We’ve definitely hit a lull here in the offseason — one where no news is good news as you hope that players and coaches are continuing to make personal preparations for the season while hopefully avoiding pratfalls such as, oh, I don’t know, slipping on ice or something like that.
As such, this is a good time for articles such as the one that ESPN put out here on Monday morning. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN has once again tried to figure out who will be the breakout teams of baseball for this upcoming season and as it turns out, Doolittle has placed the Braves in this list of breakout clubs.
In fact, Doolittle has tabbed the Braves as his top breakout candidate. Based on his own algorithms and simulations that he’s run over the course of the offseason, he’s given the Braves a 59 percent chances of picking up 90 wins during this upcoming season — compared to a baseline of 80 wins for 2026. For comparison’s sake, the Orioles were the No. 2 team in Doolittle’s eyes and he only gave them a 35 percent breakout probability, so he appears to be somewhat confident in Atlanta’s chances to return to form after two-straight disappointing seasons.
Here’s part of Doolittle’s reasoning for Atlanta being primed to bounce back this season (and I highly recommend you go over there and give the entire article a read as well):
Injuries were the primary culprit, though there were certainly some underperformances as well. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider both missed time, as they did in 2024, and when they played they were still working their way back into form. Getting those stars and others, such as Austin Riley and Matt Olson, back to full capacity and/or productivity is the Braves’ best hope for a quick bounce-back. The projections think they have a good chance of getting that. My simulations have the Braves winning 11 more games than their baseline win estimate of 80. In other words, their average projection qualifies them as a breakout team, the only team for which that is the case.
Doolittle mentioned Strider in there but also, my own personal belief is that health among the entire starting rotation should help boost the Braves in 2026. He’s absolutely right about Austin Riley hopefully returning to form after two injury-plagued and other stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson continuing to be stars as well but the rotation is key. It’s been mentioned multiple times but Bryce Elder ended up leading the Braves in innings pitched last season. With all due credit to Bryce Elder and his contributions to the team over the past few seasons, having Elder lead your team in innings pitched doesn’t appear conducive to the overall success of a baseball club.
As long as Chris Sale stays healthy and the rest of the rotation follows suit, that alone should give the Braves more of a fighting chance to stay relevant and return to the Postseason conversation during this upcoming season. The team’s depth has been fortified over the course of this offseason as Alex Anthopoulos did a pretty solid job of addressing the team’s needs in the infield, outfield and bullpen as well. Now granted, the team will already start of shorthanded due to Ha-Seong Kim’s icy mishap and I will admit that that doesn’t engender a lot of confidence about this team finally evading the injury bug for the first time since 2023.
However, if Ha-Seong Kim’s injury is simply the injury bug’s last hurrah before a healthy season on the field for the Braves, then things should be better based off that alone. It’s January — why not be a little optimistic? This projection from ESPN is optimistic for Atlanta’s chances in 2026 and as always, all we ca do is hope for the best in order to see those projections play out as planned so that the Braves can finally bounce back after a couple of years in the wilderness. We’ll see what happens.
Shohei Ohtani reacts after recording the final out of the World Baseball Classic in 2023 on a strikeout of then-Angels teammate Mike Trout. (Eric Espada / Getty Images)
Japan's roster for the World Baseball Classic features familiar names, but one question lingers.
Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, who will be returning to the starting rotation after missing most of last year’s regular season because of a shoulder injury, was not selected. Sasaki was on Team Japan in 2023, starting two games — including a dramatic semifinal win over Mexico.
In his earlier announcement, Ohtani did not indicate whether he would pitch in the WBC and on Monday Ibata told reporters that the team will get a better sense once Ohtani reports to spring training next month.
In the 2023 WBC, Ohtani won tournament most valuable player with a .435 batting average and 1.86 ERA, helping Japan to the title. He punctuated the event with his memorable strikeout of Mike Trout for the final out in the championship game.
Eight major leaguers were named to Team Japan's WBC roster, including Angels left-hander Yusei Kukuchi, Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui, Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto, White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, currently a free agent who pitched for the Baltimore Orioles last year.
MLB players are expected to join Team Japan for exhibition games on March 2. Japan will open WBC play on March 6 against Taiwan.
There are three Blue Jays on Keith Law’s Top 100 Prospect list. You can likely guess who they are:
#25: Trey Yesavage
Among the things Law said:
….throwing both from a very high slot that gives the fastball more riding life and more generally makes it harder for hitters to pick the ball up out of his hand. The Blue Jays have leaned into this, raising his arm slot a little more and giving him the highest release point of any current MLB starter, while also helping him improve his slider by throwing it much harder, over 2 mph faster than it was in college. That meant that in one playoff start against Seattle where he didn’t have his splitter, he had another weapon as a fallback option rather than just throwing fastball after fastball. The separating factor for Yesavage will be his command; he’s succeeding much more with stuff than location or even control right now, and that arm slot generally (but not always) makes it hard to repeat a delivery. If he’s healthy, he should be at least a solid No. 3/above-average starter, with further upside a function of whether and how he improves his command.
#60: JoJo Parker
Law said:
The No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft, Parker is an outstanding hitter for contact who barely swung and missed on the showcase circuit in 2024, when he was facing some of the best prep arms in the country. He controls the strike zone well, has excellent hand-eye coordination, and takes a short path to the ball that ensures he’ll put it in play at a high rate. He can drift over his front side through contact, losing some potential power there, although that’s a correctable issue and also doesn’t have to happen right away. He’s a shortstop now and has very good hands for the infield, but he’s not going to have plus range and probably gets pushed to third base. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t at least hit for high averages right out of the gate in pro ball; if you were looking for someone to be the next Kevin McGonigle from the 2025 draft class, it would be Parker.
