PEORIA, Ariz. — Cal Raleigh has already gone deep this spring, yet the switch-hitting Seattle Mariners catcher isn’t focused on trying to hit 60 home runs again this season.
Raleigh, who had an MLB-leading 60 homers last year, hit a 427-foot homer against the Chicago White Sox in an exhibition game Tuesday. His first spring homer came in his third game.
“I think the elephant in the room is 60 home runs. That’s not something I’m setting out to do,” Raleigh told Seattle Sports this week. “To me, I’m just trying to be as consistent as possible, trying to do what I did last year.”
His 60 homers last season were the most for a player who was primarily a catcher, having started 119 games behind the plate and another 38 at designated hitter. The 29-year-old Raleigh, nicknamed “Big Dumper,” also had a career-high 125 RBIs and finished second in the American League MVP voting behind New York Yankees slugger and third-time winner Aaron Judge.
Judge and Raleigh are both set to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which begins pool play next week. Judge set the AL record with 62 home runs in 2022.
There are among only seven players with a 60-homer season, and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are the only ones to do so in consecutive seasons (1998 and 1999). McGwire and Sosa are the only players with multiple 60-homer seasons, and Sosa had a third in 2001.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.
Skenes struck out four and walked four over 2 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, who were 4 for 4 against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls.
The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one for Skenes before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic. He allowed one hit and one run while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season with the Pirates.
Skenes threw 27 pitches for strikes, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by home plate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system — the so-called robot umpires.
Three of those challenges came on consecutive batters in the first inning.
Matt Olson challenged an 82.3 mph curveball that was called a strike, and had a smile on his face when replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was just off the plate. He went on to draw a walk.
Jurickson Profar then challenged a 98.3 mph fastball for a strike on the first pitch he faced, and it was overturned to a 1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a 99 mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called a strike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a 98.5 mph fastball just below that.
In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for a review and got a ball on a 97.6 mph fastball off the plate that had been called a strike.
While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, he was consistently in the upper-90s throughout his outing.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 21: Carlos Lagrange #84 of the New York Yankees pitches during the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ farm system is deeper than you’d expect from an organization that traded away more than a dozen prospects at the 2025 Trade Deadline. They replenished some talent via the MLB Draft—including Dax Kilby, who has all the makings of a top prospect and looks like an absolute steal with the 29th pick—but the story of the season was the ascension of a trio of pitching prospects who look ready to make their big-league debuts in 2026. Although the Bombers have more than a few exciting players on the verge of the Bronx, there are prospects to be excited about all throughout the system.
Today, we’ll discuss a wide batch of Baby Bombers who I’ll be watching heading into the 2026 campaign. I’ve chosen to step away from Pinstripe Alley, and since this will be my last article, there’s no time like the present to run through ’em. Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed my work since I came aboard!
Knocking at the door: Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange, Ben Hess, Cade Winquest
The aforementioned trio of ascending pitchers are all listed here, as Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Ben Hess all have the makings of successful starting pitchers at the big league level. Following a December 2024 trade from the Red Sox system in exchange for catcher Carlos Narváez, Rodríguez established himself as a Top 100 prospect with New York in wake of a breakout 2025 which began in High-A Hudson Valley and ended with the 22-year-old making his Triple-A debut. Rodríguez recorded a 2.26 ERA in 83 innings in High-A with a 29-percent strikeout rate, and was just as good in Double-A with a 2.64 ERA in 61 innings. He’s made significant progress since the Yankees acquired him from the Red Sox last offseason, and he made his spring training debut this week in the opener against Baltimore.
Speaking of spring buzz, Lagrange put his jaw-dropping stuff on display in the second game just days after making waves by striking out Aaron Judge in practice while hitting 102 MPH on the radar gun. Lagrange struggled mightily with control at the start of his career, and despite a breakout 2025, this was still the obvious flaw in his profile. A 7.1-percent walk rate in High-A ballooned to 14.9 percent in Double-A. However, a 33.4-percent strikeout rate across the two levels was enough to offset the walks. There is bullpen risk for Lagrange, but the team should do everything they can to get him into the starting rotation. Just ask Judge, who said “He’s got the potential to be a frontline starter for the New York Yankees.”
