CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 14: Justin Crawford #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during batting practice prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Spring training is approaching fast, and with it the storylines for the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies season are starting to form. One of the predominant ones so far is the impending influx of youth that is due to make its way to the Major League roster from the farm. It’s something the Phillies haven’t seen in quite some time, so it will no doubt be one of the biggest themes of the spring.
One of those youths to be leading the movement is Justin Crawford. It is widely expected, and the team has almost confirmed as much by their words and their actions, that Crawford will be the team’s everyday starting center fielder when camp breaks in late March. It will likely be a highly anticipated debut, as calls for Crawford’s promotion reached a fever pitch last year before the team acquired Harrison Bader in a deadline trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Recent prospect rankings all have Crawford sitting somewhere among the top 50 to 60 prospects in baseball and among the top for outfielders. He has performed well at every level in the Minor Leagues, capped off with his 2025 season at Triple-A where he hit .334 with an .863 OPS across 112 games. But as you’re no doubt aware by now, he has some flaws that include a high groundball rate and a very “work-in-progress” look in center field.
Nevertheless, Crawford figures to get plenty of chances to prove himself at the Major League level in 2026. As mentioned before, he projects to start in center field and likely bat ninth in the Phillies lineup. If he can get on base with any sort of consistency, he could be a major run scoring factor with his speed on the bases ahead of the top of the order.
FanGraphs’ ZIPS projection for Crawford in 2026 is a .286/.337/.390 batting line with 1.5 WAR. If we use that as a baseline, what are your realistic expectations for Justin Crawford in 2026? Will he outperform those projections or underperform? Will he take the starting CF job and run with it, or will he struggle out of the gate? What’s your prediction for a final batting line?
Last week, Red Sox fans Damon Campagna, Lily Rose Smith and Patrick Spaulding filed a class-action lawsuit against the team in U.S. District Court, alleging that it charged illegal junk fees from at least 2022 through 2024 and used “drip pricing” to inflate the stated costs for tickets. I believe them.
To be clear, I believed them as soon as I saw the first headline about all this. As I am not a court of law, I am under no obligation to find the team innocent until proven guilty. I relish doing the opposite, in fact. I nonetheless read the criminal complaint. After doing so, I still believe them, but I am now angry.
To be clear, I am not just mad at the Red Sox, who in this writer’s opinion are obviously guilty of the charges, and who stopped the scheme before last season likely because of its obvious illegality and/or because the team was finally good enough, after a self-induced swoon, to render it unnecessary. I am also mad at myself for having paid junk fees like this over and over, having accepted it as the cost of doing business when holding bad actors accountable is at least theoretically possible.
All of which is to say that the complaint is the extreme, uncut good stuff, and an incredible look at how the team allegedly squeezed money equally from high- and low-priced ticket buyers through what appears to be an algorithmic, inconsistently applied process. The plaintiffs claim there were two interrelated mechanisms at work: “drip-pricing,” in which a good’s full cost is slowly increased throughout the buying process, and “junk fees,” which are exactly what they sound like and include absurdities like “Per-Ticket Fees” and “Order Fees.”
These practices differ insofar as legitimate fees (like taxes) can be used in a drip pricing scheme, but that’s about it. It’s really about the marriage of the two; specifically, it’s about how the team allegedly leveraged “drip pricing” to add variably priced “Per-Ticket Fees” and a flat, usually $7 “Order Fee” to rip off buyers from the front row to the last. The Red Sox, naturally, did not comment on the suit, only saying that they team “always follows the law.”
It’s a good thing, then, that the complaint covers at least a portion of that silence up front, noting that “the team never even pretended that these fees covered anything of value to buyers independent of the tickets the buyers had already shown interest in purchasing.” It also notes that “Per-Ticket Fees” varied depending on the price of the originally chosen seat – running from $.50 for cheaper options to $8.50 for more expensive ones – and the opponent, correctly saying that “it does not cost the Red Sox more to issue a ticket to a game against the Yankees than to a game against the Brewers,” despite the costs differing. It also takes on the “Order Fees,” flatly stating that “it does not cost the Red Sox $7 to process each” transaction.
All told, the complaint alleges that if the team sold 2.5 million tickets per year with average junk fees of $4 per ticket, they’d have pocketed $6 million in the event that only 20% of inventory was “tainted” this way. Given that the team happened to *coincidentally* close down sales at its Fenway Park box office in 2022 – where one could previously bypass “Order Fees” – that number is likely far closer to 100% than 20% (my words) and “the actual damages are likely far in excess of that amount” (theirs). The complaint says the team’s actions constitute “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” under Massachusetts law.