#89: Arjun Nimmala
Nimmala tore out of the gate to start 2025, hitting .289/.372/.528 when the sun rose on June 1 with just an 18 percent strikeout rate, but it didn’t last, leading to a very mixed second full year in pro ball. A combination of some nagging injuries he played through, some fatigue and pitchers adjusting to him without him adjusting back in turn led to a collapse in his production. He hit just .184/.277/.290 the rest of the year, with a 24 percent strikeout rate that was still a huge reduction from the prior year. Toronto’s 2024 first-round pick, Nimmala was only 17 on draft day, and spent all of 2025 in High A at age 19, making him the fourth-youngest regular at that level — and two of the younger players ahead of him are on this list (Leo De Vries and Franklin Arias). He still has plus power, improved his contact rate while moving up a level and still projects to stick at shortstop. He’ll play all of 2026 at age 20, probably in Double A, and I expect him to continue to progress after an offseason of recovery. If he hits enough to get to his power, his profile is 25-plus homers with plus defense at short.
Konnor Griffin CF in the Pirates system is number one, and Kevin McGonigle SS from the Tigers is number two (last year he was #23 explaining the comment in the Parker section).
The Dodgers and the Mariners lead the way with 7 players on the list each. In the AL East, the Orioles had 5, Red Sox and Rays 4, and the Yankees have 2.
Yesavage will drop off the list next year, but Parker and Nimmala each have a good chance to move up the list next year.
Since the start of the baseball’s amateur draft, high school players have always been eligible. Selecting a young player out of high school and offering him enough money to forego college was just one of the ways to ensure an organization secured top-notch talent.
If that player agreed to a deal, which included a signing bonus, then he would report to the minors and start at the lowest rung of the minor league system. Even if it didn’t work out, he’d hopefully have money left over from that signing bonus.
If the player didn’t sign and instead went to college, he’d have to play a varied amount of time in the college system before he could re-enter the draft. The team that originally signed him would no longer hold his draft rights, making him available to the rest of the league—including, of course, that original team.
Sometimes going to college paid off. There have been numerous instances of players heading to college and improving their draft stock. However, the inverse was more likely to occur—college baseball didn’t go as well, injuries occurred, the player didn’t improve all that much, etc., and then his draft stock plummeted.
Before the days of NIL, that player would be out of luck when it came to money.
Now, in the days of NIL and revenue sharing, I wonder how much that has changed. How much do college baseball players make? Does that NIL money that wreaks havoc in college football and college basketball trickle down enough to convince a player from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to choose the Sooners over the Astros?
At OverSlotBaseball.com on Wednesday, Joe Doyle wrote an article free for all to read about how the league’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) could end high school draft pick eligibility.
Part of the reason why is making further changes to the minor league system and length of the draft. In 2021, as Doyle notes, the draft shrunk by half, going from 40 rounds to 20 rounds. At the same time, the minor league system contracted as a chunk of the lower levels were extinguished.
In the next CBA, the draft could become even smaller, perhaps even down to 15 or 10 rounds as soon as the 2028 Draft while the minor leagues could further shrink, this time with the elimination of what is now referred to as Class A ball in 2030.
As logic would indicate—and Doyle spells out—fewer rounds of the draft + no Class A ball = less draft eligibility, specifically for high schoolers.
Not only would this eliminate more jobs at the lower levels of the organization, it would also force high school players to forego a potential guaranteed payday to attend college. And for how long? Would the college eligibility rules change, too, so that a player could enter the draft after his freshman year? Or would the player have to stay on campus longer?
It’s clear why this is on the table—the owners want to save as much money as possible. You may not become a billionaire by being a cheapskate, but evidently that’s how you stay a billionaire.
This not only hurts players, but it also hurts clubs like the Kansas City Royals, organizations that depend on drafting younger players and developing them over the years. It takes potentially great players off the board. If this rule currently existed, there would be no Bobby Witt Jr. in Kansas City.
I’ll note something Doyle makes clear in his column—this isn’t guaranteed. “To be sure, none of this is set in stone or agreed upon in any way yet,” Doyle writes.
For baseball fans, there are more pressing issues than this with upcoming labor talks. If the owners truly push for a salary cap, and it sounds like they will, it could be a long, ugly fight between the owners and the players that will certainly void games and perhaps the entire season.
Ending high school draft pick eligibility isn’t high on the list of fans’ concerns, but it will almost certainly affect how the Royals mold their future.
Third in the series.Today we look at the Cubs’ young DH/C/1B.
In previous episodes, we looked at the Cubs’ two catchers, Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly, indulged in a little speculation, and had video of some of their exploits.
As we move on to the rest of the roster, it seems reasonable to look next at the Cubs’ left-handed DH, Moisés Ballesteros, who isn’t ready for prime time (and perhaps never will be) as a catcher, though the Cubs still continue to float the idea that he’s just a few reps away from competence.
A lot can be said about Ballesteros’ defensive deficiencies, but that tale has been told, and so we’re only saying this little bit — he has a career .985 fielding percentage. Baseball consensus also has it that he’s probably too short to make the scoop at first base, but I’m not really concerned about him playing defense for extended periods.
Because the real tale is about his bat, which is ready for prime time, and is why he’s in The Show. His bio has it that he’s 5’8”, 215, and he looks every bit of 215. He’s husky but he does tend to a bit of avoirdupois weight — however, he has shown a good bat path and quick hips which enable him to get around on any pitch with facility. He was clearly not overwhelmed at the plate in his rookie season, with a slash line of .298/.394/.474 lending credence to the idea that he could be a full-time or LH/Platoon Designated Hitter. Most predictives have him somewhere around .260/.330/.410, with 7-10 HR and 40-45 RBI. The SLG and power numbers look a little low to me but ‘ballpark’.
I’m sure we’d all like it if he exceeded those numbers, and I’d give him a good chance. He’ll probably log a few innings at catcher in the spring. If he doesn’t, then we can probably abandon that part of the narrative. Likewise first base, where Tyler Austin and Jonathon Long offer preferable RH alternatives if the left-handed Busch isn’t going.
Austin is penciled in to back up both Ballesteros and Michael Busch, and will be the subject of our next profile.
Our CPL continues on this bright and beautiful morning and the third spot in our community’s rankings goes to another left-hander in Gage Jump. The Athletics’ second round pick last year had an amazing first season in the professional ranks, starting the year in High-A before getting promoted to Double-A, where he spent the majority of the season. Jump is much closer to the big leagues than his fellow left-hander Arnold and could legitimately become an option for the Athletics this summer if things continue on the path that they’re on right now. It shouldn’t be much longer before we see him donning the Green & Gold.