Hess was selected out of Alabama in the first round of the 2024 draft, and his first professional season went a long way towards proving the Yankees right about his upside. Hess anchors his arsenal with a lively fastball that sits in the mid-to-high 90s and plays up due to his IVB (induced vertical break), delivery, and extension. He complements it with a curveball, slider, and changeup. The curveball looked especially dominant in his spring debut this week, in which he notched five strikeouts against the Pirates.
There is no prospect more polarizing in the Yankees system or perhaps all of professional baseball than Spencer Jones. Jones started last season repeating Double-A after a disappointing 2024 halted his progress and looked ominous for his career. 2025 was a different story. Jones clobbered 16 home runs with Somerset, just one below last year’s season total in 336 trips to the plate. His walk rate jumped from 9.9 percent to 15.4 percent, his ISO went from .193 to .320, and his wRC+ ballooned to 184. In his first 114 PA after a promotion to Triple-A, Jones was hitting .375/.439/.844 with 13 home runs, 10 steals, a 219 wRC+, and just a 24-percent strikeout rate, before regressing in the season’s final weeks (possibly due to a lingering back injury). His spring thus far has been indicative of his all-or-nothing profile: in six plate appearances he has four strikeouts, a walk, and a home run that looked like it traveled 600 feet. If Jones manages to get to even a mildly subpar contact rate, he could be dangerous.
Cade Winquest was the Yankees’ first Rule 5 draft pick in many years, and it’s highly possible that he starts the 2026 regular season in the big-league bullpen. He flashed big time velocity and a devastating changeup in his spring debut. He could quietly be a pivotal addition during an offseason in which it seemed like the Yankees didn’t do much to improve their relief corps.
Stud shortstops: George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby
The consensus top prospect in the organization is George Lombard Jr., and while we need to see a larger sample size from Dax Kilby, it’s well within the range of possibility that he challenges Lombard for the crown by the end of 2026 (some outlets, like Baseball Prospectus, already have Kilby ahead). There are tons of similarities here, as Kilby seems to be following Lombard’s trajectory closely. Lombard was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2023 with the 26th pick, and Kilby went 39th last season due to the Yankees’ pick dropping 10 spots for luxury tax purposes. These appear to be the two best picks the team has made in recent years.
Lombard has proved himself at every level thus far and projects as a starting big-league shortstop. He started last season in High-A and made mincemeat of the level, posting a 194 wRC+ in 24 games before earning a promotion. Lombard struggled against Double-A pitching to start, but acclimated to the new environment over time and finished with respectable numbers, including 8 home runs, 24 steals, a 13.6-percent walk rate, and a 111 wRC+. Scouts still want to see a little more with the bat, but the still-20-year-old Lombard is right on schedule and could earn the starting shortstop job in the Bronx as early as 2027 if Anthony Volpe continues to squander his chances.
Kilby was sent directly to Low-A to start his career, and in his first 81 plate appearances he slashed .353/.457/.441 with 13 walks, 11 strikeouts, two doubles, two triples, and a 159 wRC+. Kilby posting these numbers just after he was drafted is an incredibly exciting development for the Yankees., and several front offices reportedly had near-instant regret for not taking the teenager more seriously as a draft prospect. If Kilby can access his raw power and drive some balls out of the park, he could prove himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the Yankees organization and all around baseball.
Post-injury bouncebacks?: Bryce Cunningham, Chase Hampton, Thatcher Hurd, Henry Lalane
These pitchers’ stocks suffered due to injury, but are seeking redemption with a healthy 2026. Bryce Cunningham started last season (his first full year as a pro) as part of a well-regarded quartet with the ascending Rodriguez, Lagrange, and Hess, but missed two months of the year, struggled upon return, and experienced the nadir of his young career in the Arizona Fall League with a 10.38 ERA in 13 painful innings. Even if he was working on some specific pitches, that’s not a number you want to read.
Once the most highly-regarded pitcher in the Yankees’ farm system, Chase Hampton underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 campaign. Hampton possesses the arsenal and command of a big-league starter and will look to bounce back in 2026. His stuff was at its peak in 2023 which is now in the distant past, though New York still felt good enough about him to protect him on the 40-man roster in November. Next season will be a crucial plot point in Hampton’s career. The same goes for Thatcher Hurd, who was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft but has yet to make his professional debut due to undergoing a Tommy John surgery of his own before the 2025 season.
