t been kind already: Anthony Santander likely out for the year, Shane Bieber very questionable for the opening spin through the rotation. Perhaps any "hangover" won’t show up until later in the year, when the effects of a longer 2025 might be felt.

Baltimore Orioles: Can Pete Alonso lift the vibes?

The Polar Bear is simply irrepressible, and one day into Orioles camp, Pete Alonso was already making himself conspicuous, signing autographs, working with pitchers on PFP, chirping during live batting practice.

No telling if Alonso – signed to a five-year, $155 million deal – is the salve for a once-boisterous young Orioles core whose last year and a half was a desultory and injury-plagued slog. Spring narratives – "We love the new guy!" – can often be so much eyewash, but Alonso, who averaged 42 homers per 162 games in seven seasons with the Mets, very well could be the presence the younger Orioles need.

Not that Alonso is ancient, but at 31, he’s still got at least three years on the O’s regulars, flourished in New York, won Home Run Derbys. Not a bad dude to shake it up.

Boston Red Sox: Did they get their swagger back?

A three-year playoff drought in Boston ended thanks in large part to Alex Bregman – who promptly broke containment and landed with the Cubs. What’s left behind is a funky infield alignment relying heavily on oft-injured Marcelo Mayer and Milwaukee refugee Caleb Durbin.

But what if these Red Sox get their swagger from the other side of the ball?

Importing Sonny Gray from St. Louis and signing Ranger Suarez away from Philadelphia suddenly gives this club a very deep rotation. And perhaps the fringe benefit is nudging the uber-talented Brayan Bello down a couple notches, a bit less pressure to unlock his greatness. Johan Oviedo, acquired from Pittsburgh, brackets this group.

It’s not as sexy as nabbing a bona fide wallbanger for the Green Monster. But it’s daunting, nonetheless.

Tampa Bay Rays: Can they survive a Lowe-free environment?

For the first time since 2017, the Rays will not have a Lowe on the roster, shocking when you consider that for a few years there, three Lowes might have found their name in the lineup.

Yet Brandon – the only one of the bunch who pronounces it "Lowe as in Ow" – was traded to Pittsburgh. Josh was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels.

And once again, the Rays’ deck has been significantly reshuffled.

They also dealt Shane Baz and his nasty repertoire of pitches to Baltimore, and nabbed Gavin Lux from Cincinnati to play second base. Yet with each passing year, it seems far less likely the Rays’ devil magic will pay off, not in a division with four rivals firing on virtually all competitive cylinders.

Oh, they never seem to plumb a new Lowe. But this spring will once again bring a bevy of introductions – and hopes that it all works out.

Detroit Tigers: OK, who's the No. 5 starter?

Oh, what a glorious problem to have in Motown.

With the late signing of lefty Framber Valdez and even later signing of Justin Verlander, the cover charge to crack the Tigers’ rotation is suddenly exorbitant.

Consider: Four of the five are All-Stars. Three are World Series champions. Two have Cy Young Awards on their shelf and one – Tarik Skubal – is the greatest pitcher in baseball at the moment.

so nice we had to post it twice pic.twitter.com/eKRo9Bz9Jc

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 12, 2026

OK, so nothing in baseball is permanent and this set-up is very temporary. Skubal is a free agent, Verlander is on a one-year deal, Valdez can opt out after two and Jack Flaherty is in the final year of a two-year contract.

But what a moment in time. Even if it relegates 2025 All-Star Casey Mize to the five hole.

Cleveland Guardians: Is it finally Chase DeLauter’s time?

OK, the dude is barely 24 years old. Yet two injury-plagued years in the minor leagues kept Cleveland’s top prospect from completing the journey to the big leagues just as he’d drawn so close. The Guardians did toss him into his major league debut during the ALDS.

Yet this spring will be his center field job to lose, and the Guardians, always offensively challenged, can certainly use his minor league career .384 OBP and .888 OPS. Cactus League performance may help force the Guardians’ hand.

Kansas City Royals: Can Jac Caglianone connect?

A couple weeks into Kansas City Royals camp, Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino will depart for Team Italy and its bid for World Baseball Classic glory. And perhaps that diversion will be good for the second-year player.

