Category: Baseball

Red Sox rotation preview: Crochet, Suarez lead elite group for 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If the Boston Red Sox return to the postseason in 2026, their pitching staff will lead the way.

Boston revamped its starting rotation with significant upgrades this offseason. After acquiring right-handers Johan Oviedo and Sonny Gray in trades with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox signed one of the top free-agent starters in ex-Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez.

Suarez will form a strong 1-2 punch with 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet. Oviedo and Gray, alongside returnee Brayan Bello, are expected to shore up a rotation that is projected to be among baseball’s best.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow believes run prevention will be the club’s key to success this upcoming season.

“I don’t think there’s a question anymore that the identity of our team and the strength of our team is going to be our pitching and our ability to prevent runs,” Breslow said last month, per MassLive.com.

“I think the improvements we made on the pitching side are significant,” he added. “It can be difficult at times to fully appreciate the impact of having dominant starting pitching. But going into a game feeling like we can just play our game offensively and on the bases because our pitching is going to keep us in the game is such a huge advantage for the team. I think no matter who we’re playing on any given day, we’re going to feel like we’ve got a chance to win.”

Beyond their projected five-man rotation, the Red Sox have a handful of depth pieces who can step up if injuries become a factor. Here’s a closer look at Boston’s starting pitchers for the 2026 campaign:

1. Garrett Crochet, LHP

2025 stats: 18-5, 2.59 ERA, 1.028 WHIP, 255 SO, 46 BB, 205.1 IP (32 starts)

David Butler II-Imagn Images

“He’ll start in Cincinnati for Game 1. Let’s get that (expletive) over with,” manager Alex Cora said of Crochet last week at Fort Myers.

Cora stated the obvious, as there was never any doubt that Crochet would get the Opening Day nod. The 26-year-old southpaw arrived in Boston last offseason with lofty expectations and exceeded them, establishing himself as the club’s unquestioned ace and finishing his first year with the team as the American League Cy Young runner-up.

Crochet led the majors in strikeouts (255) while pacing the AL in innings pitched (205.1) and SO/9 (11.2). If there’s one part of his game he could improve on in 2026, it’s the home runs allowed. He let up a career-high 24 long balls last season.

One interesting development could make Crochet even more dominant in 2026. According to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Crochet’s changeup (used only 4 percent of the time last season) is now more of a splitter because of a new grip he learned over the offseason. If he turns that into another putaway pitch, it isn’t far-fetched to say he could be the first pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2019 to join the 300-strikeout club.

Chris Sale (308 in 2017) was the last Sox pitcher to notch 300 Ks in a single season.

2. Ranger Suarez, LHP

2025 stats: 12-8, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 151 SO, 38 BB, 157.1IP (26 starts)

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

The Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract in January, officially ending the 30-year-old’s eight-year tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies. The move solidified Boston’s rotation as one of MLB’s best heading into 2026.

While Suarez and Crochet are both left-handed, that’s where the similarities between the two end. Suarez isn’t going to wow anyone with his fastball, which sits in the low 90s. He also isn’t going to strike a ton of guys out, as he tallied 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings (8.6 SO/9) and ranked in the 24th percentile in K rate last season.

Where Suarez excels is in limiting hard contact. He ranked in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity (86.5) and 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage (31.1) in 2025. He induced ground balls 48 percent of the time (76th percentile).

Suarez also doesn’t walk many batters. His walk totals have decreased each season since he converted to a full-time starter in 2022.

As a ground-ball pitcher, Suarez will need the Red Sox’ infield defense to be more consistent in 2026. Boston made moves to improve in that department by trading for first baseman Willson Contreras and second baseman/third baseman Caleb Durbin. Former top prospect Marcelo Mayer should also provide a defensive upgrade after impressing at second and third base last season.

3. Sonny Gray, RHP

2025 stats: 14-8, 4.28 ERA, 1.234 WHIP, 201 SO, 38 BB, 180.2 IP (32 starts)

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Boston traded right-hander Richard Fitts and left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke to the Cardinals in exchange for Gray in November. It was a surprising deal at the time, but it makes more sense now that the veteran righty won’t be relied on to be the club’s No. 2 starter.

Gray’s track record speaks for itself. The 36-year-old is a three-time All-Star who finished as the AL Cy Young runner-up with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. While his 2025 numbers indicate a possible decline, a closer look under the hood shows he still has plenty left in the tank heading into Year 14 of his career.

Gray’s FIP last season was a respectable 3.39, so his bloated 4.28 ERA can largely be chalked up to bad luck. He had the fourth-largest FIP/ERA gap among qualified right-handed starters in 2025.

Gray also tallied 201 strikeouts with only 38 walks over 32 starts last season, giving him the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the National League and the fourth-best in MLB, trailing only Tarik Skubal, Crochet, and Bryan Woo.

Those expecting Gray to show his age in 2026 will likely be pleasantly surprised. There aren’t many better No. 3 starters in the game.

4. Brayan Bello, RHP

2025 stats: 11-9, 3.35 ERA, 1.236 WHIP, 124 SO, 59 BB, 166.2 IP (29 games, 28 starts)

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Brayan Bello stepped up as a solid No. 2 Red Sox starter last season — the most productive of the 26-year-old’s young career. He’ll look to build off that success with less pressure on him to do so as Boston’s No. 4.

Bello should benefit from Suarez’s presence in 2026. Both pitchers rely on inducing ground balls and soft contact to get outs. According to Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com, Bello has been working with Suarez in Fort Myers on his curveball and a new grip for his changeup. Improvements to those pitches could help Bello take another step forward next season, as he has relied heavily on his sinker and sweeper.

If Bello can pick up where he left off in the second half of 2025, it’ll help the Red Sox’ rotation establish itself as arguably MLB’s best. From mid-June through August, he posted a 2.42 ERA while striking out 71 batters and walking 22 over 14 starts.

5. Johan Oviedo, RHP

2025 stats: 2-1, 3.57 ERA, 1.215 WHIP, 42 SO, 23 BB, 40.1 IP (nine starts)

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Oviedo is the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation after arriving via a December trade with the Pirates. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is a bit of a wild card heading into his first full season post-Tommy John surgery, but he offers high upside with elite extension, an upper-90s fastball, and a wipeout slider.

Last season with Pittsburgh, Oviedo allowed more than two earned runs only once over his first nine starts back from injury. In 2023, his last full season, he had a 4.31 ERA and 1.373 WHIP with 158 strikeouts in 32 starts.

The biggest concern with Oviedo is his command. He had 5.1 walks per nine innings in 2025 and 4.2 BB/9 in 2023, when he also had an NL-leading 13 hit-by-pitches.

If his command improves, Oviedo should emerge as a rock-solid No. 5 for Boston next season. If control remains an issue, he’ll likely revert to a bullpen role while one of the following options takes over as the club’s No. 5 starter.

Other options: Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Red Sox parted ways with a handful of pitching depth options in offseason trades, so it’s down to four starters who will compete with Oviedo for a spot in the rotation.