Taking Jump’s spot in the nominations list will be shortstop Edgar Montero. The young shortstop out of the Dominican Republic had a tough start to his pro career but elevated his game in his second full season. There’s lots to like in his approach at the plate as he’s able to draw walks without sacrificing much power in the batter’s box. Like other current nominees on our list he’s a bit farther away from truly impacting the big league squad but Montero has the chance to become a quality prospect given enough time. Does he rank above his fellow prospects on this list though?
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Who will take the fourth spot? The voting should get much more interesting from here on out. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Bolte is a tooled-up athlete who continues to fill out his big 6-foot-3 frame. His impressive raw power continues to show up in the Minors, though there is still a real concern over his swing-and-miss and high strikeout rate as he continues to struggle with offspeed stuff out of the zone. The A’s have worked with him to revamp his swing in order to improve his bat path and cover more of the zone, which has produced slight improvements in those areas, though there is still plenty of work to be done.
Another shining tool for Bolte is his near-elite speed, which was on display last season as he swiped 46 bags. That speed also comes in handy on defense, combining that with a strong arm that makes him a solid outfielder at all three spots. Further refining is required, but he remains an exciting talent with a very high ceiling who continues to steadily advance through the system.
While working around the injuries, Nett has continued to show stellar velocity, touching as high as 99 mph in the Minor Leagues last season. He typically sits 95-97 mph and gets swing-and-miss up in the zone thanks to ample carry. He also throws a tight 81-84 mph slider that ran a 38 percent whiff rate in ’24 and a sharper 90-92 mph cutter that can catch hitters off guard. He’ll mix in an upper-70s curveball with more vertical drop and he’s scrapped a low-80s splitter in favor of a much more effective 88 mph kick-change that really neutralizes lefties.
Nett has some effort in his delivery, and the 2025 season (pre-trade) was the first time he’d posted a walk rate below 13 percent at any Minor League stop. Combine that with the early injury concerns, and it’s easy to think he could be a reliever eventually. But his arsenal is deep enough, and his stuff is promising enough — when combined with strides taken this season — to keep landing him in a starting role in the upper Minors.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
A 6-foot-2 left-hander, Lin has a combination of feel for as many as five pitches and projection to his frame. Right now his fastball averages just 91 mph, but it tops out at 95, and it’s easy to see that his frame has tremendous room to add good strength, with more consistent velocity to come. It already had the makings of a quality heater, thrown from around a 5.9-feet release height and with more than 18 inches of carry to it, helping it to miss a good amount of bats. His changeup has been his best secondary offering to date, with huge whiff rates during his debut. His short curve is his go-to breaking ball thus far, though he has a harder, shorter slider. He’ll also employ a splitter for another offspeed possibility.
It’s been a small sample size so far in his first full season, but Lin looks like he has the makings of being an extreme strike-thrower, showing particularly good command of his fastball and curve. If the teenaged southpaw is able to fill out and throw harder, the A’s could have a very interesting left-handed starting pitcher prospect on their hands.
A switch-hitting shortstop, Montero has shown the ability to impact the ball from both sides of the plate, with his natural right-handed swing more direct to the ball, though his left-handed swing is more picturesque and he obviously gets more plate appearances from that side. He has the chance to hit for average and power, with a solid approach that has allowed him to walk more than he strikes out for much of the summer.
Last year, Montero was slower and less athletic, but attention to conditioning and nutrition has helped him get leaner and stronger. An average runner, Montero has the instincts and actions to stick at shortstop for a long time, with a solid and accurate arm. If his body gets bigger as he matures — he played all of 2025 at age 18 — he could move to the hot corner, but the A’s don’t see that in his future. What they are hoping for is that he comes to instructs this year and stays in the United States as one of the better prospects to come out of their Dominican academy in some time.
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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay making your selections!
Jake Bloss is a 24-year-old (25 in June), right-handed pitcher. We picked him up (with Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner) from the Astros, at the trade deadlin in 2024, for Yusei Kikuchi.
Kikuchi made 10 starts for the Astros and had a 2.70 ERA with a 5-1 record, helping them get the Wild Card spot that year (they lost to the Tigers in two games). He played for the Angels last year.
Bloss was #7 on our Prospect List last year. Tom M wrote:
Bloss uses an aggressive drop and drive deliver that gets him great extension and also a flat plane to the plate. That pairs well with his fastball, a four-seamer that sits 93-95 and occasionally touches 98 with above average carry. He throws three breaking balls: a cutter in the 87mph range, a sweeping slider around 82, and a solid two plane curve at 79. His change-up is his weakest pitch, a little too firm at 90mph and with some arm side fade but fringe movement overall. None of the pitches are plus (except the fastball when it’s at the top of its range), but at least three look above average and the sheer variety helps everything play. Bloss has good feel most of the time, but he needs to find more consistency and refine his approach to cut down on his walks.
Bloss is undoubtedly advanced for a player just a season and a third into his pro career, but his advancement to Houston last year had more to do with desperation than him actually forcing the issue. He has work to do to refine his command and approach, and I don’t think it would be a surprise or a problem if he spent most or all of the season in Buffalo before making his Blue Jays debut. His upside is as #3/4 starter once he makes those refinements, and I think there’s a good chance he’ll be pencilled into that role going into 2026.
Unfortunately, for Jake, he ended up needing UCL surgery in May of last year and ended up missing the rest of the season.
Baseball America has him listed as the Jays ninth best prospect coming into spring training this year, but he likely won’t be back on the mound until mid-season and then will have to show that he is still the same pitcher as before the surgery. Between that, and the number of pitchers we have at the major league level and the ones in the minors who seem major league ready, it is tough to see a path for Bloss to pitch in the majors. But he does have a fastball that can reach 98 mph so if a spot in the pen opens up, who knows.
Stream thinks that is the most likely outcome, figuring him to pitch in 12 games of the pen, with a 7.96 ERA in 12 innings.