Henry Lalane is an interesting case, as far more hype has been driven by the frame and upside the 6-foot-7 lefty brings to the table than by his actual performance. Lalane entered last season with excitement building around his name after posting a 34.1 K-BB% in a small sample at the Complex in 2023, but then pitched just 12 innings all 2024. Last year, he made six starts with Low-A Tampa with 16.1 IP, 1.65 ERA (5.01 FIP), 27.4 K%, 17.8 BB%, .179 BAA, 1.41 WHIP. For those who did glimpse him, the stuff wasn’t crackling quite the same.
One of the best seasonal stat lines within the organization belonged to the left-hander Kyle Carr. He doesn’t possess the overwhelming stuff or K-BB% numbers typically found in top pitching prospects, but 2025 provided a large enough sample to prove that what Carr is doing is working to his advantage. He dominated High-A with a 1.96 ERA in 22 starts, but ended the season with three starts in Double-A in which he posted an 8.56 ERA.
Cade Smith’s performance down the stretch for High-A Hudson Valley and in the Arizona Fall League should catch the organization’s eye. Smith has a strong ability to miss bats but struggles at times with walks. In 32.2 innings with the Renegades, he struck out 26 percent of the batters he faced but also walked 12 percent of them and recorded a 2.76 ERA. He controlled his pitches more effectively in Arizona, where he pitched 12.2 innings and struck out 14 batters while only walking two on his way to an AFL Fall Stars Game appearance. Smith has momentum and the talent to capitalize on it in 2026.
Brock Selvidge and Xavier Rivas are two southpaws looking to make a name for themselves in 2026. Selvidge was unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, but remained with the Yankees and struck out four in his spring training debut this week. He flashed a horizontal left-handed arsenal with a cutter, a slider, and a four-seamer that hit up to 97 MPH. The 23-year-old Rivas started last season in the Complex League and finished at High-A, with astronomical strikeout and walk rates on the season (31.3/13.9 K/BB%). It was a year of non-linear development for Rivas, who struggled mightily in Low-A with a 5.80 ERA in 40 innings in between posting ERAs of 1.15 in the Complex league and 1.23 in Low-A.
Other 2025 draftees: Kaeden Kent, Pico Kohn, Core Jackson
Kaeden Kent, the Yankees’ third-round pick, has a smooth swing from the left side, strong barrel control, and a patient approach at the plate. The now-Hall of Fame progeny slashed .279/.398/.544 during his season in the SEC, tallying 56 games with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, and more walks than strikeouts. He struggled mightily in his first professional sample, with a putrid .186/.217/.265 slash line and 45 wRC+ in 25 games at High-A. Core Jackson, the team’s fifth-round pick, was similarly bad at High-A with a .183 batting average and 76 wRC+. Jackson is a Canadian shortstop who hit above .360 in each of his last two seasons at Utah. He added some power in 2025, hitting 12 homers while stealing 20 bases, but did not leave the yard once in Hudson Valley.
Pico Kohn is a 6-foot-4 southpaw with an arsenal consisting of a fastball, slider, and changeup. The slider is widely considered his best pitch, but his mid-90s fastball plays up against hitters due to a low arm slot and vertical approach angle. Much like Hess and Cunningham, the Yankees are prioritizing upside with Kohn over previous results. He had a 4.73 ERA in his final season at Mississippi State, though he did fan 32.6 percent of the hitters he faced. He did not make his professional debut in 2025.
Ones to watch for: Richard Matic, Mani Cedeno
To cap off the list, we have two teenage prospects who haven’t yet made their stateside debuts but could find themselves climbing up the organizational ranks in the next couple seasons. Richard Matic was far and away the best player for either of the Yankees Dominican Summer League affiliates in 2025. He slashed .336/.487/.566 with five home runs and 11 steals, and displayed an advanced plate approach with a 20.9-percent walk rate. He’s a third baseman with huge raw power, and saw his contact rate skyrocket from 55 percent in 2024 to 69.6 percent in 2025. He’s the most exciting player in Rookie ball for the Yankees right now, and will likely begin the 2026 season in the Complex league.