Patrick Sandoval is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss all of 2025. The left-hander had flashes of brilliance during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, but he seems like a long shot to begin 2026 in Boston’s rotation. Assuming he’s healthy, he’d fit well in a Red Sox bullpen that lacks left-handed arms.

Kutter Crawford also missed the entire 2025 campaign with knee and wrist issues. He was solid as a starter for Boston in 2023 and 2024, but he seems more fit for a bullpen/spot-starter role this upcoming season.

Oviedo’s biggest competition for the No. 5 slot could be the team’s top two pitching prospects, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Tolle, a left-handed power arm, started 2025 in Single-A and finished the year with the big-league club. Although he experienced growing pains in the majors, he still has the stuff to be a key contributor at some point this year, even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.

While Tolle struggled to find his footing in the majors, Early thrived. He posted a 2.33 ERA across his first four MLB starts and was given the starting nod for Game 3 of the Wild Card Series vs. the New York Yankees. He earned the loss in that one, but the fact that he was counted on in the biggest game of the year shows that the club is already supremely confident in the 23-year-old.

Of the four depth options, Early seems like the most likely candidate to edge out Oviedo for a spot in the rotation.

Scott Barlow and Brent Suter combined to throw some 136.0 IP for the Cincinnati Reds last season, and both have since moved on and signed elsewhere in free agency this offseason. Nick Martinez, now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, chipped in with 20.2 IP of work as a reliever in a swingman role, with Chase Burns checking in for a handful of appearances down the stretch in a similar vein.

Gone from the bullpen mix in 2026 are all of them, the first trio on new teams via free agency and Burns, the prize of the Cincinnati farm as recently as last season, having the inside track to the fifth spot in the Reds starting rotation to begin the season. Gone, too, are Ian Gibaut and Taylor Rogers since the trade deadline August, and it’s clear that the void left by that cadre of relievers was a priority to address this offseason by the Reds front office.

In came Brock Burke in a three-team deal that saw Gavin Lux dealt to the Rays.

Signed was Pierce Johnson as a free agent after an enviable three-season run with Atlanta.

Inked was lefty Caleb Ferguson, fresh off a 2025 season solid enough that the Seattle Mariners acquired him at the trade deadline to bolster their playoff push.

It’s been an offseason flush with good moves on paper for the bullpen, but how the roles shake out to begin the season remain to be seen. Tony Santillan is back and poised to claim a top setup role, while Emilio Pagán re-signed and has the inside track to being the team’s closer after hammering down 32 saves in 2025. Graham Ashcraft’s arsenal seems destined to get another prominent shot despite it still not working as well as it looks like it should. Still, there seem to be few guarantees beyond that, with the likes of Connor Phillips, Luis Mey, Zach Maxwell, Lyon Richardson, and Sam Moll all looking for their own angle.

How do you think this Reds bullpen shakes out in 2026? Who leads them in appearances, in innings, and even in saves?

Do you think it will be a strength of the club, or perhaps its weakness after so much overhaul?

Let us know in the comments!

A recap of the Tigers’ eventful 3-game set down in Florida

Missouri leaves Fort Myers 2-1 in its clash against Mount Saint Mary’s from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and if the opening series felt a little bit chaotic, that’s because it is. Sometimes, February baseball is similar to a pilot episode of a show, you’re figuring out who the main characters are, who has the bigger roles, and what kind of tone the season will take.

In one game, the sky is falling. The next can feel like a breakout montage straight out of a Rocky movie.

The past weekend brought a variety of outcomes for Missouri baseball, in which ultimately the Tigers took 2-of-3 from Mount Saint Mary’s. How the Tigers got there matters more than the fact they simply did.

Opening Day Scare: The Tigers a Victim of a Come-From-Behind Victory

The season opener could have brought concern for Tiger fans. After the Tigers scored five runs on eight hits, through the opening five innings, opening day seemed to be smooth sailing. After missing all of his 2025 regular season due to Tommy John surgery, Javyn Pimental went five innings, allowing just one run and keeping Missouri in position to win.

Then Saint Mary’s broke it open in the sixth and seventh innings against the Missouri bullpen. The Tigers went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. The chances were there. The victory couldn’t be obtained. 

The Tigers 5-4 victory, its first of the season came one day later. Seven hits and a 2-for-7 clip with runners in scoring position was just enough to earn a hard fought victory for the Tigers, which ended on a 2-4, 3-2 double play and a Jase Woita throw to Mateo Serna at home plate to end the game. 

As said repeatedly, even a chaotic double play, with runners at the corners in the bottom of the ninth, doesn’t single handedely decide a ballgame. Starter Josh McDevitt’s five shutout innings gave Missouri room to breathe, and the bullpen, including Ian Lohse in the ninth, did just enough to close it out.

Then came Sunday. Brady Kehlenbrink’s six strikeouts in five innings of work were just the appetizer to the full meal: the Mizzou offense.

Offensive Progression: From Missed Opportunities to Historic Output

Missouri erupted for 34 runs on 26 hits in a 34-3 win that completely flipped the tone of the weekend. The Tigers went 18-for-27 with runners in scoring position, drew 14 walks, and committed zero errors. Twelve different players reached base safely. 

Leadoff batter Tyler Macon finished 6-for-6 with eight RBI. Jase Woita added four hits and eight RBI of his own. Missouri drove in 32 runs and piled up 18 two-out RBI. It wasn’t just a blowout. It was sustained, relentless pressure inning after inning. 

Adding the cherry on top of the series was Sam Parker, coming in to pinch hit for Cameron Benson, who added a 3-run homer, the third hardest hit ball of the series at 105 mph, and making the score 33-3 in the eighth inning.

Sunday inflated the Mizzou offensive numbers to say the least, some individual program ones in a record-breaking way. As pointed out in the MU athletics article, 34 runs is the second-most in program history, one short of the 35-run performance back in 1902. 32 RBI, however, is a program best alongside 26 hits in the contest.

Ultimately, this series had all of the chaotic energy. The Tigers had their frustrating opener when their late lead slipped away, the hard-fought bounce-back performance, and the kind of offensive explosion that a gamer has when playing MLB The Show on rookie mode.

The 34-run outburst won’t be the norm, and the tighter and tougher games are still very much on the cards. If this weekend was a trailer for the identity of the Missouri baseball team. Offensive power and just maybe a slightly more stable pitching staff that isn’t quite yet feeling a massive injury bug.

The Dodgers lineup is formidable and deep, but is also aging. Kyle Tucker was the final piece of the puzzle added this offseason, notable both for his production (and contract, of course) and that he gives Los Angeles another hitter in his 20s, at least for 2026.

The only other Dodgers regular on the right side of 30 is Andy Pages, who just turned 25 in December and still has room to grow.

Pages had a terrible postseason, with just four hits in 51 at-bats, and was finally removed from the lineup for the final two games of the World Series. Luckily that wasn’t our last impression of Pages in 2025, as his literal championship-saving catch and subsequent barreling over of Kiké Hernández will be remembered fondly in Los Angeles in both video replays and holiday ornaments for years to come.