As we write this, we’re wearing a tweed sport coat with patches on the sleeves. It’s office hours here on campus and we’re calculating report cards for the winter term.
In the Yankees’ case, however, this is more a progress report than final grades, since it feels like the Yanks have left some coursework undone. Sure, they completed their major project – re-signing Cody Bellinger – and added pitching depth. But they (hopefully) have more to do, which is why we’ll withhold overall marks right now.
It does seem like they’re just running it back, doesn’t it? That might affect their final grade. The bullpen lost Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, so it might need more strengthening.
Still, there’s some nice roster building here for a team that won 94 games. We will be updating as the offseason continues. Here are the for-now individual grades:
Cody Bellinger re-signed
It took a while and, while it always felt inevitable, it sure would’ve been scary had Bellinger bolted the Bronx. He was, obviously, the linchpin of their entire offseason and the sides finally agreed to a reported five-year, $162.5-million deal with opt-outs after the second and third seasons and a full no-trade clause. They needed him back. And badly.
Bellinger’s ability to offer good defense at all three outfield positions, plus spell and perhaps tutor Ben Rice at first base, is part of what makes him a tremendous Yankee fit. So is his contact hitting, sweet lefty swing, and production. He looked at home last season, his first in New York, where his dad, Clay, played most of his career.
Perhaps Bellinger, 30, can take even bigger advantage of the famed short right field porch after having a season of experience at Yankee Stadium. Last year, he batted .302 with a .365 on-base and .544 slugging percentage at home and hit 18 of his 29 total home runs there.
In 2025, Bellinger had a career-low 13.7 percent strikeout rate, 16th-best in the majors. His ability to make contact, clearly a priority for him in recent years, judging by his numbers, is a crucial skill for the Yanks. They had the sixth-worst strikeout percentage in baseball (23.5 percent) last season.
Grade: A
Trent Grisham returned on the QO
There seemed to be a bit of odd glee in the public when Grisham accepted the $22.025-million qualifying offer, as if the Yanks somehow faltered by getting back a player with power and patience who can handle center field on a reasonable one-year pact. Uh, OK.
Front offices generally believe there are no bad short-term contracts. This deal did not preclude them from re-signing Bellinger. And if you think the Yankees were going to re-sign Bellinger and then get Kyle Tucker had Grisham not returned, well, are you even listening when Hal Steinbrenner speaks publicly?
Grisham, 29, was a key cog in baseball’s best offense. He slugged 34 home runs, had a .348 on-base percentage and an .811 OPS. Only 14 players in the sport hit more home runs than Grisham. He out-homered stars such as Julio Rodríguez, George Springer, and José Ramírez. His OPS was two points lower than Bellinger’s. He doesn’t chase and offered the Yanks a solution at leadoff, which had not been easy to find.
Can he duplicate his 2025? Well, there’s the risk. He doubled his career-best in homers and he was coming off three consecutive seasons in which his average was below .200. Defensive metrics don’t love his glove, even if the eye test is more appreciative. And he is a two-time Gold Glove winner.
Grade: B
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Prospects traded for Ryan Weathers
Weathers, a 26-year-old lefty who is the son of former Yankee reliever David Weathers, has massive upside, which is why he cost four prospects in a deal with the Marlins. He relies mostly on a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a sweeper.
He averaged 96.9 mph on his heater last season in his eight starts, which means that the only lefty starter with a harder fastball, on average, was – gulp – Tarik Skubal. That’s part of the reason why MLB.com cited Weathers as a potential breakout pitcher.
For all his promise, Weathers has injury concerns, too, so there is massive risk here. He has never thrown even 100 innings in a season. Over the past two years combined, he has made only 24 starts and thrown 125 innings.
Still, the Yanks required rotation help, considering Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt are all starting the season on the IL. Weathers, if he stays healthy, could be a big answer. And he won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.
Grade: B-
Tim Hill’s option exercised
Hill, 36 in February, has been a reliable bullpen lefty the last two years and led the Yanks with 70 appearances in 2025. He’s worth the $3 million bill. His lefty sidearm approach helps him get ground balls at an elite rate – 64.8 percent last year, second among relievers – and he held lefty batters to a .444 OPS. Hill has been terrific in October as well, fashioning a 0.79 ERA in 13 postseason outings for the Yanks in two years.
Grade: B-plus
Amed Rosario re-signed
Rosario impressed the Yanks last year, batting .303 in 16 games as a post-deadline bench piece. He can play multiple positions, including the outfield, but his real skill for the Yanks is his ability against lefty pitching. Helping their lefty-reliant lineup might be worth the $2.5 million he’s getting. In his career, Rosario has a slash line of .298/.336/.464 against southpaws and he could sub for Ryan McMahon at third against a lefty starter.
Grade: B
Rotation depth kept
Because of the aforementioned recovering pitchers, the Yanks needed arms, so they retained Ryan Yarbrough (4.36 ERA in 19 games) and Paul Blackburn (6.23 ERA over 15 games between Mets and Yanks).
The number six prospect, according to you, in the team’s system is another in their quest to not have a baseball drop in the outfield once it is hit the air. Unfortunately, this one may not be a starter.
Dante Nori – 74 Francisco Renteria – 47 Gabriel Rincones – 26 Matthew Fisher – 7 Moises Chace – 15 Cade Obermueller – 3
I’m still not sure what to make of Nori. There was some clear improvement on his part last year, but the profile still isn’t one that will get anyone all that excited. There is almost no power and the whole thing depends on if he can hit major league pitching. That is true of any prospect, but with Nori, his lack of being able to impact a baseball with much authority is going to be something that keeps him pegged down any prospect list.
It was a relatively successful first full pro campaign at first glance, as he was an above-average hitter for the bulk of the season at Low-A and matriculated up to Double-A by September (albeit in the “this might screw with another team’s model” way more than on merit; Escobar also got one of these promotions if you’re tracking who they might be preparing to flip this offseason). His stabs at the plate tend to sell out for contact, and he did post an in-zone contact rate slightly above 90 percent in the FSL, which was enough to carry a nice batting average. But he simply does not seek to do or effectuate much damage (100.5 mph EV90 and five percent pulled fly-ball rate) and he’s simply not some sort of Luis Arraez or Jacob Wilson-level bat manipulator, to where his contact ability is so good it will carry an entire offensive profile.