Putting aside the legal issue, anyone charging an “Order Fee” for the convenience of buying a ticket online is theoretically acting amorally; perhaps it would be one thing for a struggling business to do it, but that doesn’t describe the Red Sox. No matter how the court rules, the team is already guilty of being shitty to its fans. Not was — is. Two tickets to this year’s April 6 game against the Brewers will run you $8.75 each in fees, which are ridiculous even if they are now stated up-front alongside the ostensible “face value” of the ticket. April 22nd against the Yankees? $11.75 each. You get the picture. The Sox have stopped hiding the fact they have extortionate pricing practices, but it doesn’t make them virtuous.
And yet, they’re happy to do business this way, because they think it’s the right way. Maybe it is. Their house, their rules, after all. I don’t expect much will change going forward, but if they lose this lawsuit – and frankly, I don’t know how they’d win it – they’ll just increase the up-front fees going forward to recoup the difference. They say you can’t predict baseball, and in most cases they’re right. This is the exception to the rule. Without legislation and enforcement, the Sox will continue to steal as much from us as they possibly can. It sucks!
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Tyler O'Neill #9 of the Baltimore Orioles runs back to dugout out between innings during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 24, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re only days away from Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training to prepare for the 2026 season. It’s the time of year when optimism abounds and fans everywhere can hope for the best from their favorite team. The O’s are no exception, and yesterday you let us know what most excites you about the 2026 Orioles.
Still, even as hope springs eternal, we know that not everything will go according to plan this season. Look no further than the 2025 Orioles for an example of how a few glaring weaknesses can torpedo a team’s high expectations. So now we’d like to hear from you: as of today, what’s your biggest concern about the 2026 Orioles?
For me, the answer is the defense, particularly the outfield defense. Right now the O’s seem to be lined up to have below-average defenders at every outfield spot, at least when Dylan Beavers isn’t starting. Their two new additions to the lineup, Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, are coming off of subpar defensive seasons, joining a group of holdovers who weren’t particularly stellar with the leather last year. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll tank the Orioles’ season, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
How about you, Camden Chatters? What are you concerned about? Do the starting pitching and/or bullpen feel a little light? Are you unconvinced that the offense will rebound from its 2025 malaise, even with Alonso and Ward on board? Let us know in the comments.
Mar 24, 2018; Jupiter, FL, USA; A New York Mets hat with sunglasses sits on a glove in the dugout during a spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Newest Met Freddy Peralta is already in camp and said he will not pitch for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
The fight over control of the Padres between the widow of late owner Peter Seidler and his brothers appears to be over but the club could still end up being sold.
MLB Now always runs their Top 10 at every position before the season starts. Wednesday was Third Baseman day.
According to The Shredder, Max Muncy is #2 on their list, ahead of Manny Machado, Alex Bregman, and Bo Bichette, among others. That may come as a surprise to some fans, who complained about Muncy’s defense last season. The older Max Muncy, not to be confused with the one on the Athletics, appeared in 100 games last season, with a slash line of .243/.376/.470/.846 with 19 homers. He had a 3.6 WAR, the highest of his last four seasons.
While he has missed a lot of time due to injury over the last two seasons, he also is top three in walk rate in the Majors. In that same time frame, among all third basemen, he was 1st in OBP, walk percentage and xwOBA, fourth in slugging, second in wRC+, and seventh in WAR,
Muncy will turn 36 in August and will be a free agent at the end of the season. Ranked #2 in all of baseball is not too shabby if a bit unexpected, and hopefully it will propel him to signing another contract with the team and retiring in Dodger Blue. One thing we definitely know is that he will retire with more World Series rings than Machado.
Eric talked about the state of the Dodgers infield yesterday.
After wildfires ripped through Pacific Palisades and Altadena last January, Governor Gavin Newsom announced in front of Dodger Stadium that there would be an initiative called LA Rises, to which philanthropists and the private sector could donate to, to help those affected recover.
Mark Walter, Chairman and controlling owner of the Dodgers, announced that he along with two of his charities, his family foundation and the Dodgers’ foundation, would donate up to $100 million. To date, only $7.8 million has been donated. LA Rises itself has only delivered $20 million to date. Bill Shaikin of the LA Times covers why that is so, and if any further money is coming to those who really need it.
Happy Anniversary to us! Six years ago, on February 4th, the Dodgers made the big move to bring Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers. Mookie now has four World Series rings and will retire in Dodger Blue. Another masterclass move by Andrew Friedman.
Sources say Owen Miller has signed an MiLB agreement with the Cubs. He’s a lifetime backup with positional versatility and a .238/.287/.342 slash, with a lifetime -0.8 bWAR (0.7 fWAR) in MLB.