The struggles at the plate in October marred what was a promising season overall for the outfielder. He hit .285/.325/.479 with 27 home runs and a 113 wRC+ on the season, though that included a 128 wRC+ through the end of June and a 97 wRC+ from July through September. On the season, his power went up (.159 isolated power as a rookie to .189 in 2025) and his strikeout rate decreased (24.4 percent to 21.6 percent).

He also posted 11 Outs Above Average, tied for seventh among major league outfielders.

Pages has pretty much been a fixture in the Dodgers lineup since making his major league debut on April 16, 2024, starting 256 of 305 games. Only Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández have started more games on the Dodgers since Pages’ arrival.

Since 2000, Pages is one of only five Dodgers to bat at least 400 times in each of his first two seasons in the majors, along with Andre Ethier (2006-07), Russell Martin (2006-07), Yasiel Puig (2013-14) and Cody Bellinger (2017-18). If we include players who had cup-of-coffee debuts and expand our subset to a first three seasons, Joc Pederson (2005-16) and Corey Seager (2016-17) were lineup regulars in their first two full major league seasons as well.

So what should we expect from Pages at age 25 this year?

Andy Pages 2026 projections

• ZiPS: .258/.315/.460, 25 HR, 114 wRC+
• OOPSY: .254/.318/.449, 25 HR, 113 wRC+
• Marcel: .267/.318/.445, 21 HR
• Steamer: .255/.307/.450, 21 HR, 109 wRC+
• THE BAT: .253/.308/.449, 24 HR, 109 wRC+
• PECOTA: .242/.299/.410, 19 HR, 95 DRC+

Today’s question is what do you expect out of Andy Pages in 2026? Give us any predictions you want — stats, playing time, whether he’ll stick in center field, or anything else that comes to mind.

If you have followed the Nats at all over the past couple years, you would know that James Wood is not the most emotional guy. He is not one of those players that wear their heart on their sleeves. Wood is what you would call a slow heartbeat guy. However, Wood wants to make it clear that he still has a fire that burns bright inside of him.

We are only a couple days into the spring, but it is obvious that is the message he wants to convey. After a breathtaking first half and a disappointing second half, Wood is far from satisfied. The Baltimore Banner just started Nats coverage after the collapse of the Washington Post, and their first story was about Wood’s internal fire. 

Don’t let James Wood’s demeanor fool you. There’s a fire burning inside the Nationals star.

“He’s not close to being done in terms of achieving his ceiling."

From Nationals camp in West Palm Beach:https://t.co/eV08hYR9AT

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) February 16, 2026

I love that Wood wants to make it known that he is a true competitor. There are times when you watch him play where he can look lackadaisical and lower energy. However, that is just his style of play rather than a lack of competitiveness. He is going to have to turn up the dial sometimes, and I think he understands that. You are never going to see the chest pumping intensity from Wood that you saw from guys like Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer.

Despite that, Wood is making it clear that he wants it just as bad as those guys. I was on a zoom call with him yesterday, and you can tell he wants to bounce back from that rough second half. Wood still has that casual, nonchalant demeanor, but he feels more present as well. The zoom call was with Wood and manager Blake Butera. Wood being the only player on the call tells me he wants to be heard, which is encouraging. 

He got asked plenty of interesting questions including one about his offseason plan. Wood emphasized that he wanted his offseason to be a bit more organized this year after wearing down in the second half. 

I got the chance to ask Wood a question about his approach at the plate and whether he wants to pull the ball in the air more. He gave me an interesting answer where he talked about how he is more comfortable letting the ball travel and taking that extra beat to make decisions. While Wood said he might make pulling the ball a bigger part of his game at some point, he has enough power to hit the ball out to any part of the park. 

James Wood gave me an interesting and insightful answer about his hitting approach and whether he aims to pull the ball in the air more. My question starts at around 13:35 and his answer begins at around 13:50 https://t.co/jRWaycsjIz

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) February 16, 2026

Despite wanting to be seen as more of a competitor, Wood is not going to totally change who he is as a person. He is still just a 23 year old with crazy athletic gifts and a side of dry humor. Wood told us he has confused coaches for players a couple times already this spring.

On the field, the biggest key for Wood is keeping that strikeout rate under control. Due to his long levers and big strike zone, Wood will always strike out a decent amount, and that is okay. It is all about keeping that number in check though. In April, May and June, his K rate was consistently between 26 and 27%. That should be where he lives.

Wood was also walking around 14% of the time in the first half, which helped offset some of the strikeouts. Another thing that makes up for the whiffs is just how hard he hits the ball. Due to his 98th percentile hard hit rate, Wood’s batting average on balls in play will always be high. That is why he still hit a respectable .256 despite a 32.1% strikeout rate. 

In his prime, I actually believe Wood has a chance to be a .300 hitter. It is similar to players like Judge and Ohtani. Both of them whiff a good amount, but hit the ball so hard their batting averages are high. Wood has that kind of horse power if he can put it all together.

We are already seeing some clips of Wood showing his power early this spring. He absolutely torched a ball off of Cole Henry yesterday. The ball just comes off his bat a little differently compared to most guys in the league. I got a reminder of that when I saw that video yesterday.

James Wood tagged Cole Henry in Live BP for what would surely be extra bases. pic.twitter.com/tS6pG1kMHC

— Ryan Shenker (@RyanShenker) February 16, 2026

As disappointing as his second half was, we cannot forget about the ceiling Wood has. He is still only 23 years old and has so much room for growth. A lot of these bigger players take a bit longer to establish themselves, but Wood was already an All-Star at 22. By contrast, Aaron Judge did not truly break out until he was 25 years old. Wood still has so much time ahead of him.

There is a lot of doom and gloom in Nats land, and it is understandable. However, Wood has a chance to be a true star player. The goal for Wood in 2026 is to prove he is a player worth building around. If he can do that, it will be on Paul Toboni and Mark Lerner to build a contender around their super sized star.

Clark’s abrupt resignation as MLBPA Executive Director could threaten the sport’s momentum amid salary cap battles, payroll disparities, and even a potential lockout.

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark is reportedly resigning, multiple reports said Tuesday morning, an unexpected bombshell as the players' union gets set to begin negotiations with MLB owners that will determine the future of the sport.

Clark, who's led the union since 2013, has been in an ongoing legal battle in the Eastern District of New York alleging he and MLBPA officials illegally enriched themselves as co-founders of OneTeam Partners, a joint venture among multiple players unions that wisely joined forces to enhance player leverage in name, image, and likeness deals for licensing, content, and sponsorship initiatives. The 53-year-old was reportedly expected to begin his annual tour of Spring Training team sites on Tuesday, a vital initiative to hear from every player on the issues most important to them going into the new season. That tour is even more vital this year, as owners get ready to push for a salary cap harder than they have since the players went on strike in 1994 in opposition to the measure, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the World Series for the first time ever.