He struggled in a 62-game debut, batting .157, striking out 23% of the time and failing to unlock the massive power that prompted the Royals to draft him sixth overall in 2024.

Now, the Royals need him, fairly desperately. The lineup drops off precipitously after a fab four of Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvy Perez and Pasquantino. One more big bat would lengthen it nicely.

Chicago White Sox: Which Munetaka Murakami will show up?

Let’s be real: The verdict won’t be in on the Japanese slugger for quite some time. It simply remains a great mystery how he fell to the White Sox for a fairly modest $34 million guarantee – modest relative to Murakami’s NPB pedigree.

There’s nothing quite like freaking out over February-March exhibition baseball. So whether Murakami’s K concerns come to the fore, or he knocks balls toward Loop 101 with regularity, it will make for great spring drama either way.

Minnesota Twins: Is Luke Keaschall the future?

Oh, we won’t know that based on a handful of Grapefruit League games. But Keaschall had one of the game’s low-key fantastic debuts last season, debuting April 18, knocking seven hits in his first 19 at-bats but then suffering a fractured forearm getting hit by a pitch.

He sat out more than three months, then produced a .294/.359/.436 line in 42 games, accumulating 2.0 WAR in 49 games overall. The second base job is waiting for him, along with the potential to bring some sunshine to a franchise that can’t seem to shake out of a spiral.

Seattle Mariners: Time to walk the walk?

There’s little reason for Seattle to show up to camp with anything short of swagger. The Mariners broke a 24-year drought by winning the AL West, came just eight outs shy of a World Series berth and have multiple superstars in their midst.

They were tough to miss at the Super Bowl, with Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Bryan Woo and friends decked out in Seahawk gear. Now, coming off a year they beat back the Astros by three games, they’ve added All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan to the mix.

They should win the AL pennant. And we’d love to see a little swag along the way.

Houston Astros: Will Isaac Paredes last the spring?

Nothing worse than a walking trade rumor that lasts all the way into spring training. This year, it just might be Isaac Paredes’ turn.

With the Astros believing they’d hold off the Mariners last August, the club acquired old friend Carlos Correa to play third while Paredes was injured. Well, they fell short, Correa is signed through 2028 and now there’s an abundance of infielders in Houston.

In a perfect world, the Astros could have flipped Paredes for an outfielder. As it stands, the alignment is uninspiring, with Jesus Sanchez, Zach Cole and Jake Myers playing most days, and Cam Smith hoping to regain the club’s confidence after he faded late in his rookie year.

Texas Rangers: Can MacKenzie Gore reach the next level?

There’s not much MacKenzie Gore can do this spring to convince us he’s ready to be a full-fledged ace. No, that time won’t come until, say, July, when Gore started to hit the wall last year after an All-Star first half.

His splits: 3.02 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings before the break – and 6.75/8.6 after.

Still, the Rangers leaped at the chance to acquire him from Washington. They’ll have six weeks to unlock this very talented arm. And we may have to wait a few months to see if the tinkering in the Arizona sun leads to a second-half payoff.

Athletics: Can West Sacramento lock down another star?

It’s a nice little nest egg the A’s are building for Las Vegas, with Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and Lawrence Butler all locked into multiyear deals that stretch beyond the three years the franchise is spending in Yolo County.

Can they do the same with Nick Kurtz? Well, they’d be insane not to try.

Kurtz was a stunning revelation in winning Rookie of the Year, crushing 36 homers with a 1.002 OPS, racking up 5.4 WAR in just 117 games and displaying preternatural abilities to adjust within an at-bat.

Let’s face it: The young man is going to get paid, significantly. He still has two more years of the club unilaterally controlling his salary, a hammer the A’s hold for only so long, the clock ticking once again come Opening Day.

Some say Kurtz might be foolish to sign long-term, given his earning potential. It’d be equally foolish of the A’s not to make a nine-figure commitment to try, and this spring is the best time to do so.

Los Angeles Angels: Is Grayson Rodriguez a hidden gem?