With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.
Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!
The MacKenzie Gore trade made it abundantly clear that Paul Toboni is thinking about the long game. It is not just that Toboni traded Gore that has me thinking this. The prospect package he chose is full of high upside players that are multiple years from the MLB. Four of the five pieces in the deal have no chance of making the big leagues in 2026.
This does not bother Toboni because he is thinking more about building the 2028 Nationals than the 2026 Nats. All of Toboni’s actions suggest he does not believe this team has a prayer in 2026. It may be a harsh reality to accept, but he is correct. Even with heavier spending, this team would not be able to pass the Phillies, Mets or Braves in 2026.
Instead, Toboni is trying to build a team that can compete in the NL East at the end of this decade and entering the 2030’s. There are plenty of reasons to do this. With a lockout looming, the 2027 season is in a state of limbo. The Phillies, who have won the division the last two years are an aging team with only a couple years left in their competitive window.
When 2028 hits, the Nats should be ready to strike. Young big league pieces like James Wood, Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews would be truly entering their prime at that time. The Nats would also have a ton of reinforcements making it to the MLB at that point, especially on the infield. This organization has an embarrassment of riches on the infield in A ball. You would have to imagine that some of these players will really break out.
The Nationals have a ridiculous amount of talent in the lower levels on the minor leagues, especially on the infield. Willits, Fien, Fitz-Gerald, Coy James, Marconi German, Luke Dickerson, Angel Feliz and Ronny Cruz are all infielders who are 20 or younger
There is no guarantee that CJ Abrams will be on the 2028 Nats, but Eli Willits should be on his way to take the shortstop job at that point. Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Marconi German and others will also be charging towards their big league debuts. This has the chance to be reminiscent of those Orioles teams that seemed to have a new top 100 prospect debuting every week.
All of this sounds great on paper, but it is really frustrating for Nationals fans. We have been rebuilding for a long time now and this new guy is coming in asking for even more patience. It is tough for Nats fans and Toboni knows it. After the trade, Toboni talked about how tough it was to root for struggling Giants teams growing up and empathized with the fans. However, he made it clear that he thought these long term focused moves were what was best for the franchise.
Paul Toboni's message to Nats fans who have expressed frustration after another star-caliber player – and one of the main pieces from the Juan Soto trade – has been dealt away: pic.twitter.com/GfqNhNvTG0
Back when Mike Rizzo was running the show, the Nats always felt like they were building towards 2026. Now, we are back to square one. That is not Paul Toboni’s fault though. It is not his responsibility to fix Mike Rizzo’s broken rebuild. His job is to build the team in his own image, something Barry Svrluga noted on the radio.
Is the Nats' rebuild more pain now for a sweeter moment later? That's Paul Toboni's idea, as Barry Svrluga elaborates. pic.twitter.com/sLjFb6ekmM
After losing 96 games last year, it was impossible to deny the rebuild was not trending in the right direction. Toboni has pointed that out on a number of occasions. He said that while it is not impossible to turn things around in one year, it is tough and that last season was a reality check.
With that in mind, Toboni does not feel like it is in the team’s best interest to build for 2026. Based on his actions, Toboni wants to use this year to evaluate what he has on the roster and go from there. There are a ton of unproven players with upside on this roster and Toboni wants to see who emerges from the pack.
This approach is probably going to lead to a lot of losses, but it is shrewd. If you want to see winning baseball in the Nats organization next year, the MLB team is not going to be the place to look. I think the minor league teams will take a major jump next year. That is where you will see what Toboni is building towards.
He is not going to neglect the MLB team entirely though. However, the goal of 2026 is more about individual progress than competing for a playoff spot. If James Wood, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews, Cade Cavalli and Brady House make progress in their development, but the team wins 70 games, that is a successful season, at least in my books. I have a feeling Toboni would agree with me as well.
The wins will be taking place on the development side. Toboni’s Project 2028 will be a slower burn, but one that I believe will have steady progress. It is tough to talk about the 2027 season because of all the uncertainty. Right now, we are not even sure if there will be a season at all. The CBA expires and all the signs point to an all out war in the next negotiations.
I really hope the whole season is not wiped out because that would push back some of the Nats plans. The development of the Nats minor leaguers could be harmed by this strike. Minor Leaguers not on the 40-man roster would be able to play, but I imagine things would not be normal.
With all the young talent entering the Nats organization, I really do believe that this team will be good again. If the Lerner’s open up their checkbook eventually, this team could be great.
This version of the rebuild feels different to me. The people running the show have a much better understanding of the modern game. Mike Rizzo is a Nationals legend, but it did really seem like the game passed him by at the end. Meanwhile, Toboni is a young up and comer who is on the cutting edge.
It's early, but if I'm a Nationals fan, I'm excited about the tangible shift in the org led by Paul Toboni. The amount of upside acquired in these deals is eye-popping, even with creative smaller moves to complement and a total overhaul in scouting, PD and general approach.
Nats fans, this year is going to suck at the MLB level, let’s not sugarcoat it. While the lineup has the potential to be solid, this pitching staff is a barren wasteland. A few of these players could surprise us, but on paper this pitching staff is really bad.
With Luis Perales, Jarlin Susana, Travis Sykora and others in the pipeline, there will be reinforcements. However, those reinforcements are probably not coming in 2026. When this team becomes competitive again, I have a feeling they will need to make an aggressive move for pitching in the free agent market. I do not have much faith that ownership will pull the trigger, but we can cross that bridge when we get there.
For now, Nats fans will have to take victories when they get them. In this new regime, I do think we will see more prospects break out and excite us. This should be a year of progress, even if it does not come in the standings.
Paul Toboni is not too worried about the MLB standings this year. To be frank, his goal is not to win the World Series in 2026, or even make the playoffs. His goal is to create Project 2028. If his plan works out, the Nationals should be ready to make a splash by 2028. As we enter the 2030’s, the Nationals should be a young and hungry team competing for championships. We are a long way away, but for the first time in a while, I truly trust the process.