Marquee Sports Network hasn’t offered any new content since the Convention. It makes me wonder. Like I wonder how people post articles on the same subject the same day, from different publications. Meghan Montemurro and Maddie Lee do this often — it makes me think they’re sitting at the bar or talking on the phone and laughing about it. Some days four or five people do it.
Today we have a more old-fashioned episode, with lots of reading and a Food for Thought that’s about baseball. Enjoy.
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Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): More love for Edward Cabrera, and also one potential wart. “He’s been a guy that has been a favorite of some of our pitching infrastructure guys for a long time,” Cubs President Jed Hoyer said of Cabrera.
Jason Ross (North Side Baseball*): Ian Happ: The 2026 Chicago Cubs’ surest thing. “… Happ is probably the easiest player on the Cubs to predict. Let’s dive into the data to prove it.”
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 6: Brandon Woodruff #53 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot park on July 6, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sam Navarro/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Freddy Peralta was traded from the Brewers, we lost not only a beloved franchise hero, but we also lost one interesting storyline from the season: had Peralta remained a Brewer and been healthy throughout the season, he would’ve passed Yovani Gallardo as the franchise’s all-time leader in strikeouts. As it stands, Peralta is instead third, with 1,153, behind Ben Sheets (1,206) and Gallardo (1,226).
With that particular race no longer relevant, I thought I’d look and see if there were any other notable franchise milestones that could be eclipsed in 2026. A disclaimer: there aren’t any major team records in danger of falling, but there are still some interesting things to keep an eye on for those who are curious about team history.
Will Christian Yelich move into fourth place in WAR among position players?
Fourth place doesn’t seem like that big of a thing, and I’d agree with that. But here’s the thing: in Milwaukee franchise history, the gap between third and fourth is huge, so we can think of this less as “fourth place” and more as “best of the rest.” Robin Yount is the clear clubhouse leader at 77.4 WAR — a record which may never be broken, considering the challenges the future Brewers would have at keeping that level of superstar for their whole career — followed by another Hall of Famer, Paul Molitor (59.9), and the 21st century representative on the list, Ryan Braun (47.2).
After that, there’s a big gap, and then things bunch up a bit. The next four gentlemen are all within 4.5 WAR of each other, and Yelich is in the middle of that group:
Cecil Cooper, 30.7
Don Money, 28.4
Yelich, 27.5
Jeff Cirillo, 26.2
So, Yelich needs 3.3 WAR to become the sole owner of fourth place on this list. That seems quite doable on the surface, but Yelich has eclipsed 3.2 WAR only once in the past six years, and his new role as a designated hitter makes it even harder; last season, when he played 150 games and had a 121 OPS+, Yelich earned 3.1 WAR. At this point, I’d say it’d be at least somewhat surprising if Yelich passed Cooper this season. With three years remaining on his contract and other teams unlikely to trade for his high salary and injury risk, Yelich likely plays enough with the Brewers to pass Cooper no matter what, but if he does get past him this season, it’s a very good sign for the club.
Yelich should also move up the leaderboards in several other notable categories: a healthy-ish and even mediocre season should see him move up to fourth in stolen bases, third in walks, and fifth in runs scored. He is just two home runs behind Ben Oglivie for seventh on the franchise list (Yelich has 174, Oglivie 176); he certainly could threaten Cooper in sixth (201) with another season like 2025. Gorman Thomas and Geoff Jenkins come next, and while it’s not inconceivable that he could catch those two in 2026, it would require a huge season: Thomas is at 208 homers, 34 ahead of Yelich, and Jenkins is at 212, 38 ahead.
How long before Brice Turang is the franchise leader in WAR by a second baseman?
The Brewers have had a bunch of good third basemen in their history. They’ve had several great first basemen. They’ve had one all-timer at shortstop. Second base? Not so much.
The franchise leader in WAR among second basemen would be Gumby, Jim Gantner. Gantner is a beloved figure in the team’s history, a guy who grew up in Fond du Lac, went to college in Oshkosh, and spent all 17 years of his major league career with the Brewers. Ganter was, we’ll say, serviceable. He was a good defensive player who could hit some singles, but he didn’t really take walks, and he didn’t really hit for any power. In 17 years, Gantner had more than 2.6 WAR in a season only once; he finished his career with 22.6 WAR via Baseball Reference, at a rate of 1.3 per season and 2.0 per 162 games.