Mani Cedeno was considered one of the most advanced hitters in the international free agent class last offseason, and signed with the Yankees for $2.5 million in January. He profiles as a well-rounded shortstop with a natural ability in the field and on the base paths, and the key to his development will be on offense. Cedeno’s status as an honorable mention is based on the upside in his profile rather than the results he’s posted in his minor league career thus far. The 17-year-old has a smooth, right-handed swing and a tendency to be patient at the plate, so if Cedeno can make more contact moving forward he can develop into an exciting young player.
Other players who didn’t quite make the list here but are still worthy of a mention are Brendan Beck, the 2021 second-rounder on the verge of the big leagues in Triple-A and pitching for Great Britain in the upcoming World Baseball Classic; Allen Facundo, the 23-year-old lefty who posted a 2.14 ERA in 33 innings at Low-A; Jace Avina, the powerful right-handed outfielder who dominated High-A pitching in 2025 but hit a bit of a wall in Double-A; and Roderick Arias, the former top international signing who’s looking to bounce back after an immensely-disappointing 2025. With a front office as perpetually active on the trade market as the New York Yankees’, the farm system is ever-changing and guys are constantly shifting between levels, but fans should feel pretty good about where the system is at entering 2026.
Editor’s note: Thank you to Nolan for his diligent and insightful prospect analysis over the past year! We’ll miss him and wish him all the best.
Port St. Lucie, Fla.: New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong throws in spring training workout, held at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla. on Feb. 19, 2026. (Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
The New York Mets (2-2-1) dropped a listless game to the St. LouisCardinals (3-2), 6-0 at Clover Park in St. Lucie. The Mets scattered eight hits, but couldn’t bring any across in their fifth game of spring.
Jonah Tong started for the Mets and, after looking strong in the first two innings, faded in the third and gave up a three-run home run to Nolan Gorman to put the Cardinals up by a trey.
The Mets threatened in the fourth, when a trio of 26th man candidates reached base via single: Christian Arroyo, Vidal Bruján, and Cristian Pache all reached base with two outs before a fourth player in the same category, Grae Kessinger, popped straight up to the catcher to end the inning.
Top outfield prospect Carson Benge went 3-3 with three singles.
Scoreless outings from Luis García, Adbert Alzolay, and Douglas Orellana kept the game within three until Nick Burdi took over in the sixth. Nelson Velázquez doubled to lead off the frame and a hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases. A Chase Davis single to the right side plated two more, and St. Louis was up 5-0.
Joe Jacques didn’t fare much better in the seventh, giving up a run on three hits.
Of note to Cardinals fans was switch-pitcher (yes, you read that right) Jurrangelo Cijntje tossing two scoreless innings from the right side.
A.J. Ewing doubled to lead off the eighth in his second at-bat of the game, but was stranded by Cijntje.
Matt Turner and Aaron Rozek finished the game for the Mets, each tossing a scoreless frame.
The Mets take on the Astros in West Palm Beach tomorrow at 1:05pm. Nolan McLean will make his spring debut against Houston.
The Jays have a logjam in their outfield this season. Daulton Varsho is locked into centre, and George Springer looks to mostly man DH, but after that things are up in the air. Addison Barger is probably the priority among the other players. He had a strong rookie season last year, and at 26 with many years of control left, he’s probably the right fielder of the future as well as the present. He might be called on to play some third as well. His only downside is that he really struggled with left handed pitching in 2025. He did some damage against them in the minors, and it’s too early to write him off as a platoon bat, but they likely want to shelter him against top left handed starters. Jesus Sanchez was just acquired in trade, and it sounds like he’ll be the top guy in left. He *is* a platoon bat, though, and so shouldn’t face lefties when he doesn’t have to. Nathan Lukes was the primary left fielder last year, and when Anthony Santander went down it looked like he’d inherited the job again. He lacks Sanchez or Barger’s power, but he makes contact, handles lefties at least a little, and is the best defender of the trio. He’s also 31 and only got the chance to prove himself a real deal major leaguer last year. He can be optioned, but you’d hate to see that happen for a guy who only has a brief window to carve out a career and make some money. Davis Schneider is the only right handed hitter in the main outfield mix (Springer isn’t really an outfielder at this point and Myles Straw isn’t really a hitter ever). He has no platoon split to speak of, and while he’s been a boom or bust performer in his career, the overall average has been strong. The team doesn’t seem eager to give him a full time job, but his skill set fits a need. Myles Straw is close to a lock to make the roster as the backup centre fielder. He’s a defensive ace and a great base runner, but last year’s .670 OPS was his best in five seasons and at 31 the bat isn’t likely trending upwards. Finally, there are two dark horses. It looked like Jonatan Clase would have to stick on the active roster or be put on waivers, but last month the Jays were granted an additional option year. That probably takes him out of contention to opening 2026 in the majors, but his speed and switch hitting could arguably fill a need. Eloy Jimenez isn’t on the 40 man roster, and he’s been injured and ineffective for the last two years, but he’s still 29 and as recently as 2022 was one of the most dangerous hitters in the American League. He looks great so far in camp, and if it keeps up it’ll be very tempting to try to find him a role. My question is: how would you handle that jam? Who starts, what platoons would you try to run, and would you make any moves? Let us know in the comments.