"We still need to discuss with players why," New York Mets infielder Marcus Semien, one of the eight members of the MLBPA's executive subcommittee, toldThe Athletic regarding Clark's resignation, which he apparently did not see coming. "You definitely don’t want things to be a distraction going into December.”

The union is expected to name an interim executive director who will team with longtime deputy and litigator Bruce Meyer to negotiate the next CBA on the players' behalf. The current MLB CBA expires on Dec. 1, and owners are expected to lock out players as they seek to curtail spending by teams like the Mets and the two-time defending World Series championLos Angeles Dodgers. My first 2026 sports business prediction was that there will be an MLB lockout, and both owners and players appear dug in and resolute on not ceding any ground on this issue.

As players reported to Spring Training last week, some of the biggest names in the game have publicly come out in support of the sport's biggest spenders, even if it comes at the expense of their own teams.

“I love what the Dodgers do, obviously,” Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper told reporters over the weekend. “They pay the money, they spend the money. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into.”

Payroll disparities have only grown over the last few years, with the Miami Marlins spending just $20 million on four free agents the entire offseason.

“Every team has the ability to do it," San Diego Padres All-Star Manny Machado told reporters about the Dodgers' spending, "so I hope all 30 teams could learn from that.”

Bryce Harper: “I love what the Dodgers do, obviously.”

(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/t7SNXrdFAC

— OnPattison (@OnPattison) February 15, 2026

Owners contend that creating a cap over time will limit the advantage teams like the Dodgers, Mets,New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays currently wield, while a floor would force teams like the Marlins, Athletics, and Cleveland Guardians to increase spending and parity. The players' union, led by Clark until this week, vehemently disagrees with the idea that a salary cap enhances competitive balance.

"We don’t believe salary caps are good for players or are good for the game,” Clark told me in July. “We believe salary caps are actually anti-competition.”

While other issues on the table include an international draft, revenue sharing from an expanded playoff round, the qualifying offer, and other rules, the salary cap is the sticking point that has the baseball world on edge. These negotiations and the risk of a potential lockout could completely halt the momentum MLB has generated over the last few years. Rules changes have sped up the game, leading to improved attendance and television ratings, including a Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series Game 7 that was the most-watched baseball game since 1992.

An MLB work stoppage in 2027 is a distinct possibility as both sides dig in for a contentious nine months of negotiations. Now, one side's leader just left as it begins its most pivotal period in decades. How the MLBPA responds to, and pivots from, Clark's shocking departure could determine baseball's short- and long-term future.

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It’s the first week of spring training, pitchers are climbing back onto the mound, hitters are getting their first swings in, and optimism is in the air. And yet, for fans of the Royals, there’s still that lingering feeling that something is missing. All winter long, the expectation has been that the front office would land one more impact bat, an outfielder to lengthen the lineup. So far, that move hasn’t come.

Even though spring training games are about to begin, there is still plenty of time to make a move. J.J. Picollo told Anne Rogers at MLB.com the team could still pursue a right-handed bat.

“I think it’s about how that player fits on our current roster to make it make sense,” Picollo said. “Right-handed is maybe a little bit easier to slide in a piece. Where left-handed, it’s got to be a more prominent move because we have enough left-handed hitters we think can be a part of our 26-man roster and allow us to operate the way we want to.”

With six weeks until the season opener, the question isn’t whether the Royals need another right-handed bat – it’s whether they’re still willing to go get one. Here are some outfielders that could be available in a trade, particularly if their team finds they need to add some pitching.

Jo Adell, Angels

Adell had a breakout season last year, slamming 37 home runs, the ninth-most in baseball. But power is pretty much all he brings to the table – he’s a low-average, low-walk, high-strikeout hitter. Still, the Royals need that kind of pop, and Adell is just 26 years old with two more years until free agency. Adell was one of the worst defenders in baseball in centerfield last year, but he could be a better defender in left field. The Angels would be wise to sell high on Adell and add some pitching with several controllable years. However, he was just a 1.2 rWAR player last year, so they shouldn’t expect top prospects.

Jonny DeLuca, Rays

DeLuca is a young guy you’d have to unlock more from, because he hasn’t produced at the big league level yet. Acquired by the Rays after the 2023 season in the Tyler Glasnow trade, he hit .217/.278/.331 with six home runs and 16 steals in 107 games in 2024, his only extended look in the big leagues. He appeared in just 20 games last year due to shoulder and hamstring injuries. As a minor leaguer, DeLuca had solid pop, good speed, and very low strikeout rates. His defense is good enough that he doesn’t need to hit that much to be valuable, but he may be too unproven to help the Royals.

Jasson Domínguez, Yankees

The Yankees have an outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham, with Spencer Jones knocking on the door as well, which may leave Domínguez as the odd man out. After being a highly ranked prospect, Domínguez had mixed results in his rookie season last year, hitting .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs and 23 steals in 123 games and poor defense. But the 23-year-old switch-hitter has sky-high potential as a 30/30 player who has an excellent eye at the plate. The Yankees could option him to the minors and stash him away, but if they have moved on from him and are in need of starting pitching, the Royals could be a match.

Brenton Doyle, Rockies

Doyle is a two-time Gold Glover in centerfield who hit .260/.317/.446 with 23 home runs in 2024 as a 4.0 rWAR player. The problem is he was absolutely dreadful at the plate in 2025, batting .233/.274/.376 with 15 home runs in 138 games. That was with inflated numbers at Coors Field – he hit just .162/.209/.251 on the road! But there is some evidence that Coors messes with hitters on the road, and Doyle was quite good when facing just left-handed hitters. The 27-year-old has three more years of club control, so the Rockies may not be motivated to move him until he resurrects his value, but with a new GM, there may be changes coming to the roster.

Ramón Laureano, Padres

The Padres seem likely to roll with an outfield of Laureano, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr., with Miguel Andujar and Sung-Mun Song in the mix between the outfield and DH. But they could decide to deal some of their outfield depth to acquire another starting pitcher and make Laureano available in his last year before free agency. The 31-year-old hit .281/.342/.512, tying a career-high with 24 home runs in his time split between Baltimore and San Diego, and his 3.8 rWAR was the best of his career. Laureano has been an inconsistent performer – his numbers tanked in 2022-23, leading the A’s to put him on waivers. He has also had trouble staying on the field and is a poor defender. But he makes just $6.5 million this year, which should make him affordable even for the Royals.

Jake Meyers, Astros

The Royals were reportedly interested in Meyers earlier this offseason, and now that Houston has traded Jesús Sánchez, they may not be looking to move another outfielder. But the Astros need pitching, which could match them up nicely with the Royals. Meyers had a breakout season in 2025, hitting .292/.354/.373 with three home runs in 381 plate appearances. The 29-year-old Nebraska native is a plus defender in center and stole a career-high 16 bases last year. He doesn’t provide the kind of power the Royals are looking for, however, and his numbers benefited from a .351 BABIP.