As the Los Angeles Angels reported to camp Feb. 10, there was one sight that must have looked particularly sunny: Grayson Rodriguez, throwing a bullpen session.

The one-time Orioles prodigy, acquired for outfielder Taylor Ward, hasn’t thrown a regular season pitch since July 31, 2024. The Orioles couldn’t wait around for his litany of physical woes to clear up.

So the Angels acquired him and goodness, it’s not easy to find such a big arm with four years of club control. Now, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. But each Cactus League hurdle Rodriguez clears toward Opening Day enhances the chances the Angels might have wisely procured a piece of their future.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB spring training 2026, 30 questions for 30 teams at camp

The 2026 MLB season is approaching, as pitchers and catchers have reported, and spring training games are soon to follow.

The MLB playoff odds market is a simple "yes/no" proposition. You look at a team's odds and decide whether or not you think they'll be playing in October. 

With a clean slate, let's look at how MLB odds look before any action has occurred.

2026 MLB playoff odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings.

MLB Postseason format

The MLB playoffs expanded in the 2022 season, adding an extra wild card to both the AL and NL, making it a total of 12 teams in the postseason.

The new format will see the top two division winners in each league (Seeds 1 and 2) get a first-round bye, while the third-best division winner (Seed 3) will host the third wild card (Seed 6) — and the two remaining wild cards (Seeds 4 and 5) will face off — in a three-game series.

Following the Wild Card Round, the No. 1 seed will face the winner of the two wild cards (Seeds 4/5), while the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 vs No. 6 winner in the Divisional Round.

If the second-best record in the league does not come from a division winner (e.g. the San Francisco Giants in 2021), they will remain the top wild card — and not get a first-round bye.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Spring training is about a month away. The air is starting to warm, and the birds are returning. I love spring. It’s a time of renewal, both in life and in baseball.

One of the beauties of baseball is its consistency. Things change slowly in baseball, and that’s okay with me. Speaking of change, has anyone else noticed the Girl Scouts changed Thin Mints? As a bit of a cookie connoisseur, I’m not a fan. They’re not as delectable as the old Thin Mints.

Back to baseball. A pitcher delivers the ball and, 60 feet 6 inches away, a batter tries to hit it. Granted, over the years, the equipment has improved: better bats, balls that we assume are more uniform, even small things like better spikes can make a difference. Even in years when we question the integrity of the baseball, the umpire switches out balls after nearly every pitch. In the old days, a ball might have been used until it was hit into the stands, which meant many batters stood in the box trying to locate a dirty baseball hurtling toward them.

One noticeable change over the years has been hitters wearing all sorts of body armor. I understand it— a 95-mile-per-hour fastball that hits your elbow is going to cause significant pain and possibly a trip to the injured list. This is one change that tilts in favor of the batter, giving them confidence to stand a little closer to the plate even against the hardest throwers. When I was a young teen, I took a fastball off my left thigh from the hardest thrower in town. The next day, I could see the baseball’s stitches imprinted in the bruise. I’d have given anything to be wearing a thigh pad. Do you think I was thinking about that pitch the next time I faced him? You’d better believe it. The lack of body armor gave hard throwers like Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson a significant advantage.

This is the final installment of great hitting seasons, looking at some of the best from the 1990s to the present day, with memories of the jacked-up ’90s. It seemed like everyone was lifting weights in that glorious decade, and many players were supplementing their workouts with illegal substances. Balls were flying out of ballparks faster and farther than any of us had ever seen. It was all an illusion and, at the same time, glorious.

Before we road trip to the ’90s, I want to write about one of my personal favorite hitting seasons: Rusty Staub in 1973. Statistically, it wasn’t anything special: .279/.361/.421 with just 15 home runs and 76 RBI in 152 games. It wasn’t even Staub’s best season, which was probably 1970 in Montreal or maybe 1978 with the Tigers. Staub, adorned with one of the all-time great nicknames in Montreal—Le Grand Orange—was a vastly underrated hitter over his 23-year career.

What made his 1973 season so memorable was the joy it brought to baseball. That was the season an undermanned Mets team made an improbable run to the World Series, primarily on the backs of ace Tom Seaver and Staub’s timely hitting.