In second place on the second base list is a personal favorite, but not someone who I exactly think of as a franchise icon: Rickie Weeks. Weeks’ career was marked by frustratingly unfulfilled potential, bad defense, eye-popping home runs, and untimely injuries. He played in parts of 11 seasons in Milwaukee and earned 12.5 WAR with the team.
Just behind him is Turang, with 11.8 career WAR. With 4.7 and 5.6 WAR via Baseball Reference in his last two seasons, Turang now owns two of the top four single seasons by a second baseman in franchise history (5.6 is tied with Paul Molitor’s 1979 season for first; the other entry here is Don Money’s 5.1 WAR season in 1977), and he’s got a pretty solid argument for being the best second baseman in franchise history. Assuming he doesn’t take an unexpected step back, Turang should solidify that argument this year. I don’t expect we’ll see an 11 WAR season in which he’d pass Gantner for the franchise record, but he should put himself in a position where he could challenge that in the 2027 season.
If this is Brandon Woodruff’s last season in Milwaukee, what records will he hold?
As we start the 2026 season, Woodruff holds a handful of franchise records already, but they’re all rate stats that he could conceivably lose if he doesn’t have a good season. There are also a couple of other rate stats in which he could move up the leaderboard if he DOES have a good season, so that’s worth watching as well. Given that Woodruff will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, the expectation is that he’ll ply his trade elsewhere in 2027, though that’s not certain. If this is his last season in Milwaukee, though, here are some things to keep an eye on:
Woodruff is first in franchise history in ERA (3.10) among pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched or 50 decisions; second place is Dan Plesac at 3.21. He’s also the franchise leader in ERA+ (136, with Corbin Burnes second at 129).
He’s also first in WHIP, at 1.034; second place is Burnes at 1.055.
Woodruff is also the franchise leader in K/BB ratio, at 4.584; he’s got a decent cushion here, with Burnes second at 4.223.
It would require quite a season to move up this leaderboard, but Woodruff is third in H/9, at 7.007, which is behind both Burnes (6.877) and Peralta (6.709).
Woodruff also ranks third behind Burnes and Peralta in K/9 (10.522, compared to 11.039 for Burnes and 11.146 for Peralta). This one seems unlikely, given that Woodruff’s strikeout stuff was off his earlier pace last season.
A healthy season would see Woodruff move into fourth in strikeouts (he enters the season with 871), passing Jim Slaton, who is at 929. Teddy Higuera’s fourth-place mark of 1,081 is not completely out of the question, but Woodruff would need to match his career-high strikeout total (211 in 2021) to pass him.
Assuming the Brewers are good, Woodruff should pass Brent Suter for the best win-loss percentage in franchise history (Suter is at .655, Woodruff is second at .654).
Woodruff’s standing in franchise history was solidified a long time ago, but a strong season could really make discussions about him as the best starting pitcher in the team’s history necessary. (Right now, the top four are, in some order, Woodruff, Higuera, Burnes, and Sheets.)
PORTLAND, ME - JUNE 18: Dayan Frias #15 of the Akron RubberDucks celebrates hitting a single as he runs down the first base line during the game between the Akron RubberDucks and the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Ella Hannaford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Cleveland Guardians announced the full Player Development staff list today. Not much has changed, but there are some familiar faces in new roles. Nick Wittgren will be joining the Clippers as a pitching coach! Madelyn has more on the Clippers staff here.
The Cleveland Guardians 2026 Player Development staff alignment is official.
Yesterday was National Girls & Women in Sports Day and the MiLB twitter highlighted some promotions within the Guards organization. Ilana Mishkin was promoted to director of player development, player support. Alyssa Nakken was promoted to director of player development, Arizona development.
A local Guardians fan, @mikbaer on Twitter, was highlighted by Topps in a video released yesterday. Mikayla is known in the hobby for collecting specifically pink Steven Kwan cards. Its not often brands turn the spotlight onto Cleveland, much less its fans so it was nice to see such a great fan given recognition.
💖 AWESOME COLLECTOR 💖 ️@mikbaer has one of the most unique collections in all of trading cards. A reminder that collecting what you love is what it’s all about 👏 pic.twitter.com/JIL3MipOsO
After leaving Kwan off the list of Top 10 Left Fielders, MLB Network at least got one right. José Ramírez was named the #1 3B in the league by MLB Network/The Shredder. José has been on the Top 10 list every year since 2018! Just don’t bother looking at the rest of the list, they got a lot wrong outside of this one.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 21: Jimmy Crooks #8 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks to the dugout against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on September 21, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re reading this in the future without context, probably unneeded in the present, here is some. In the time between when the vote for Jimmy Crooks went out and this current post, Brendan Donovan was traded for multiple prospects, one of whom may have been included on the top 20 list already if this trade occurred a month ago. We’re going to have a very simple feature so that this doesn’t disrupt the voting. You will vote on Jimmy Crooks versus the newest Cardinal Jurrangelo Cjintje. Before we start, an update on the current rankings:
JJ Wetherholt
Liam Doyle
Rainiel Rodriguez
Quinn Mathews
Joshua Baez
Leonardo Bernal
Jimmy Crooks (?)