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco take stock of the Kansas City Royals while balancing baseball discussion with the reality of current events and the importance of community support. The hosts dive into the MLB Top 100 player and prospect lists, breaking down where key Royals stand, what Bobby Witt Jr.’s national recognition means for the franchise, and how injuries can reshape expectations heading into the season.
The conversation also explores the Royals’ prospect pipeline, player development trends, and potential roster moves still to come before Opening Day. Along the way, Jacob and Jeremy tackle the complicated Hall of Fame case for Carlos Beltrán, discussing how legacy, performance, and controversy intersect in Cooperstown voting. With thoughtful analysis and grounded optimism, the episode offers Royals fans perspective, context, and a clear-eyed look at what lies ahead.
Ryan Clifford, a North Carolina native, attended high school at Leesville Road High School, a public school in Raleigh for his freshman and sophomore seasons. It quickly became apparent that he was a big fish in a small pond, as he posted a .526 with 4 home runs over 21 games in his freshman year, and hit .692 with 3 home runs over 4 games in his sophomore year, winning the 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year (North Carolina) Award for the COVID-shortened season in the process.
Overview
Name: Ryan Clifford Position: 1B/OF Born: 07/20/2003 (Age 22 season in 2026) Height: 6’3” Weight: 200 lbs. Bats/Throws: L/L Acquired: Trade (August 1, 2023: Traded by the Houston Astros with Drew Gilbert to the New York Mets for Justin Verlander) 2025 Stats: 105 G, 367 AB, .243/.355/.493, 89 H, 18 2B, 1 3B, 24 HR, 63 BB, 113 K, 4/6 SB, .278 BABIP (Double-A) / 34 G, 114 AB, .219/.359/.395, 25 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 22 BB, 35 K, 3/5 SB (.263 BABIP)
With his talent undeniable, Clifford and his family made the decision to have him leave Leesville Road High School and enroll him at the Pro5 Baseball Academy, a nearby baseball development program working in conjunction with Crossroads Flex High School to give students an elite, all-inclusive, year-round baseball development program while meeting state academic benchmarks. There, Clifford would be able to get year-round training and exposure in preparation for a professional baseball career. Over the next two years, his profile would rise and his name would commonly be bandied about by scouts and evaluators for his performance at workouts and in exhibition games across the showcase circuit.
Clifford was considered one of the better high school bats in the 2022 draft class, but due to a handful of circumstances, his name fell down most draft boards. A strong commitment to Vanderbilt University scared off most teams, but beyond that, Clifford’s less-impressive-than-expected numbers during his junior and senior seasons prompted many teams to pass on him. The Mets were one such team, high on Clifford and considering drafting him thanks to possessing the 11th and 14th overall selections in the 2022 MLB Draft but ultimately passing after not being able to make the financials work with the rest of the players Tommy Tanous and Mark Tramuta intended on selecting.
After not hearing his name called over the first ten rounds of the draft, Clifford was finally selected in the 11th round by the Houston Astros, the 343rd overall selection made. Astros scouting director Kriss Gross was initially unsure if the team would be able to find the financial flexibility to sign Clifford, but ultimately was able to make it work, buying him out of his commitment to Vanderbilt for a $1,256,530 signing bonus, roughly the equivalent of a second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Clifford made his professional debut later that summer with the FCL Astros Orange, the Astros’ Florida Complex League team. Appearing in 13 games, he went 8-36 with 3 doubles, 1 home run, 2 stolen bases, and 12 walks to 16 strikeouts, a .222/.440/.389 batting line. He was promoted to the Single-A Fayette Woodpeckers and finished out the season going 11-41 with them with 2 doubles, 1 home run, and 10 walks to 15 strikeouts, a .268/.412/.390 batting line. All in all, his professional debut went well, as he hit .247/.426/.390 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases, and 22 walks to 31 strikeouts in 25 combined games.
He began the 2023 season with the Woodpeckers and got off to a hot start, hitting .337/.488/.457 in 25 games with 5 doubles, 2 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 25 walks to 27 strikeouts. He was promoted to the High-A Ashville Tourists in mid-May and was even more impressive there, hitting .271/.356/.547 in 58 games with 11 doubles, 16 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 21 walks to 61 strikeouts.
On August 1st, the Mets traded Justin Verlander to Houston and received Clifford and Drew Gilbert in return. Clifford was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones and finished out the rest of the season there, hitting .188/.307/.376 in 32 games with 4 doubles, 6 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 18 walks to 51 strikeouts. All in all, with all three teams, he hit .262/.374/.480 with 20 doubles, 24 home runs, 5 stolen bases in 7 attempts, and 64 walks to 140 strikeouts.
Clifford returned to the Cyclones to start the 2024 season, and while the numbers did not exactly jump off the pages, he was solidly above-average in the 31 games he played there. The 20-year-old hit .216/.412/.304 with 6 doubles and 1 home run, his power numbers suffering but his walk rate benefitting from a weak Brooklyn Cyclones lineup that made it easy to pitch around the young slugger. When he was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in mid-May, Clifford began showing off the plus power that makes him so dangerous as a hitter and capable of carrying an entire team for days at a time. Appearing in 98 games, Clifford hit .231/.359/.457 with 21 doubles, 18 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 63 walks to 117 strikeouts. On the whole, he hit a combined .228/.372/.432 in 129 games on the season with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 4 stolen bases, and 95 walks to 160 strikeouts. His walk total led the Mets’ minor league system, while his home run and strikeout total both placed him in third.
The Mets had the 21-year-old remain in Binghamton to start the 2025 season, and he ended up playing the majority of the year there, suiting up for 105 games with the Rumble Ponies. Clifford hit .243/.355/.493 with 18 doubles, 1 triple, 24 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 63 walks to 113 strikeouts. In mid-August, the team promoted the slugger to Triple-A Syracuse, and he finished the season there, appearing in 34 games and hitting .219/.359/.395 with 5 doubles, 5 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and 22 walks to 35 strikeouts. Overall, Clifford hit a combined .237/.356/.470 in 2025 with 23 doubles, 1 triple, 29 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and drew 85 walks to 148 strikeouts. His 29 homers led the Mets minor league system, and his 85 walks led the system for a second-consecutive year.