Over the final 13 games of the season, the Mets went from two and a half games back to winning the pennant by one and a half games over the St. Louis Cardinals. Staub led the charge by hitting .393 over that stretch, helping lead the Mets to ten wins.

The Mets finished just 82–79, then somehow beat the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds in a thrilling five-game championship series.

Against all odds, they took the powerhouse Oakland A’s to seven games in the World Series, with Staub hitting .423 despite playing with a separated shoulder. Maybe it was just my 12-year-old memories, but it seemed like anytime the Mets needed a big hit late in a game—especially in the Championship Series or the World Series—Staub delivered.

There was no mistaking Staub’s brilliance with the bat. He ended his career with 2,716 hits and is the only player in history to record at least 500 hits with four different franchises. Most years he was a doubles machine, and he had a fantastic eye, drawing over 100 walks twice and finishing with a career .362 OBP.

He was beloved in both Montreal and New York and is a member of both teams’ Halls of Fame. Staub is one of those players who deserves another look from the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Albert Belle. The name conjures a lot of different feelings. He was the son of a football coach and a math teacher. He was a member of the National Honor Society and an Eagle Scout. He had a reputation as a hothead prone to outbursts, but man, could he hit. Despite his virtuosity with the bat, he was only the second-best hitter in history named Albert.

He attended LSU, where he hit .332 with power over his college career. The Indians took him in the second round of the 1987 draft—the same draft in which Ken Griffey Jr. went first overall. The Royals selected Kevin Appier in the first round and Terry Shumpert in the second, six picks before Belle. It’s hard to imagine passing on Belle when you look at his college production, but that’s never stopped the Royals from making questionable draft choices.

Belle made his major league debut in 1989 at age 22 and blossomed into stardom in 1991. At his peak—an eight-year stretch—he was one of the most feared power hitters in the game. His best season likely came in 1995, though a case can be made for others.

The 1995 season was shortened due to a players’ strike, and in 143 games Belle slashed .317/.401/.690 with 50 home runs, 52 doubles, 126 RBI, 121 runs scored, and 377 total bases. He almost certainly would have topped 400 total bases in a full season. As it was, he became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same season. He led the league in six offensive categories, made the All-Star team, and won the Silver Slugger. In a great injustice, he finished second in the MVP voting behind Boston’s Mo Vaughn. Maybe voters were punishing Belle for his often-surly attitude, but Vaughn was no choir boy. Belle’s offensive output dwarfed Vaughn’s.

Belle was remarkably consistent all summer, rarely going more than two consecutive games without a hit. He had 15-game and 11-game hitting streaks and collected four hits in a game on four occasions. When a guy is swinging the bat like that, it’s hard to pick out his best game. The peak probably came on August 5 against the White Sox, when Belle went 4-for-4 with two home runs and ten total bases in an 11–7 Indians win.

Belle retired after the 2000 season due to degenerative hip osteoarthritis. In a fitting farewell, he homered in his final career at-bat. He was inducted into the Guardians/Indians Hall of Fame in 2016.

One of Belle’s teammates on those powerhouse Cleveland teams was his outfield running mate Manny Ramirez. The Indians took Manny with the 13th pick in the 1991 draft, and by 1993 he was in Cleveland. Ramirez hit his stride in 1995 and had an amazing 13-season peak. Did Manny use steroids? Most likely, as many did. I’m not here to pontificate about the steroid era. Everyone has their own feelings about it.

Ramirez’s best season came in 1999, when over 147 games he hit .333/.442/.663 with 44 home runs, 34 doubles, 96 walks, and 165 RBI. That earned him his third All-Star appearance and his second Silver Slugger. Before his career ended, Manny would make 12 All-Star teams and win nine Silver Sluggers. He won a batting title in 2002 and had 11 seasons with an OBP greater than .400. He was a wizard with the bat.

Ramirez finished third in the 1999 MVP voting, which is probably where he belonged given his defensive shortcomings.

His best game that summer came on August 25, when he lacerated Oakland for four hits, including three home runs. He scored four times and collected 14 total bases in a 12–4 Tribe win.