Coby Mayo, Orioles

Mayo isn’t an outfielder, but he’s taking reps there in spring training, and he may be available in a trade with the logjam the Orioles have in their lineup. Ranked as the #14 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline before the 2025 season, Mayo had an underwhelming start to his MLB career. He hit just .217/.299/.388 with 11 home runs in 85 games, but fared well against lefties. Mayo is hardly a sure thing, but he has a lot of potential if the Royals are willing to take the gamble.

Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles

Mountcastle hasn’t played outfield since his rookie campaign of 2021, but he’s rumored to be available after the Orioles signed free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. Mountcastle hit 33 home runs that first year, but has seen his power slip each year, and he posted a career-worst OPS+ of 83 last season, although he was limited to just 89 games. It was a bit of a surprise he was tendered a contract, and the Orioles could be looking to move him and his $6.7 million salary for next to nothing at this point.

Heliot Ramos, Giants

Ramos was an All-Star in 2024, and has hit 20+ home runs in each of the last two seasons. Last year he hit .256/.328/.400 in 157 games, but was worth just 1.2 rWAR due to dreadful defense in left. He has improved his walk and strikeout numbers and has put up an above-average OPS+ in each of the last two seasons. He is just 26 years old and has three controllable years left. If the Giants feel Drew Gilbert is ready for a starting role, they could look to move Ramos and add a pitcher.

Spencer Steer, Reds

Steer has hit 20+ home runs in each of the last three seasons, but his wRC+ has regressed each season, sinking to 97 last year. He hit just .221/.297/.365 on the road, although his 2024 numbers were quite good. He has had unusually low BABIP numbers the last two seasons, and his 10.1 percent career walk rate is fairly strong. Steer moved from left field to first base in 2025, but his defensive metrics in the outfield, while below average, weren’t awful. The Reds have top prospect Sal Stewart challenging Steer for a job, so he could be expendable soon.

Mark Vientos, Mets

Vientos is not really an outfielder, but he’s so bad defensively as an infielder that a move to the outfield might be what he needs. He smacked 27 home runs in 2024, although that number fell to 17 in 2025. He hit just .233/.289/.413 overall, with a walk rate of just 6.5 percent. He’s just 26 years old with three more years of club control and has a lot of power potential. The Mets could still hang on to Vientos as a right-handed platoon option for first baseman/DH Jorge Polanco, but it could also make sense to move him for more pitching depth.

If you say the name Wally Pipp to a baseball fan, there’s probably one thing that comes to their mind. One day in 1925, Pipp got the day off from his normal role as the Yankees’ starting first baseman. In his place, a youngster named Lou Gehrig got the start instead. Pipp then never got his start back as Gehrig became an all-time great who never took a day off.

However, just boiling Pipp down to that one story is unfair. He was a very good player in his own right, helping the Yankees to three World Series appearances, and the 1923 title. Today also happens to be his birthday, so let’s look back and give him some shine that he deserves.

Walter Clement “Wally” Pipp
Born: February 17, 1893 (Chicago, IL)
Died: January 11, 1965 (Grand Rapids, MI)
Yankees Tenure: 1915-25

Born in Chicago and mostly raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pipp began to gain prominence in the baseball world while playing college ball at Catholic University in Washington DC. After that, he got his start in the pro ranks back home in Michigan, playing for the delightfully-named Kalamazoo Celery Pickers.

Pipp’s time there got him noticed by the Detroit Tigers, who signed him in 1912. Detroit farmed him out to some minor league teams before giving him his debut in 1913. He didn’t do much of note in his 12 games that year and returned to the minor leagues the following season. Despite an excellent 1914 in the International League, the Tigers sold him to the Yankees the following offseason, probably because they had another first baseman in George Burns, who would go on to have a very nice MLB career himself.

In one of the first moves of new owners Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast Huston, the Yankees picked up Pipp ahead of the 1915 season. At the point of Pipp’s acquisition, the franchise was somewhat in the doldrums, but they began to show steady improvement over the next couple seasons, with their new first baseman a key part of that. His first year in New York was pretty good, but he really broke out in 1916, putting up a career-best and league-leading 12 home runs and a 123 OPS+.

Two years later, Miller Huggins took over the managerial post, and the Yankees truly began their ascent. Under Huggins, Pipp put up a career best 127 OPS+ in 1918, although his year was cut short after being drafted into the military. He returned for 1919 and was again good. Then in 1920, the Yankees acquired some guy named Babe Ruth.

Ruth took a starring role on the Yankees after that, but Pipp remained a very dependable player for the Yankees, as they won their first AL pennants in 1921 and ‘22. The latter featured arguably Pipp’s best individual season, grading out at 4.3 fWAR and 4.6 rWAR while playing a sterling defensive first base. He took a bit of a step back offensively in 1923, but he was the man who caught the throw on the groundout that clinched the Yankees’ first World Series championship that year.

Also in 1923, a young first baseman named Lou Gehrig made his debut for the Yankees. While he showed some promise, his playing time was limited that year and in ‘24, with Pipp holding things down for the Bombers. Then in 1925, Pipp got off to a very slow start. The legend goes that on June 2, 1925, he came into the clubhouse complaining of a headache and asked the trainer for some aspirin. Huggins overheard him and told Pipp to take it easy and just take the day off. Gehrig got the start and went 3-for-5.

Huggins decided to stick with the youngster for a little while—again, Pipp had been slumping anyway, which is somewhat forgotten in the most common telling of the tale—and a couple weeks later, Pipp was hit in the head in batting practice, which sent him to the hospital. By the time he was back and ready to go, Gehrig was on a heater and had usurped Pipp. The displaced former star spent the rest of the year as a pinch-hitter, but, as you likely know considering “The Iron Horse’s” streak, there weren’t many opportunities for him back at first base.

After 1925, the Yankees decided to move on from Pipp and sold him to the Cincinnati Reds. He played three seasons there and another in the minor leagues before retiring. He returned to his native Michigan after his playing career, and held a number of jobs. Reportedly, he was in attendance at the game in Detroit where Gehrig ended his consecutive games streak at 2,130. Pipp eventually passed away in 1965, a couple months short of the 40th anniversary of his famous day off.

In the case of Wally Pipp, there is a very understandable reason why his playing career gets overshadowed. It’s unfair to the man himself though, as he was hardly just a footnote at the height of his career.

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Happy Tuesday, A’s fans! I hope everyone enjoyed the three-day weekend.

Spring training in Arizona is in full swing. Yesterday, the team held its first full-squad workout ahead of Saturday’s opener against the Chicago White Sox.

Manager Mark Kotsay said that the A’s will not name a single closer to start the season, relying on a committee as they did successfully after last year’s trade deadline. Spring games will be key for determining who gets early save opportunities, with relievers like Elvis Alvarado, Scott Barlow and Hogan Harris all in the mix.

Third base is another position to watch. Darrell Hernaiz will leave camp to play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC, giving Max Muncy, Andy Ibanez and Brett Harris more at-bats to vie for the Opening Day start at the hot corner.