Feb 23, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Fans watch a spring training game between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Today the Texas Rangers head on over to Goodyear, AZ, which is the spring home of the Cleveland Guardians.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi is set to make his second start of the spring for Texas opposite RHP Slade Cecconi for Cleveland.
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
GUARDIANS
Sam Haggerty – 2B
Steven Kwan – CF
Danny Jansen – C
Chase DeLauter – RF
Michael Helman – CF
Jose Ramirez – 3B
Ezequiel Duran – SS
Bo Naylor – C
Tyler Wade – RF
Gabriel Arias – SS
Mark Canha – LF
Daniel Schneemann – LF
Jonah Bride – 1B
Brayan Rocchio – 2B
Willie MacIver – DH
David Fry – DH
Richie Martin – 3B
CJ Kayfus – 1B
Nathan Eovaldi – RHP
Slade Cecconi – RHP
I don’t believe there’s a broadcast for this one again so you’ll have to follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Goodyear Ballpark is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: A general view of the stadium during the spring training game between the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Evil Empire arrives at Salt River Fields, and the run they had last post-season is ongoing. The Dodgers have won their first four games, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 34-6 margin so far. So let’s hope this is not an omen of things to come in the regular season. But we are sending Zac Gallen to the mound today – and I would imagine, after the news that Merrill Kelly won’t be ready to start the season, he’s most likely to be the Opening Day starter for the D-backs in four weeks time, against these same Dodgers. But it will be Gallen’s first start of spring, so I wouldn’t expect him to throw more than a couple of innings. Here’s the full Arizona line-up:
Also potentially pitching: RHP Dylan Ray, RHP Drey Jameson, RHP Gerardo Carrillo, RHP Alfred Morillo, RHP Hayden Durke, LHP Spence Giesting, LHP Avery Short, RHP Casey Anderson, RHP Indigo Diaz and LHP Carlos Rey. Jameson is probably the one I’ll be keeping a particular eye on, seeing if he can flash the sharply increased velocity he showed in the Arizona Fall League. He was hitting 99 mph there after, of all things, a botox injection in his neck helped relieve elbow discomfort. If he can get back to the form he had, I’d not be surprised to see him getting the chance to close out games for Arizona.
This one is going to be streamed through dbacks.com, though I haven’t clicked around enough to find the exact location yet. Mike Ferrin is on the call, and will be joined by former D-back Jake Lamb, acting as the color commentator. That should be fun.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: James Tibbs III #98 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up against the Cleveland Guardians during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on February 24, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers look to remain undefeated this spring, as they are on the road take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Roki Sasaki makes his spring debut against right-hander Zac Gallen.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) dries his hands off in between pitches during the first inning of Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field, Oct. 2, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
No TV or Radio today, so discuss statcast/GameDay/hope one of our community members is on site.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 28: Starting pitcher Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Kauffman Stadium on May 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals take on their biggest rivals in baseball today – the Seattle Mariners. Noah Cameron makes his Cactus League debut. Does he actually have to “win” a rotation spot?
Kameron Misner is in the lineup – he’s been up five times this spring and has yet to put the ball in play with two walks and three strikeouts.
Yesterday, the Brewers finally picked up their first Cactus League win behind Tyler Black’s six (!!) RBIs. They’ll be looking to make it two straight in today’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, who haven’t lost a game yet this spring.