Manny played through the 2011 season and would probably be in the Hall of Fame if not for the steroid issues. And I’m okay with that.

Ramirez was inducted into the Guardians/Indians Hall of Fame in 2023.

When Ichiro Suzuki signed with the Mariners prior to the 2001 season, no one quite knew what to expect. Ichiro had been a megastar in Japan, but Japanese players had yet to translate that stardom to American baseball. Already 27 at his major league debut, he brought nine years of experience with the Orix BlueWave. He burst out of the gate, collecting a rookie-record 242 hits. That shattered the previous mark of 223 set by Lloyd Waner in 1927 and was the most hits by any player since 1930. Ichiro won his first batting title that year with a .350 average and displayed a cannon arm in right field. He was a runaway winner of both the Rookie of the Year and the American League MVP.

His best season came in 2004, and the numbers are almost cartoonish: .372/.414/.455 with a league-leading 262 hits—a major league record—and 101 runs scored. Ichiro never hit for much power, finishing his 2,653-game career with 117 home runs and just 96 triples in 19 seasons. But he was a consistent 25–30 doubles hitter and a savant at stroking singles.

How do you pick the best game of someone who hits .372? Ichiro had a 21-game hitting streak, collected four hits in six different games, and five hits in four different games. His best game was probably August 17 against the Royals at the K. It was his first game in Kansas City and perhaps the impetus for his famous description of August in Missouri as “hotter than two rats f***ing in a wool sock.” Coming from anyone else, it wouldn’t have been as funny.

The Royals finished 58–104 that year, which felt normal in those days. Ichiro led off and deposited the second pitch he saw into the right-field bullpen. The blast came off Darrell May, who lasted just two innings, allowing nine hits and nine runs. Ichiro singled again in the second before Tony Peña turned to Matt Kinney, a pitcher I have absolutely no memory of. Ichiro greeted him with a bases-loaded single in the third. Three innings, three at-bats, three hits.

He added a fourth hit in the fifth and later drew a walk. Final tally: 4-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and five RBI. Ichiro hit .352 against Kansas City in his career, his highest average against any opponent. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025 with 99.7 percent of the vote.

Looking at great hitters, two things jump out. Nearly every outstanding hitter debuted very young, usually at 19 or 20. Yes, once in a generation a team overlooks a terrific hitter like Bob Johnson or, on a local level, Whit Merrifield. Both debuted at 27, but they are exceptions. Most hitting savants reach the majors early. The second commonality is a long peak—10 to 14 years is not unusual.

Both were true of Miguel Cabrera. Miggy debuted with the Florida Marlins at age 20 and by the next season was a force. His 13-year peak produced a .306 career average, 511 home runs, 1,881 RBI, and 3,174 hits. Those are Hall of Fame numbers, and he will be elected when eligible in 2028.

For our purposes, we’ll look at his 2012 Triple Crown season. Winning the Triple Crown in baseball is about as difficult as winning it in horse racing. There have been only 17 winners in history and just three in my lifetime. The National League hasn’t had one since Joe Medwick in 1937, which still amazes me. Shohei Ohtani may eventually end that drought.

In 2012, Cabrera hit .330/.393/.606 with 44 home runs, 139 RBI, 109 runs scored, and 377 total bases. He clinched the Triple Crown in the final three games of the season, played in Kansas City. Cabrera went 6-for-10 in that series, and the Kansas City crowd rewarded him with a standing ovation when Jim Leyland removed him in the fourth inning of the final game. Cabrera was visibly moved, thanking the fans and saying it “felt like playing at home.” It was one of those moments that made me proud to be a Royals fan.

Cabrera’s longest hitting streak that summer was 14 games, and he recorded four four-hit games. He was mechanically consistent all season, rarely going more than two games without a hit. His peak RBI game was five, which came in the third game of the season.

His best game likely came June 2 against the Yankees, when he went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and ten total bases. On October 1, he torched the Royals with four hits in five at-bats, including a home run, leading the Tigers to a 6–3 win.