Outfield depth will also be tested. Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas showed flashes last year in their MLB debuts. Because he bats right-handed, Thomas may have a leg up on the fourth outfielder competition. He could start or pinch-hit for left-handed starters Lawrence Butler or Tyler Soderstrom against left-handed pitching. Could both make the roster? Time will tell.

Finally, keep an eye on young pitchers Mason Barnett, JT Ginn, Gunnar Hoglund and Jack Perkins. With the starting rotation mostly set, assuming Jacob Lopez and Luis Morales nab the two open spots, these four may begin at Triple-A unless they earn bullpen roles. Ginn and Perkins already have MLB relief experience, which could give them an edge. However, injuries always seem to occur in spring training, which is why pitching depth is so imperative.

Which players are you most looking forward to watching as games get underway soon? What goals do you have for the A’s as they get through spring training?

A’s Coverage

• A’s Community Prospect List: Baez Takes 13th spot
• Waiting For Gelof: What Do We Do?
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• A’s Trade Mitch Spence to KC Royals in exchange for minor leaguer
• Diamondbacks Claim Grant Holman
• Darrell Hernaiz to play for Team PR in WBC
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?
• Story Lines To Watch As Spring Training Unfolds
• A’s Sign Starter Aaron Civale
• Athletics add developmental leaguer in trade with Yankees
• Little Signings Everywhere
• A’s Non-Roster Invites to Keep an Eye On 
• A’s prospect Jump impressing in first big league camp
• 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
• Extensions For Everyone! (Except Kurtz)
• Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contract
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects lists

MLB News and Interest:

• Steven Cohen: Mets will never have captain while I own team
• Diamondbacks sign veteran starter Zac Gallen to one-year contract
• Cubs ink reliever Shelby Miller to one-year pact
• Padres signing free-agent pitchers Griffin Canning and Germàn Marquez
• Brewers Sign Luis Rengifo
• Bryce Harper addresses comments Dombrowski made about him
• Machaco embraces Dodgers’ big spending ways
• Rays generating interest in lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger
• Boone: No restrictions for Judge this spring
• Castellanos embracing move to first base with Padres
• Roki Sasaki working on 3rd pitch
• A.J. Preller agrees to multiyear extension with Padres
• MLB TV strike zone box won’t indicate whether pitch is ball or strike due to ABS system
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X

Out of all the A’s starting pitching options, who do you think will be the team’s most reliable pitcher this season?

Who will be more productive for the A's in 2026?

Luis Morales
Jacob Lopez pic.twitter.com/wrHpH386nJ

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) February 16, 2026

A’s future looks promising! First glimpse at Leo De Vries (El Mutante) and Jamie Arnold in an A’s uniform.

From today's A's Camp, a glimpse of the future that could come sooner than later.

Leo De Vries took batting practice. Still getting used to seeing him in an A's uniform.

Jamie Arnold, the A's 2025 first-rounder, pitched a bullpen session in front of manager Mark Kotsay. pic.twitter.com/1FfozJDrZK

— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) February 17, 2026

Nick Kurtz looks ready for the season to start. How many home runs do you think the A’s first baseman will hit this year?

This ball Nick Kurtz just hit may never come down. pic.twitter.com/ff8Fms9U3O

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) February 16, 2026

The reports are starting to filter in from Peoria and we’re starting to get some downright tantalizing videos of pitchers throwing bullpens. Before we get too into the buzzy part of spring, or Overreact To Small Sample Size Theaer, take this opportunity to stake your claim: which of the new Mariners arms are you predicting to be a significant contributor to the pitching staff in 2026? This is your chance to latch on to the Eduard Bazardo of 2026 and be feted with glory* when your pick hits months down the road.

*offered grudging praiseby a group of terminally online Mariners baseball sickos

And since I brought up Bazardo, let’s say it can be a fresh new face someone who was in the organization previously who you think could take a Bazardo-sized leap. If there are any Carlos Vargas truthers in the house, now is the time to speak your piece.

Also, you might have noticed I was cagey about not distinguishing between bullpen and starter there. If that strikeout video of Kade Anderson knocked your socks off, feel free to make an argument.

With Alex Bregman’s departure over the offseason, Marcelo Mayer almost immediately assumed the position of Boston’s third baseman of the future and the present. But after trading for Caleb Durbin — who played 131 games at third base for the Brewers last year — last week, the Red Sox have become a bit jammed in the infield.

Granted, this is a much better problem to have than the absolute black hole that existed at second base last year, but it’s still something that will have to be addressed — and should be addressed quickly as the team looks to make up for Bregman’s All-Star level 2025 production through an amalgamation of pieces rather than a clear replacement. 

Mayer’s rookie campaign last season consisted of fewer than 150 plate appearances and left something to be desired, especially with Roman Anthony’s meteoric rise as the closest point of comparison. Specifically, his patience at the plate will have to improve in 2026, and hopefully it will after an extended offseason following his wrist surgery toward the end of August. But on the defensive end, he proved to be nearly everything he was advertised to be, which is really saying something when you have Trevor Story and Bregman closest to you in the field.

Although he came up as a shortstop, Mayer has been projected to have the arm strength of a third baseman, and showed above-average range during his time at third base in the majors last year. This, along with the fact that Story has taken on a much bigger role for this team over the past year and Mayer didn’t start a single game at shortstop, shows Boston’s confidence in his ability to shift defensively to accommodate the roster’s current makeup.

On the other side of the coin, newest Red Sox Caleb Durbin advanced through the minor leagues as a much more versatile piece, splitting time between third, shortstop, and second while spending 18 games in the outfield in Scranton Wilkes-Barre in 2024 (for what reason, I do not know). But once he made his major league debut with the Brewers last year, he spent 13 games — and only started three — away from the hot corner. It was clear, at least in Milwaukee, that he was a designated third baseman, so how does that change with his move to Boston?

While Mayer and Durbin possess similarly graded “plus” arms, their defensive utility diverges sharply when you look at the ground they cover. 

Last season, Mayer posted 3 OAA, albeit in a limited sample size, compared to Durbin’s 0 across a full season of action. This demonstrates the kind of lateral abilities that Mayer possesses that Durbin hasn’t shown yet, which overall makes him a better candidate to fill the hole at second than Durbin or other miscellaneous parts, as the Red Sox have seemingly forgotten about the Kristian Campbell Second Base Experience early in the spring. 

Alex Cora has said he’s ready to work out this positional problem both in the spring and beyond, but he had the same assignment last year, and I can’t say he exactly aced it. A large part of this shortfall is definitely related to the lack of offensive production from the candidates at second base, but there’s not exactly a big degree of difference in that when it comes to this year’s choices, though Durbin has at least shown some relative consistency during his time in the majors.

The problem still remains that neither Durbin nor Mayer makes up for the offensive prowess that Boston should have added this offseason, and both will have to step up their offensive production this year (especially Mayer), but with the team’s makeup right now, it appears obvious that they will both be mainstays in the infield.