Jurrangelo Cjintje
Cjintje is technically a switch pitcher, but it is very clear from the scouting and the numbers that he is a far better pitcher right-handed. From the right side, Cjintje throws mid-90s and has topped at 99 mph. He has both a cutter and a sweeper, though the sweeper is the better pitch. He also throws an upper-80s change. From his left side, he is effectively a two-pitch pitcher, throwing low 90s with a solid sweeper. Statistically, it wasn’t close. He walked more than he struck out and allowed 7 homers in 21 innings from the left side, but from the right side he had a 5.0 K/BB ratio and only allowed 3 homers in 34.1 IP.
Cjintje was born in the Netherlands, but raised in Curacao. He in fact played in the Little League World Series back in 2016 for Willemstead team to represent Curacao in the Caribbean region. Pitching and playing shortstop, he is believed to be the first player to throw both left and right-handed in a Little League game since 1957. He also played on the Netherlands baseball team in the U-15 Baseball World Cup in 2018. He moved to Miami at 16, was both a switch pitcher and switch hitter for his high school, didn’t sign with Brewers who drafted him in the 18th round, and committed to Mississippi State.
He made Second-Team All-American as a sophomore and was named to the All-South Region first team by the ABCA. He didn’t pitch left-handed for the last month of the season to improve his consistency. With more reps, and because as an infielder he threw right-handed, he both threw harder and had better command from the right side. The Mariners selected him 15th overall in the 2024 draft. Despite being considered kind of raw for a college pitcher, he was sent to High A and finished the year in AA. That is probably where he’ll begin the 2026 season, not because he pitched poorly, but because it was only 7 starts.
High A: 19 G (16 GS), 74.2 IP, 26.4 K% 11.1 BB%, 44.8 GB%, .234 BABIP, 4.58 ERA/5.51 FIP/4.33 xFIP
Here’s a fun one. The results of this are going to tell us a lot I think, which are my favorite kind of polls in this section. We have two outfielders, both of whom made the top 20 last year. One of them had a positive year, although I’m not sure how much he raised his stock as a prospect, especially since he’s now in a better system. The other outfielder’s stock is undeniably down, the extent of which – as judged by this crowd – should be revealed in the poll.
Last year’s #7 prospect Chase Davis’s year would probably not be that looked down upon if he were not a 1st round pick. It looked like he would explode this year, but then he had a slightly above average offensive season with the bat. It came with an elevated K rate and no power, but he still managed a 105 wRC+. He was also just 23-years-old. He does play CF, so he could very well be a defense-driven prospect, but unfortunately we don’t know a lot about his defense as hard as it is to judge in the minors.
Meanwhile Travis Honeyman, constantly stepping on rakes and being unable to play, had his first semi-heathy season last year. Perhaps in a bid for maintaining his health, he was left in Low A much too long, just being way too good for the competition. He finished the year in High A and while he did have a 113 wRC+, if you’re worried about Davis’ power, Honeyman hit 1 homer in 228 PAs. In his defense, he got drafted in 2023 and played in 20 total games until the 2025 season.
Both are 24. If Davis repeats, they will both probably be in AA, although I imagine Davis will be promoted quicker at the first sign of good performance. Both were drafted in 2023, about 70 picks apart. Both had little power despite power potential, both played some CF but I couldn’t tell you how good they are there and both stand a good chance of being teammates.
To give you a peek behind the curtain, I ran Tanner Franklin against two fellow possible additions throughout this feature. In his first, in a very close race, he lost to Ryan Mitchell. Last week, he got more votes than Yhoiker Fajardo. So Ryan Mitchell goes on this vote, Franklin goes on the next, and I’ll be honest, I don’t know when I’ll add Fajardo. You guys very clearly thought Franklin was a better prospect (the vote wasn’t close), so he’ll be added when it looks like Franklin looks like a legitimate candidate.
I was going to add Tai Peete, but there’s just about zero percent chance you guys think he’s a top 10 prospect in the system, and my plan was already in motion on who I would have added before the trade got in the way. He had a 79 wRC+ and a lot of strikeouts. I feel like I know the voting habits well enough to know that he just wouldn’t be picked. He’ll be there soon enough.