Purely by numbers, he may have been even better in 2011 or 2013, but sometimes it takes a little luck to win a Triple Crown. Cabrera retired after the 2023 season, one of those players you simply felt lucky to watch.

Freddie Freeman last season hit 39 doubles, the third-most in the National League, the seventh time in his career he’s been in the top three in the league in two-baggers. That includes four times leading the NL in doubles, including each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers. His 59 doubles in 2023 are tied for most in MLB in the last 89 years.

His 180 doubles over the last four seasons are 27 more than anyone else in the majors, 17.6 percent more than Guardians star third baseman José Ramírez, his next-closest competitor. Freeman’s 180 doubles are the most by any Dodgers hitter in a four-year span, surpassing Babe Herman’s 170 doubles from 1928-31 for Brooklyn.

Freeman’s 39 doubles last season vaulted him further up the all-time leaderboard. After beginning 2025 in 59th place on the doubles list, Freeman ended 2025 with 547 doubles, tied for 34th place with Manny Ramírez. Four years ago, before he played a game with the Dodgers, Freeman ranked 257th.

Age and injuries have caught up a bit to Freeman, who played in 147 games in each of the last two regular seasons after playing in 99 percent of his teams’ games from 2018-23.

Should Freeman hit 25 doubles in his age-36 season in 2026, he’d move up seven spots in the leaderboard, to tied for 27th. Thirty doubles gets him to 25th place, and 40 doubles would vault Freeman into 21st place. He’d need at least 45 doubles to get into the top 20, with Todd Helton in 20th place at 592 doubles.

There have been only nine seasons in Dodgers history with at least 30 doubles by a player 36 or older, the last by Justin Turner with 36 doubles to match his age in 2022. The only other Los Angeles Dodger that old to hit at least 30 doubles was Jeff Kent, with 36 doubles in each of 2005 (age 37) and 2007 (age 39). Zack Wheat has the top-two doubles seasons by a Dodger this old, with 41 doubles at age 36 in 1924 for Brooklyn and 42 doubles one year later.

Here are some projections for Freeman’s doubles in 2026:

• ZiPS: 37 doubles
• PECOTA (50th percentile): 36
• Marcel: 35
• Steamer: 34
• OOPSY: 33
• THE BAT: 32

Today’s question is how many doubles will Freddie Freeman hit in 2026? Give us your guess in the comments below.

Hello everyone! As spring camps open up around the league, we had a flurry of injury news and last-minute signings. Let’s get to all of that and more to begin this Thursday.

In Mariners news…

• Daniel Kramer outlined the five biggest storylines for the Mariners entering spring training.
• Kramer also reported on the Mariners’ trip to the Super Bowl to support the Seahawks, which was spearheaded by Josh Naylor.

Around the league…

• Diamondbacks star outfielder Corbin Carroll will undergo surgery to repair a hamate bone fracture, which will force him to miss the WBC and could sideline him beyond Opening Day.
• Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday is joining the broken hamate bone parade — he too will likely start the season on the IL after going under the knife.
• One of the last remaining impact free agents came off the board last night, with right-hander Chris Bassitt signing a one-year, $18.5M deal with the Orioles.
• Righty reliever Evan Phillips agreed to a one-year, $6.5M pact with the Dodgers.
• The Rockies added another quality veteran starter to their mix, signing lefty José Quintana to a one-year deal.
• Right-handed starter Miles Mikolas is also off the board, penning a one-year, $2.25M pact with the Nationals.
• Left-hander Jordan Montgomery is returning to the Rangers on a one-year, $1.25M contract.
• The left-handed reliever John King is in agreement with the Marlins on a one-year, $1.5M deal.
• Backstop Gary Sánchez landed with the Brewers on a one-year, $1.75M contract.
• The Cubs are leaving no doubt about the back of their bullpen heading into spring training, with skipper Craig Counsell officially naming Daniel Palencia as the team’s closer to start the year.
• To open up Prospect Week at Fangraphs, Eric Longenhagen looked back at his top 100 prospect rankings from before the 2019 season to see how accurate he was.
• The MLB Pipeline team gave the odds for each top 20 prospect making their team’s Opening Day roster.