In Mariners news…

• In their continued quest for further bullpen depth, the Mariners have acquired LHP Josh Simpson from the Miami Marlins in exchange for cash considerations.
• Logan Gilbert’s newborn son has helped bring a new perspective to the righty’s Spring Training this year.
• One of Dan Wilson’s upcoming goals is to manage the extended absences of World Baseball Classic players by leaning on the team’s young prospects.
• Versatility and uncertainty have led top prospect Colt Emerson to work out consistently at all three infield positions.

Around the league…

• Elbow soreness forced Minnesota Twins RHP Pablo Lopez to leave his live batting practice session early. He will receive an MRI, but manager Derek Shelton described the process as precautionary.
• Young pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange had an impressive batting practice battle with veteran slugger Aaron Judge at the New York Yankees’ Spring Training session yesterday.
• Offseason ankle surgery will keep Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman off the team’s Opening Day roster.
• Utility player Cavan Biggio has signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros and is set to join their big league camp as a non-roster invitee.
• Getting to the World Series last season allowed Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to enter the 2026 season with a new outlook.
• Rankings of the 2026 Top 100 Prospects have been released by FanGraphs as part of their 2026 Prospect Week.
• Ahead of his age 34 season, Los Angeles Angels veteran Mike Trout has expressed his preference for moving back to center field.
• New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is determined to turn his team into a perennial contender.
• The San Diego Padres have signed both RHP Walker Buehler and first baseman Ty France to minor league deals.

The year 2026 has two significant anniversaries for the Cubs:

• The 10th anniversary of the 2016 World Series championship, and
• The 150th anniversary of the official founding of the Cubs National League franchise

Both of these anniversaries will be featured in many promotional giveaways by the team, both gate giveaways and via special ticket offers, the team announced Tuesday.

To celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary as a National League franchise, commemorative bobbleheads spotlighting iconic figures in Cubs history will be available starting in April. Bobbleheads will be distributed on the following dates to the first 10,000 fans to enter Wrigley Field, subject to availability:

• Saturday, April 11 (vs. Pirates): Ben Zobrist bobblehead
• Saturday, April 18 (vs. Mets): Ron Santo bobblehead
• Saturday, May 2 (vs. Diamondbacks): Kerry Wood bobblehead
• Sunday, May 24 (vs. Astros): Ryne Sandberg bobblehead
• Sunday, August 30 (vs. Reds): Harry Caray bobblehead
• Sunday, September 13 (vs. Pirates): Sammy Sosa bobblehead

Those should all be very popular items. Note that they’re all being given away on weekends, days when crowds are generally the largest of the week. I’m not sure if this was done intentionally but I think it’s poetic that the Ron Santo bobblehead is being given away on a day the Cubs are facing the Mets… all of you certainly remember how Santo felt about the Mets.

To continue the anniversary celebrations, #BudFridays will return with a series of replica jerseys modeled after different eras in team history. These retro giveaways are available to the first 5,000 fans 21 years of age or older to enter the Budweiser Bleacher Gate on each #BudFridays date, subject to availability. Check out the jerseys at the page linked below, these are pretty cool.

Other new gate giveaways include a Cubs Puffer Vest, a Cade Horton Graphic Tee and a Wrigley Field Replica Ballpark.

There will also be three celebration dates for anniversaries and for the Cubs Hall of Fame induction:

• Saturday, July 18: 2016 World Series Anniversary Celebration
• Saturday, August 29: Cubs 150th Anniversary Celebration
• Sunday, August 30: Cubs Hall of Fame Induction

The team says there are 35 special ticket dates where various items will be given away if you purchase the special ticket, including the popular Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month and Pride Month.

You can find more information about all the Cubs giveaways here. Cubs single-game tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 20. There’s a presale on Thursday, Feb. 19 and you can sign up for that here.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, as families across America were preparing their meals for the upcoming holiday, the Mets made one of the earliest signings of their offseason, picking up Anderson Severino on a minor league deal. In case you were wondering, this is indeed a family affair, as Anderson the cousin of ex-Mets starter (and current A’s pitcher) Luis Severino.

This is hardly the first time Anderson Severino has followed in his cousin’s footsteps. The 31-year-old left-hander originally signed with the Yankees in 2013, 18 months after Luis was signed by the Yankees. Anderson spent parts of seven seasons in the Yankees’ organization, though he never made it higher than High-A ball. The lefty eventually elected free agency following a 2020 season that saw the cancellation of minor league baseball.

He joined the White Sox in 2021 and spent the year bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A before finally getting the call to the show on April 12, 2022. In his debut against the Mariners, he hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings and finished off a 5-1 White Sox loss. Three of his four outs came via the strikeout, and he walked one and hit a batter but did not allow a hit. He followed that up by allowing five earned runs in his next three appearances, but closed out his lone major league stint with two scoreless outings. He made six total appearances for Chicago, posting a 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, all coming in April of that year. He returned to the minors, where he stayed until he was designated for assignment in September.

Since then, he has spent much of this time in the Mexican League, playing for Guerreros de Oaxaca and Acereros de Monclova. He enjoyed his best success with the latter during the 2025 season, posting a 2.68 ERA over 37 innings in 43 appearances. During his run with the club, he posted a 4.9 BB/9 and an 11.2 K/9. He also threw 18 1/3 innings for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican League, pitching to a 0.98 ERA in his 23 appearances. His recent work, along with his family ties to an ex-Met, likely all played a role in his deal with New York.

Severino, quite frankly, is not likely to see much action, but he’s not a bad option to stash in the minors as a “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” option. The Mets have a lot of names competing for bullpen spots, and they already have a few guaranteed options. With A.J. Minter set to start the year on the injured list, Brooks Raley is the only left-hander with a set spot in the pen. The club recently picked up Bryan Hudson in a trade with the White Sox, and he’s likely to find himself higher up on the depth chart than Severino in terms of securing the coveted second-lefty spot in the pen.

The Severino signing was a pretty standard fare for an early offseason move, and Mets fans are likely to see a lot of him early on in spring training. Barring a really impressive showing, he’s likely to be a name that gets re-assigned to minor league camp early on, but in a long baseball season, you just never know when a player’s name is going to be called. It would take a few injuries for Severino to get his second call up to the majors, but hey, crazier things have happened. For now though, he represents another depth signing that will mostly see action in Triple-A Syracuse.

8. Sean Sullivan (398 points, 19 ballots)

Despite a professional career that has been marred by injuries and an accompanying loss in velocity, Sullivan keeps getting upper-minors hitters out — a lot of them via strikeout. The 6’4”, 23-year-old lefty pitcher was dominant at Wake Forest, pitching 69 2/3 innings with with a 2.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP (fourth-best in Division 1), a 14.3 K/9 rate (second-best), and a 2.7 BB/9 rate as the Demon Deacons made it all the way to the College World Series semi-finals.