Scouting (FG): 30/45 Hit, 35/50 Game Power, 50/55 Raw Power, 40/40 Speed, 40/45 Fielding
Baez is an interesting prospect, because some parts of him feel contradictory. Read a scouting report, and you’ll likely read about his bad approach at the plate. Statistically, you’d have no idea he had a bad approach at the plate. He walks plenty and doesn’t strike out a lot. He’s fairly mistake-prone, but that could also just be a function of the fact that he has played professional baseball without being able to legally drink.
The old trend of a Cardinals pitching prospect was a bad fastball, good secondaries, limited upside. Probably the ideal version of this is Michael McGreevy. When we start thinking of a stereotypical Cardinals pitching prospect now though, it should probably be someone like Clarke. Didn’t throw many innings, huge injury concern, big upside. The Cardinals seem to grow these guys on trees lately, as you’ll see by later players to vote for. His injuries last year were entirely blister-related, which is weird but are also less concerning injuries than the rest of his group has had recently.
And here we have another example. Hence is probably a little more unique because of his relatively slight frame – even when he wasn’t getting injured, there was reliever risk. But just because Hence has been around for a while doesn’t mean he’s old yet – he’s the same age as Clarke. And Hence has already had a fantastic season at AA – if he’s healthy for most of this season, I have no doubt most of it will be in AAA. He might start the year in AA just for proof of concept, but he pitched far too good in 2024 to not think he’s ready for AAA. Unless his stuff has diminished because of the injuries.
Shoutout to Teddy Rugby, who pointed out that Jimmy Crooks’ “problem” as a prospect is that he’s boring. With prospects, it’s all about upside and loud tools. A good to great defensive catcher with a good enough bat is just not exciting. I’m making this comparison, because I think Henderson might be the pitching equivalent. It might be hard to vote for a Henderson when you see the big stuff of a Clarke or Hence or
Seriously, we very quickly went from having a very boring stereotypical Cardinals pitching prospect to having a top 20 list littered with high variance, high risk pitching prospects. I think one could even argue Liam Doyle fits this a little: he’d be higher in the top 100 if he weren’t considered a little bit risky. If Clarke had the least concerning injuries, Hjerpe might be on the exact opposite side. Yes, I know he’s not the only who had Tommy John, however he is the only one who has maxed out at 41 innings.
2026 will prove to be an important year for Mautz. I feel like we’ve seen a few of the underwhelming scouting starters who nonetheless manage to pitch well reach AAA and just hit a roadblock. I will say that usually that type of pitcher doesn’t strike out 28.6% of batters in AA however. That gives me more hope that he either has better stuff than what the scouting says or that he’s better at utilizing and knowing his stuff than pitchers in the past. Either way, it’s hard to argue with his results.
Ryan Mitchell, 19 – OF
I do not have stats to share with you – I’m sure I can find high school stats, but they aren’t a lot of use on this kind of list. It doesn’t appear Fangraphs has given him scouting grades, I can’t find MLB Pipeline (and I don’t like how they give grades anyway, too high generally). I have access to Baseball Prospectus’ top 20, and while they don’t give Mitchell a scouting grade, I thought just sharing their blurb would suffice:
“Mitchell, a toolsy overslot second-rounder, didn’t play after the draft. For much of his high school career, he would rotate so early that he was more or less standing up when making contact, but his swing became one of the most fun to watch in the class. He dips down a bit and explodes from the lower half. There is some risk he won’t be able to get around against higher velocity fastballs, but his contact rates on the circuit were adequate, and there’s enough athleticism, present bat speed, and physical projection to expect some power. Defensively, he has good actions but could be forced to second base in pro ball. There aren’t any elite tools here, but he presents a pretty well-rounded infield profile and had an arrow up coming into the draft.”
(The Cardinals announced him as an outfielder, in the interview after the draft, he more or less seemed to confirm he’ll be an outfielder)
Necessary disclaimer: no available scouting report for Ortiz that I can find. I’m sure that will change soon. But we’re making the list now, and stats is what we have to judge. And what good stats he had. He might be young enough to repeat High A to start the season, so I’ll actually be curious where he’s placed. He clearly hit well enough to start the year in AA. He also had over a .400 BABIP and it wasn’t that many PAs. The surest sign of a prospect to watch for is when they are aggressive with promotions. Both Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson advanced through the system very fast. I almost wish this list were made knowing whether or not he was placed in AA, because I think that would impact where I would place him.