Carlos Rodriguez, who appeared in four games last year, will be on the mound to start. The only other probable pitcher listed for today’s game is Peter Strzelecki, who pitched in 66 games for the Brewers between 2022 and 2023. He’s back on a minor league deal with a big league spring invite. Starting for the Giants is another familiar face, former Brewer Adrian Houser.
Today’s lineup consists entirely of players who project to play a role for the big league squad this season, although it’s probably not a lineup Milwaukee will ever roll out in the regular season (maybe on a getaway day?). Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras make up the top of the lineup. Hitting cleanup today is Jake Bauers, who’s recorded a hit in each of his two at-bats this spring. Andrew Vaughn is in the five-spot followed by the newly signed Luis Rengifo, who starts at third. Garrett Mitchell will hit seventh in his first Cactus League appearance. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Joey Ortiz and Brandon Lockridge, who’s already hit two home runs in seven at-bats.
Notable names in San Francisco’s lineup include Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, Bryce Eldridge, and former Brewer Eric Haase (hitting cleanup!). First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT and this one will be broadcast on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Nick Castellanos #21 of the San Diego Padres swings and hits the ball during a Spring Training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on February 24, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Nick Castellanos - Getty Images
Los Angeles Angels at San Diego Padres, February 25, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Jose Quintana #62 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during a spring training bullpen at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 13, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
Yesterday, the Rockies beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 for their third win in five spring games. Cole Carrigg and Ryan Ritter stayed hot at the plate, and Charlie Condon launched his first home run of the spring.
Today, Colorado faces the Chicago Cubs for the first time this spring, looking to extend their two-game win streak. The bats have shown encouraging signs early in camp: through five games, the Rockies have struck out 10 or more times just once – a welcome development for a lineup emphasizing contact and competitive at-bats.
Defensively, things have been sharp as well. Colorado has strung together three consecutive error-free games, an impressive stretch considering how many players have rotated through multiple positions during the first week of action.
On the Mound: José Quintana (Rockies)
Veteran free agent signing José Quintana – a former Cub – makes his Rockies debut this afternoon. Quintana posted a 3.92 ERA across 131.2 innings last season with the Brewers, striking out 89 while continuing to rely on craft and pitch mix rather than overpowering velocity.
Quintana now leans heavily on his sinker and off-speed offerings, with his four-seam usage dropping from 36% in 2022 to just 11.7% in 2025. He’s typically effective at limiting hard contact, generating ground balls, and pitching to contact rather than chasing strikeouts. For a Rockies staff looking to induce weak contact and stay efficient, that profile fits well.
2025 Stats:
11-7, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 89 K, 131.2 IP
In addition to our first look at Quintana in purple, Mickey Moniak makes his spring debut at DH (Moniak has been dealing with right oblique tightness). Today also offers another opportunity to evaluate players competing for roster spots: Troy Johnston and Zac Veen are in the outfield, TJ Rumfield gets the start at first base, and Nicky Lopez slots in at second.
It’s particularly intriguing to see Johnston continue to get run in the outfield. If he’s going to make this team, what role does he actually fill?
On the Mound: Jameson Taillon (Cubs)
Opposing Quintana is veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon. Injuries interrupted Taillon’s 2025 campaign, but when healthy, he remained effective. Like Quintana, Taillon features a diverse pitch mix and relies on command and sequencing as his fastball velocity has ticked down in recent seasons.
Taillon excelled at limiting hard contact last year, finishing with a 3.68 ERA and a stellar 1.05 WHIP across 129.2 innings. This will be his second outing of the spring; in his first appearance, he allowed four runs – including two home runs – in 1.2 innings against the White Sox.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals and CJ Abrams #5 look on from the dugout during the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, August 9, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. When the Nationals looked to jumpstart their rebuild by trading Juan Soto to the Padres at the 2022 Trade Deadline, I imagine they expected to be reaping the competitive rewards by this point. It’s not often that you can acquire four foundational pieces of a future window of contention in one fell swoop — in the Nationals’ case a windfall of James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, and Robert Hassell III looked like enough to remake their farm system entirely and form the core of extended success in the future.
Fast-forward three-and-a-half years and it’s hard to say the Nationals are in a better place competitively than the day after they made that blockbuster. 2025 was supposed to be the first year that it all started coming together, the year that the fruits of that trade would would pay off in the form of on-field performance. Instead, the Nationals endured a train wreck of a season with 96 losses.