Sullivan (whose delivery reminded the Rockies of Kyle Freeland) rode those numbers to a $1.7 million bonus from the Rockies that was about $187k below slot. The 6’4” southpaw relies mostly on his fastball which, despite velocity that is usually only in the 87-91 MPH range, is an effective pitch due to a low, wide release angle that gives it great carry up in the zone. He pairs that offering with a slider and change-up, but the fastball is the main separator.

In High-A Spokane in 2024, Sullivan threw 83 1⁄3 innings in 14 starts with a 2.16 ERA (2.79 xFIP), 0.84 WHIP, 10.9 K/9 rate, and a minuscule 0.9 BB/9 rate (including a nine-inning complete game). That was enough in the High-A Northwest League to receive their Pitcher of the Year award even though the Rockies promoted Sullivan in August to Double-A Hartford, where Sullivan was 3.5 years younger than league average.

Sullivan maintained his excellent run prevention against Eastern League hitters, throwing 32 innings across seven starts with a 1.97 ERA. Sullivan wasn’t nearly as dominant, striking out only less than a batter per inning (6.8 K/9) and walking a few more (2.0 BB/9) en route to a 4.37 xFIP. Still, a 1.09 WHIP with that ERA was a strong achievement for one of the younger pitchers in Double-A (the batter was older than him 80% of the time).

Recovery related to an offseason surgery for a hip injury delayed Sullivan’s 2025 debut back at Hartford (where he was still 2.7 years younger than average) to mid-May (after a scoreless rehab outing for both the ACL team and Low-A Fresno). In 18 starts and 97 1/3 innings with Hartford, Sullivan posted a 3.14 ERA (3.39 xFIP), 1.09 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 rate, and 2.2 BB/9 rate.

Those numbers were trending better before Sullivan went to the IL briefly in August and was hit hard in his final four starts of the year (allowing 13 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings) after returning. Seven of Sullivan’s Double-A starts were Quality Starts, while Sullivan allowed just a .611 OPS to opposing hitters (with basically no platoon splits). That was enough for Sullivan to get an invite to Major League spring training this year by the Rockies.

Here’s some video of Sullivan striking out a bunch of dudes in 2025, many of them swinging:

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Sullivan 7th in the system earlier this month:

Sullivan had hip labrum surgery after the 2024 season and started the 2025 season about six weeks late, pitching well enough in Double A even though his fastball wasn’t 100 percent to where it was beforehand. Sullivan has never thrown hard; at his best, his fastball is 89-92 but the pitch misses bats thanks to a very low release point, over seven feet of extension (OK, that hurts my hip just thinking about it) and excellent ride on the pitch. He’s got an above-average slider with good tilt and an average changeup, going right after hitters like he’s throwing 98. Sullivan had a lot of outings last year where he was sitting in the upper 80s, and that won’t play, but if he’s even just 89-92 again, I think he’ll be a back-end starter. Side note: I really like watching this guy pitch.

John Trupin of Baseball Prospectus ranked Sullivan 10th last January with a 50 OFP:

The 6-foot-4 southpaw leans heavily to his arm side as he deals, releasing the ball beyond the mid-point of the left-handed batter’s box at a low 3/4ths angle that is more accurately a high sidearm. The VAA created is subsequently disorienting for hitters, and indeed batters were flummoxed by Sullivan all year, swinging under his four-seam despite its meager velocity. That set up Sullivan’s sweeping slider, a devastating pitch which plays up off Sullivan’s angle and his plus command. Though his changeup is more sparingly utilized, the fastball-slider combination is effective enough to efficiently carve through lineups before they can get too comfortable. The margin for error is so thin for a pitcher with such little velo, but Sullivan’s results continue to outpace the radar gun. His heater and slider are effective enough that a bullpen role will be quite reasonable if he does ultimately hit a wall against big-league bats. He’s close enough to make Albuquerque this year, and polished enough to get a crack in Denver if his schtick keeps playing.

Many command and control arms with bat-missing stuff in the low minors can’t keep it up in the bigs. Sullivan already saw his swings and misses dip at Double-A, but he continued getting awkward swings and weak contact. This either works or it doesn’t, but Sullivan seems unlikely to change it up significantly.

MLB Pipeline slots Sullivan 12th in the system as a 45 FV player thanks to a 60 control grade:

Sullivan uses a lower slot to come at hitters with a kind of upshoot fastball, getting huge carry up in the zone. Even though it only averaged around 88 mph in 2024, the lefty threw it a lot and got decent swing-and-miss on the pitch thanks to that life and his outstanding command of the pitch. There could be a little more velocity in the tank now that he’s had a hip labrum issue fixed, so he might be able to get to 93-94 mph more moving forward. His upper-70s changeup is his best pitch, one that has terrific movement and misses bats in and out of the zone. His sweeping slider can be effective, but he doesn’t locate it as well as his other two offerings.

The Rockies will be sure to bring Sullivan along slowly and manage his workload as he’s coming back from the hip issue, but he’s already defied expectations thanks to confidence in his pitch usage, his unusual mechanics and his extreme strike-throwing ways. He’ll be at the upper levels continuing to show that his unusual profile just might work in a big league rotation. 

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs is less of a believer due to the low fastball velocity, grading Sullivan as a 40 FV player (with a multi-inning relief role), 19th in the org, albeit with a 70 future command grade:

Sullivan is an ultra-deceptive cross-bodied lefty with 20-grade velocity. He’s done well in the mid-minors despite sitting 87 mph because of a mix of deception, command, and quality secondary stuff. Sullivan’s stride direction takes him toward the first base line at an extreme angle, and this, in concert with his low three-quarters slot, takes hitters a few looks to get comfortable with. Sullivan’s fastball averaged 90 mph in 2023 and 87 mph in 2024, but he still managed a 2.11 ERA, 125 strikeouts and just 15 walks across 115.1 innings, good for a microscopic 3.4% walk rate. In college, Sullivan’s repertoire was fastball-heavy in the extreme at about 75% usage. His usage is still really high (67% in 2024), but he’s been branching out in pro ball and his changeup generated huge rates of chase and miss last year. His slider plays by virtue of Sullivan’s odd release. It’s fair to be skeptical that this will actually work in a starting pitcher capacity — asking a guy who sits 87 to navigate a big league lineup three times feels like too much — but in short relief bursts where hitters have no time to adjust to Sullivan’s funk, he should be fine.

Between Chase Dollander, Sullivan, and Cole Carrigg, Colorado’s first three picks of the 2023 draft all look like hits so far — not to mention Kyle Karros in the fifth round and Seth Halvorsen in the seventh. Sullivan’s college dominance with his fastball has carried over to the minor leagues in a big way, even up to Double-A. The decreased fastball velocity is obviously a concern, though the development of a decent changeup and slider to pair with the fastball are certainly helpful.

The Rockies could use Sullivan in the Major Leagues as soon as this year so long as his health cooperates and his fastball continues to bedevil advanced hitters (I suspect he’ll mostly be at Triple-A Albuquerque). I ranked Sullivan 11th on my list as a 40+ FV player because of the pedigree, statistical dominance, and because I want the Rockies to continue to think more out of the box with their pitching draftees.

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