Scouting: 25/55 Hit, 20/55 Game Power, 40/60 Raw Power, 50/40 Speed, 30/40 Field
Padilla is taking a more conventional progression as a prospect, at least so far, and the fact that he was in the same class as Rainiel Rodriguez is doing him no favors in that respect. Just about anybody would pale in comparison to Rodriguez as a prospect at this point. A more conventional progression means time, which means Padilla might be on this top 20 for quite a few years. That said, I trust that 40 fielding grade about as much as I trust Lumon Industries. (Context clues can probably tell even non-Severance watchers what I mean by that)
Roby in my opinion was essentially where Hence will be in this upcoming season. Which is both good and bad. We weren’t sure if Roby’s stuff had diminished because his stuff was worse when he did pitch in 2024, but he also barely pitched and likely pitched injured. And then he came to spring and everything returned. And his results matched his stuff in the minors. And then he needed Tommy John. Aside from that last part, I hope Hence looks like Roby next year too.
The 1935 Tigers, including, from left, 3B Flea Clifton, C Ray Hayworth, 2B Charlie Gehringer, 1B Hank Greenberg, C Mickey Cochrane, and OF Pete Fox, started 2-9 but finished as World Series champs. Everyone in this photo but Clifton hit better than .300 in '35. City 300 Hitters
The Detroit Tigers family lost a legend on Wednesday with the death of 1968 World Series hero Mickey Lolich, who passed away at the age of 85.
The departure of the all-time great leaves the fanbase in remembrance of a brilliant career that saw the southpaw throw 3,638 1/3 MLB innings, striking out 2,832 hitters — good enough for fifth all-time in strikeouts among lefties. To many of those who witnessed those late-60s and early-70s teams, Lolich was an all-time favorite.
Which leads to today’s Tigers Topic discussion: Who is your all-time favorite member of the Motor City Kitties? They do not necessarily need to be someone from your lifetime; for instance, mine is Hank Greenberg, for what he did on and off the field.
But I also had Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, who ushered me into Tiger fandom, as well as Cecil Fielder and the excitement he brought to the D in the early 90s. And I certainly cannot forget Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander, both of whom are sure-fire Hall of Famers and had the Tigers on the cusp of World Series rings.
So enough about me, who is your all-time favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A Milwaukee Brewers fan reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game two of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Continuing our February Daily Question series, we’re beginning today’s conversation with the question, “When did you become a tried and true Brewer fan?
For me, someone born at the turn of the century, I (thankfully) haven’t had to endure many terrible seasons. I fell in love with baseball when I was five, but moreso from playing it rather than watching it. The 2007 and 2008 seasons were the first time I really remember Brewer baseball, following their playoff races down the stretch.
For that reason, CC Sabathia quickly became my favorite Brewer, and he’s remained somewhere in my top 10 list ever since (I’ve mentioned this before, but Sal Frelick is No. 1, simply because his last name is so close to mine). That fandom from 2007 and 2008 grew into the 2010s, stretching into the modern era of Milwaukee’s consistent playoff competitiveness.
I went to playoff games at Miller Park/American Family Field with my dad in 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2024, including the heartbreaking NL Wild Card loss to the Mets in 2024, which also turned out to be my dad’s last game as he passed away from Parkinson’s disease & Lewy body dementia in January 2025.
I made sure to honor his memory in the 2025 playoffs, going to a pair of Brewers NLDS wins over the Cubs (including the epic Game 5) and Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers with friends and family.
All that to say, my love for the Brewers is bigger than ever, even if they sometimes (often) disappoint me in the postseason.
When did your love of the Crew begin?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments, and we may use it later this month.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giancarlo Stanton sits 47 home runs away from 500 for his career, that nice round number that counts for quite a bit in Hall of Fame discussion. It does feel like that chase will come right down to the wire, with Stanton’s contract running through the 2027 season but with some kind of labor stoppage likely after the CBA expires in November, Big G might miss #500 because he’ll just run out of games. He’ll be 38 trying to find a roster spot in 2028 — the Yankees do have a club option for that year — and teams already have to pencil in some IL time for him every year.
Some other Yankees are also looking up at milestone achievements though, and we can expect some big ones in 2026. Barring injury, Aaron Judge should hit hit 400th home run and score his 1000th run in MLB, needing 32 and 127 respectively. That 400th dinger comes with a little something extra; if Judge can hit 32 home runs in less than 621 at-bats, he’ll eclipse that mark — pun intended, as McGwire did it in 4726 ABs — faster than any player in Major League history.
It’s rather remarkable that we should expect all three accomplishments, the 400th homer, the AB constraint, and the 1000 runs scored, to come in one season because that’s just how good Aaron Judge has been in this peak of his career. 32 home runs would be seen as a significant step back from his usual production, and Aaron’s passed 127 runs scored in 2025, 2022 and 2017, while falling five short in 2024. FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projects Judge to blast past 400 home runs, but not quite reach 1000 runs scored, but projection systems often struggle when a player is so far above the typical MLB baseline.