The 6’3”, 200-pound left-hander stands tall at the plate, standing slightly open and holding his hands high with the bat head angled at 10:00. He swings with a slight kick/toe tap without much of a load or weight transfer. His left-handed stroke is smooth, efficient, and quick, producing light tower power, but it is also long and uppercutty, making him vulnerable to pitches in the upper half of the zone- though he may have made some mechanical adjustments to make himself more effective upstairs, as he hit .241/.477/.586 against pitches up in the zone in his 34 game sample size with Syracuse, where statcast data is publicly available.
Clifford boasts plus-plus raw power and is able to manifest much of that in-game, averaging a 93.6 MPH exit velocity on balls he put in play in Syracuse as per publicly available statcast data, but the swing-and-miss issues will make it difficult to fully tap into that power in-game consistently. Against fastballs, Clifford hit .410/.400/.667 with a 22% whiff rate and an average exit velocity of 96 MPH. Against breaking balls, he hit .231/.222/.577 with a 35.2% whiff rate and an average exit velocity of 90 MPH. Against off-speed pitches, he hit .214/.214/.286 with a 32.6% whiff rate and an average exit velocity of 93.9 MPH.
Clifford has an advanced approach at the plate and makes smart swing decisions, but he sometimes plays himself into poor counts by being too passive at the plate, waiting for pitchers to make mistakes instead of making contact with anything he thinks he can and letting his strength and power take over. Finding himself behind in the count, Clifford’s chase rate is virtually double in such two-strike situations, as opposed to when he is a more favorable counts.
After showing reverse platoon splits and struggling a bit against right-handed pitchers in 2024, hitting .216/.363/.415 against them as compared to the .290/.424/.449 he hit against left-handed pitchers, Clifford’s splits reversed in 2025. He hit an improved .247/.379/.497 against right-handers in 2025 but hit .204/.273/.381 against fellow left-handers.
Not much changed in Clifford’s batted ball profile. He pulled the ball at a 43.9% rate, went back up the middle at a 23.7% rate, and went to the opposite field at a 32.3% rate, all numbers comparable to his 2024 season. Likewise, his 21.3% line drive rate, 38.6% groundball rate, and 40.1% flyball rate were comparable to his 2024 season as well. The one area of noticeable improvement was the damage that was done when he hit the ball in the air. Clifford’s infield flyball rate dropped from 24.0% in 2024 to 19.4% this past season, and his HR/FB ratio increased from 15.7% in 2024 to 21.6% in 2025.
Defensively, Clifford provides little value at any of the positions that he plays. He played first base, left field, and right field in 2025, as well as DH, with the majority of his playing time coming at first base. At first, he is a sub-optimal fielder who will generally make the routine plays but will not do much more than that thanks to a lack of quick-twitch athleticism. In the outfield, he is also a net neutral fielder at best, with his above-average arm an asset, but his lack of athleticism and range a disadvantage. With more time in the outfield, his defense may improve in terms of his read of the ball off the bat, or the routes he takes may become more efficient. But with fringy speed to begin with, losing speed as he ages and matures may counter any experienced-based improvements.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
9) Will Watson 10) Jack Wenninger 11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro
One of the things that have always been synonymous with the long and illustrious history of the New York Yankees have been the sheer amount of cash their biggest superstars make. Since Babe Ruth was making $52,000 in 1922, numerous players in pinstripes have had the distinction of being the highest-paid player in MLB.
When Alex Rodriguez was acquired via trade from Texas just two years into his massive $252 million contract, it was the first time since Dave Winfield in 1981 that the league’s highest-paid player played for the Evil Empire and the perennial MVP candidate was being added to a team who had won six of the last eight AL pennants and four World Series since 1996.
Rodriguez was able to opt out of his massive contract after 2007 and there was initially some doubt whether A-Rod and the Yankees would come to a reunion, but the two sides eventually came to terms on a new-record breaking contract that would have a complicated legacy in pinstripes.
Alex Rodriguez Signing Date: December 17, 2007 Contract: 10 years, $275 million
Rodriguez could’ve retired after the 2007 season and would’ve been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Since debuting 19 days shy of his 19th birthday in 1994 for the Seattle Mariners, A-Rod had amassed 2,205 hits, 518 home runs, 1,503 RBI, 265 stolen bases, and a career .306/.389/.578 slashline through when he opted out of his contract at age 32. Every milestone, record, and distinction was absolutely attainable for him at this point.
The one thing that had alluded the three-time MVP, however, was a championship. He was an integral part of the Seattle playoff runs in 1997 and 2000 that fell short due to the Yankees, but had missed out on the 116-win Mariners after signing his mega-deal with the lowly Texas Rangers ahead of 2001. He arrived in the Bronx with the highest expectations imaginable, but his first four playoff runs had been underwhelming, to say the least.
Despite winning two MVPs and posting four elite seasons from 2004-07, Rodriguez had managed just one good postseason in 2004, where the Yanks brutally collapsed against Boston, before combining to go 3-for-29 in 2005 and 2006 before a so-so ALDS in 2007. After nearly a decade of perennially playing in the Fall Classic, the three consecutive first-round exits had frustrated the Yankee faithful, and A-Rod’s struggles in the playoffs were right in the middle of it.
So how do you think George Steinbrenner and the Yankees responded when A-Rod officially opted out of the final three years of his contract… during Game 4 of the World Series? The comedically bad timing, courtesy of (who else?) Scott Boras, pissed everyone off. MLB was pissed, the Yankees were pissed, the New York fans and media were outraged. It got to the point where the late Hank Steinbrenner said there was “no chance” the Yankees would look to re-sign Rodriguez after the stunt.
10/28/2007 – A-Rod opts out of his contract in the middle of game four of the World Series. Weeks later, he'd re-sign a 10 year deal. pic.twitter.com/pKYStdEwGV
Not only was the manner in which he opted out frustrating to the Yanks, but it also hurt them financially. As part of the trade to send Rodriguez to the Bronx prior to the 2004 season, Texas had agreed to pay $21.3 million of Rodriguez’s 2008-10 salary, had he not opted out. This absolved them. It was sort of similar to the Giancarlo Stanton contract, where the hulking slugger did have an opt out (which he obviously didn’t use) that would’ve offset the $30 million that Miami is sending to New York for the final three years of the deal.