They fired 2019 World Series-winning manager Dave Martinez and longtime team president Mike Rizzo in July after a sluggish start, creating massive upheaval just days before the MLB Draft and weeks before the trade deadline. They traded away one of the aforementioned foundational pieces of the Soto trade, sending Gore to the Rangers for a quintet of prospects to seemingly restart a rebuild that was supposed to be complete. By the end of the season, they found themselves dead-last in the NL East with the third-worst record in baseball. They had been leapfrogged by the upstart Marlins, who exited their own rebuild ahead of schedule, and were miles behind the Phillies, Braves, and Mets, whose spending effectively prevents the Nationals from climbing higher than fourth in the division for the foreseeable future.
The sum result of these developments is another dreary outlook for 2026. No matter which way you slice it, pretty much every projection system pegs them as a bottom-three team in MLB. FanGraphs forecasts a 94-loss season, third-worst and ahead of the Rockies and White Sox, with just a 0.7-percent chance to make the playoffs. PECOTA is even more pessimistic, pegging them for 96 losses — again, third-worst behind the Rockies and Cardinals — with a minuscule 0.5-percent playoff odds. Only the Rockies (23.0) are projected for less overall fWAR than the Nationals (25.6), Washington projected as the fourth-worst offense (17.1 batting wins) and the second-worst pitching staff (8.4 pitching wins) in the sport.
There’s not much help coming from outside either, as the Nationals were one of the quietest teams of the winter. Their most notable offseason addition saw them steal promising young catcher Harry Ford from the Mariners for a middle-inning reliever, and while they should be praised for that piece of business (since even a quality bullpen arm only matters so much for a rebuilding club), it’s still pretty disappointing for their biggest splash to be a relatively unproven, recently graduated prospect. They inked a pair of fifth starters to one-year deals in Miles Mikolas and Foster Griffin, so at least they’ll have a warm body at all five spots in the rotation.
Turning attention to the composition of the roster, there are a few bright spots in an otherwise bleak landscape. Wood had something of a breakout in 2025 and is expected to lead the line with a 128 wRC+ and 3.1 fWAR. He nearly set the single-season strikeout record with 221 (two shy of 2009 Mark Reynolds, pre-iconic Yankees tenure), but he can absolutely destroy a baseball, socking 31 homers at age-22. However, Wood is the only hitter on the roster with a projected wRC+ above 106 and the only player on the roster pegged for more than three wins.
Abrams turned in a decent three-win campaign last season in wake of a publicly embarrassing end to 2024 and is expected to just about replicate that production. A lot of the sheen has come off the second banana to LSU teammate Paul Skenes in the 2023 Draft, Golden Spikes Award winner Dylan Crews, but the 24-year-old should get a decent runout in 2026. Zooming out, however, it’s not a pretty picture — there’s not a single hitter projected to slug at least 30 home runs nor drive in at least 100 runs.
It’s even more depressing on the pitching side of the ball. They don’t have a single arm projected to reach two fWAR, and none of their starters are expected to log an ERA below 4.00 nor post a strikeout rate above 21.2-percent. Their rotation looks to be a cobbled-together mess, none of their starters projected to reach the 30 start threshold, though seven players are projected to make at least 13 starts. The bullpen is even worse — FanGraphs’ prediction for their best reliever: Yankees castoff Clayton Beeter (who admittedly pitched very well after arriving at the deadline for Amed Rosario).
Suffice to say there is not much to look forward to for baseball fans in the nation’s capital. The Nationals are more likely to deal away the remaining two blue chips of that Soto trade — Wood and Abrams — at the deadline than they are to contend for the playoffs. Washington was supposed to be competitive in 2026, but with erstwhile Red Sox executive Paul Toboni now steering the ship as the new president of baseball operations for a young front office, all signs point to them being back to square one.
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KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 13: Kansas City Royals players celebrate with Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) after his game-winning hit during the New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals MLB game on June 13, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Baseball is a team game, with everyone on the roster contributing in their own way. Some players get the accolades, the awards, the Whataburger endorsement opportunities. But there are other players that grind, that do the “little things” that help the team win ballgames.
Today’s question of the day is “who is the most underrated player on the roster”? Maybe its an overlooked bullpen piece, a hitter who doesn’t get his due, or maybe you think some of the stars on this team still don’t get the credit they deserve?