Max Fried, meanwhile, needs just eight wins to hit 100 for his career, while his fellow lefty Carlos Rodón needs seven. Both should be reachable in 2026, although questions about when exactly Rodón will return from elbow surgery linger. Depth Charts pegs him for 28 starts, which would mean missing about the first month of the season, and that feels appropriate to the Yankees’ level of caution. If he’s back before that and as effective as he was last year, both southpaws should get over the century mark.
Lastly, there’s a very, very outside chance Gerrit Cole crosses a major strikeout threshold, as he sits 249 punchouts short of 2500. I think this is likely to be a scenario like Stanton’s mentioned above, where we will probably have to wait and see how many games get played in 2027 before we can accurately project when or if Cole will ever get to that number. He hasn’t struck out that many men since 2022, and coming off of Tommy John surgery at 35, I expect the Yankees to be even more careful with the righty than they’ll be with Rodón. Still, a 1 percent chance of something happening is worth the fantasy.
What’s really striking when you do posts like this is how many players the Yankees have that are building very real Hall of Fame cases for themselves. Fried and Rodón aren’t there yet of course, but Stanton and Judge and Cole will all get serious consideration and likely enshrinement if their careers wrap up with some grace and without a crater. That the Yankees could assemble so much talent over multiple seasons and have no rings to show for it though, is perhaps more of an indictment of the organization than anything else.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: A general view of play between the Bay FC and the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!
Today’s question is kind of an odd one, but interesting to examine, at least for me. Which season changed the way you watch baseball?
For me, this question has multiple answers. I guess the first one would be 1993 because that was the season that Barry Bonds signed with the team and instantly became my favorite player, which made me begin to pay a lot more attention to the game.
The next answer would be 2000, because that was both the year that Oracle Park opened, and the first time I went to a Giants game in person. My dad’s company had season tickets, so we ended up going about once a week and seeing the action in person made me not just fall even more in love with the game, it made me fall in love with the ballpark. As someone who has moved more times than I can count, the ballpark still feels like home in a way that most places I’ve lived never did.
I think 2002 has to go on the list as well, because that was the first time I truly understood sports pain and sadness. While it didn’t help me avoid it in the future, it was the first time baseball truly broke my heart.
I think I would have to also say 2015, for me personally. I had just moved to a completely different part of the state so I had a lot more free time than I used to. And after having just watched them win three World Series championships, I really, really dug in on my love of the team. I started watching every single game religiously, and started keeping a scorecard for most of them. It’s also the year that I joined the community of McCovey Chronicles and decided that I wanted to write like Grant. I’ll never achieve that last part, but he did hire me to write here so I guess I did something right!
KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 05: Framber Valdez #59 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 5, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Consider this: That’s approximately four homers more per season for Perez over the past half-decade. He’s played the equivalent of 12 full seasons, counting partial years across his 14-year career. Were you to apply four homers to each of those 12 seasons – and you shouldn’t, really, because he’s a player who has aged and changed over time, but bear with us here – that’s 48 more.
In reality, the career gap between Perez’s 132 home-field homers and 171 road dingers is 39, which isn’t all that far off from the roughly estimated missing 48. Perez has 303 career homers as it is, 14 behind George Brett for the franchise record. But playing with these dimensions all along, he might have already cracked the 350 mark, or at least be close to doing so.
Caglianone was so awful in his first taste of major league action — and so unbelievably dominant at every step before then — that I wouldn’t ask him to make dramatic changes to his swing or approach based on a third of a season. The batted ball numbers being what they were, I’d give him some rope and see how much of the ugliness of last year off-gasses on its own.
But if that doesn’t happen, the Royals will still be at least one big bat away from being able to make a run. Whether Caglianone can put his rookie year behind him — and to what extent — could end up swinging the AL Central race.
However, second base is the position to watch. The Royals expect Jonathan India to draw the bulk of the playing time at the keystone spot. He is a tenured veteran but was inconsistent during his first season with the Royals.
India admitted he didn’t feel comfortable in his new environment. He needed time to adjust to the Royals, Kauffman Stadium and his new situation. India also battled through nagging injuries that sapped his effectiveness.
The Royals pondered whether to non-tender India this offseason. They ultimately decided to keep him and bank on a resurgent 2026 campaign. Now, India will operate alongside teammate Michael Massey at second base.
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
Which Mets prospect will take the biggest step forward in 2026?