At first, it seemed Boras’ gamble was a big mistake. The Yankees stayed true to their word for a while, focusing more on retaining Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. A-Rod’s steep price tag also priced him out of almost every team, with only moderate interest coming from teams like the Giants, Angels, and Dodgers. Eventually, though, the sides got together and agreed to a framework of a new deal in mid-November, not signing it for another month.
The new deal was the richest in baseball history and would pay Rodriguez $27.5 million a year through his age 42 season in 2017. He also had huge milestone incentives in the contract, which would be paid out if Rodriguez got to 660, 714, 755, and 762 home runs. He would only reach one of those.
A-Rod had an okay season by his standards in 2008, finishing eighth in MVP voting and leading the American League in slugging percentage, but the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, heightening the frustration in the fanbase. It also didn’t help the slugger that he had to admit to using PEDs while he was in Texas in February 2009.
All the frustrations would be soothed in 2009, however. Winning often solves everything and Rodriguez finally had the iconic run that fans had been waiting for. After failing to make the All-Star Game for the first time in a decade with his worst regular season as a Yankee, Rodriguez slashed .365/.500/.808 in 15 games as he finally got the ring to complete his illustrious career.
There wasn’t much left in the tank after that. He extended his streak of 30+ home run seasons to 13 straight in 2010 before injuries held him back in 2011. He was named an All-Star two more times and slowly accumulated his counting stats to eek closer to 3,000 hits while getting to 629 career homers through his age 36 season. There was enough gas in the tank, and plenty of cash, to get A-Rod to 700 and beyond.
The postseason performances were rough again following the World Series victory. He slashed a grotesque .152/.250/.177 in his final 22 postseason games from 2010-15 and it re-invigorated the “playoff dropper” narrative that ate him up prior to 2009. He was a World Series champion, however, and one of the greatest to ever do it. They couldn’t take that from him… until 2013.
Rodriguez’s body was failing him as he entered his late 30s and he missed a vast majority of the 2013 season due to a second arthroscopic surgery in his hip. That would be the least of his problems that year, as the Biogenesis scandal destroyed whatever was left of his public image and established that he would never have a plaque in Cooperstown. If he wasn’t already one of baseball’s biggest villains, he was public enemy No. 1 now.
He would become the first player in major league history to be suspended a full season due to PEDs when Bud Selig put a 162-game ban (shortened from 211) in August 2013, costing the aging superstar an entire year of his career and effectively ending his hopes of reaching the home run milestones that once seemed a certainty.
He recovered to mash 33 home runs as a newly minted designated hitter in 2015, but that was the last gasp. As he approached his 41st birthday and struggled through the 2016 season, the Yankees bit the bullet and announced Rodriguez would play his final game on August 12th, releasing him the next day to make room for a certain 6-foot-7 outfielder that you may know of.
The Yankees would pay out the final $27 million of the contract while Rodriguez was a special advisor in the organization. He had offers to play in 2017, but elected to retire a Yankee, finishing with 696 career home runs. In his second contract, he slashed .269/.359/.486 with 178 home runs, a 123 OPS+, and made two All-Star teams.
It’s safe to say that the Yankees did not get the bang for their buck after extending Rodriguez, but it’s rare that you do when you ink a 32-year-old to a lucrative 10-year contract. The $360 million deal that Aaron Judge got after 2022 was in a similar circumstance of paying a lot of money to an MVP into their early 40s, but the current Yankees’ captain has already been worth the deal with how absurd his last three seasons have been.
The one thing that the contract did yield was a World Series. The Yankees do not win in 2009 without Rodriguez’s contributions in October, even if he was subpar in almost every other postseason. Without 2009, the Yankees would be on a 25-year title drought, the longest in franchise history. Despite the bad press he brought, the 27th World Series that he helped bring home means it isn’t one that Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners regret.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
If he’d spent half the year in High A instead of four weeks, his year would probably look more promising on the surface, and since he won’t turn 21 until June he has time to return to Double A and show he can handle the pitching there. He’s at least a future everyday shortstop and still has upside beyond that because of the potential for a plus hit tool.
And on Lagrange:
The Dellin Betances comps are inevitable here, but Lagrange moves better on the mound and has more weapons already. He should stick as a starter, and could end up in the top two spots in a rotation depending on how far his control improves.
Lombard was ranked No. 46 by Baseball America and No. 32 by MLB Pipeline. He still has some refining to do, as he struggled during his brief taste of Double-A. The former first-round pick hit .215 with 124 strikeouts in 108 games.
Lagrange, a big-bodied starter at 6-foot-7, pitched to a 3.22 ERA for Double-A Somerset in 2025, appearing in 15 games. There’s a chance he begins 2026 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he could potentially make an impact in the majors this season.
There is latent hope in just about every baseball prospect. Prospect, by definition, implies a good bit of promise and a lot of expectation with variability.
With Arnaldo Lantigua, though, there’s an added bit of prospect pressure. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds for an amount of international bonus pool cash that was directly used by the Trolleys to sign Roki Sasaki out of Japan, meaning the Reds – with Lantigua now in-tow – directly financed their rivals adding a potential star.
Lantigua, to his credit, has hit the ground running since joining the Reds organization despite the otherwise outsized expectations. In Arizona Complex League play in 2025 he swatted 10 homers in just 49 games – a mark that tied him with Dario Reynoso from the Giants organization for most in the league – and he slugged .445 with a .763 OPS in 129 PA after being promoted to Class-A Daytona in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.
For reference, the likes of Tyson Lewis (.417 SLG) and Sammy Stafura (.410) were his teammates in Daytona, and Arnaldo just turned 20 years old in December.
There’s a whole lot of power in Lantigua’s bat, and there’s a whole lot to like about his power potential. That makes for quite the intriguing prospect, one you collectively ranked 10th in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings over the weekend!
