Category: Baseball

It is no secret that the Cardinals have stockpiled minor league talent, but how did that talent develop in 2026? Let’s take a look at every player who started the season as a ranked prospect in the system. 

Here are the rules: 

• Only players who started the year in the organization will be considered, so trade deadline acquisitions and the 2026 draft class are out of scope.
• I will use the preseason FanGraphs list since it goes 53 deep and casts the widest net of any prospect list. 
• Every player must be given one of four designations:
  • Stock Up = the player improved at least one grade tier (e.g. 45+ to 50 Future Value)
  • Stock Ticking Up = the player had a positive season, but not enough to change their grade
  • Stock Ticking Down = the player had a negative season, but not enough to change their grade
  • Stock Down = the player regressed at least one grade tier 

I will go in reverse order of the FanGraphs preseason ranking. I am not including the future value tier that FanGraphs assigned to each prospect because I do not want to muddy the waters with debating where the player should have ranked coming into the year. For example, I would not have ranked Pete Hansen in my top-20 Cardinals prospects with a 40+ FV, as FanGraphs did. So, my evaluation for Hansen of “Stock Ticking Up” means that I think he had a positive season, not that I agree with his FanGraphs grade. Said another way, I’m not re-grading every prospect, just judging which direction each one moved, regardless of where he started. Clear as mud. Alright, on to the list! 

53. Branneli Franco, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down

Franco was terrible in the Complex League, but then put together 15 solid innings in Palm Beach as a 19-year-old. He showed impressive stuff with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, but the 7.54 season ERA is ugly. 

52. Sebastian Dos Santos, SS, Low-A – Stock Up

Dos Santos put together the second-best age-18 season of any Cardinals hitting prospect in the last two decades. He already has great plate discipline and an ability to drive the ball in the air and should be hitting national top-100 lists early next season. 

51. Carlos Carrion, SS, DSL – Stock Ticking Down

Carrion was the Cardinals’ second-biggest international signee after Emanuel Luna, but missed most of the season with injury and was unproductive in his 10-game cameo in the DSL. 

50. Chase Davis, CF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down

Davis made it to Triple-A and showed off above-average plate discipline and incredible exit velocity metrics. Unfortunately, he still has not figured out how to turn this skill set into production as he struggled to an 81 wRC+ in Memphis.

49. Won-Bin Cho, OF, Double-A – Stock Up

Cho had a breakout year, finally cracking the High-A level on his third try and earning a promotion to Springfield. He more than doubled his ISO to .231 and improved his K/BB rate substantially to give the Cardinals a hard 40-man roster decision this offseason. 

48. Jack Gurevitch, 1B/3B, Double-A – Stock Up

Gurevitch advanced from Palm Beach to Peoria and finally to Springfield while swatting 32 home runs and carrying a 127 wRC+. He has real big swing-and-miss issues, but he definitely juiced his prospect status with his in-game power results.

47. Bryan Torres, UT, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Torres completed his personal odyssey to triumphantly reach St. Louis. He might have just enough versatility to stick around in some capacity. 

46. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down

Ledbetter salvaged his season after a stint on the development list and ran a 125 wRC+ over his last 68 games. He improved offensively while advancing a level, but it may not be enough to earn him a 40-man spot this offseason. 

45. Randel Clemente, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Clementeimproved his BB%… from 26.1% to 19.9%. He has some of the best stuff in the system but is running out of time. 

44. Yordy Herrera, LHP, Low-A – Stock Down

Herrera was released in July. 

43. Matt Pushard, RHP, MLB – Stock Down

Pushard did not stick in St. Louis after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

42. Frank Elissalt, RHP, High-A – Stock Down

Elissalt, part of the return package for Ryan Helsley, missed the entire season with an injury, but at least he has returned to action in the AFL.

41. Mason Molina, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Up

Molina was one of the biggest risers in the system as he dismantled Double-A and finished the season in Memphis in his age-22 season. His 150 strikeouts ranked 12th in MiLB, and he now looks like a potential back-of-the-rotation arm as early as next season. 

40. Ethan Young, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down

Young only managed to pitch 31 innings, but ended the year healthy. Despite a 7.26 ERA, he had decent underlying numbers and flashed good stuff at Palm Beach.

39. Jack Martinez, RHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Up

Martinez struck out 121 batters in 93.2 innings at the Low-A and High-A levels. His slider was ranked as one of the best in the minors by Baseball America. 

38. Skylar Hales, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Hales walked too many and carried a 6.34 ERA at Memphis while losing a tick off his fastball. He is Rule 5 eligible and seems unlikely to be protected.

37. Jose Davila, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down

Davila converted to relief and posted decent, if unspectacular, numbers while finishing in Double-A. 

36. Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Davis held his own in Double-A and cut his walk rate from 16.6% to 14.4%, but his strikeout rate fell from 33.8% to 28.3%.

35. Blake Aita, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Aita advanced to Double-A and threw over 100 decent innings on the year, but did not distinguish himself in a loaded system and struggled to keep the ball in the yard.

34. Nate Dohm, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down 

Dohm battled injuries and command problems while pitching to a 7.19 ERA over 61.1 innings. He still has huge stuff and potential upside, but 2026 was a setback.

33. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up

Fajardo was one of four teenagers to pitch in Double-A across all of baseball and one of the biggest risers in the system. His fastball is not overwhelming, but he rode his off-speed pitches to a sensational 22.3% K-BB% on the year. 

32. Austin Love, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Love struggled to a 6.52 ERA at Springfield and Memphis and walked almost a batter per inning after his promotion. 

31. Luis Gastelum, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Gastelum carried a mediocre 4.64 ERA and 19/12 K/BB ratio through his first 18 Triple-A games before turning into a terror, posting a 0.00 ERA and running a 30/5 K/BB ratio over his final 18 games. He started off rocky in St. Louis but pitched to a 2.31 ERA with a 34/7 K/BB ratio over his final 23.1 innings.

30. Emanuel Luna, OF, DSL – Stock Ticking Up

Luna turned heads in just nine games by hitting three DSL bombs, carrying a 226 wRC+, and hitting a ball 115.8 mph. It is an incredibly small sample size, but his K% of 18.2% was encouraging as well.

29. Juan Rujano, C, CPX – Stock Down

Rujano entered the season with some hype from the third-party outlets after a solid DSL debut in 2025, but struggled to a 68 wRC+ in the Complex League in his stateside debut. 

28. Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A – Stock Down

Sequera had decent strikeout and walk numbers, but for a player with a questionable fastball, the 1.92 HR/9 and 7.23 ERA are too much to overlook. 

27. Cesar Prieto, IF, MLB – Stock Ticking Down

Prieto had the best Triple-A numbers of his career in 2026, but was downright horrible in his St. Louis cup of coffee. 

26. Blaze Jordan, 3B, MLB – Stock Up

Blaze crushed Triple-A with a rare blend of power and contact, had solid underlying offensive metrics in 58 major league games, and graded out above average defensively at third. After being left exposed to the Rule 5 draft last offseason, he put himself back in the team’s plans with a strong 2026.

25. Nathan Church, CF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Church ended with a slash line remarkably close to his preseason ZiPS projection, so this is a tough one. His status as the presumed starting center fielder shows the Cardinals have confidence in him beyond his surface-level numbers, so that will be the tiebreaker.

24. Tanner Franklin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up

Franklin has been an up-arrow guy since the day he was drafted. Recently, Baseball America argued that he might have the best stuff of any pitcher in the minor leagues. 

23. Cade Crossland, LHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Down

Crossland was a strikeout and walk machine in Palm Beach, but showed improved control at the end of the season in Peoria. He averaged only 92.1 mph on his fastball after topping out at 98 mph in college, so his ceiling may be more limited than we thought on draft day.

22. Sem Robberse, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Robberse had a second season mostly wiped out by injury. 

21. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Hjerpe successfully returned from Tommy John and earned his call-up by striking out 13.07 per nine across 42 minor league innings. The control and health remain huge question marks, but it was a positive year for Hjerpe.

20. Jesus Baez, SS, Double-A – Stock Up

Baez entered the year as a nice lottery ticket with tools to dream on. He leaves it with 39 home runs and underlying metrics that ranked him as the second-best 21-year-old hitter in the minors according to Baseball America’s HIT+, trailing only Josue De Paula.

19. Pete Hansen, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Hansen actually posted decent numbers in Memphis with ERA, FIP, and xFIP between 4.18 and 4.53 across 101.1 innings. His upside seems limited to a John King-type career, but he will probably debut for someone at some point.

18. Hancel Rincon, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Rincon followed up his breakout 2025 campaign in Springfield with a nice run at Memphis that led to his St. Louis debut and a 40-man roster spot. He has already moved to the bullpen, but his 21.4% K-BB% was the best in Triple-A for pitchers who threw 70+ innings. 

17. Brycen Mautz, LHP, MLB – Stock Down

Mautz looked like a back-end rotation candidate with upside following his 2025 breakout in Springfield. After a rough season, you would be thrilled if he turned into a meaningful relief piece.

16. Ixan Henderson, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Henderson started the year injured, made it back for one start at Memphis, and then landed back on the 60-day IL. His status going into next year is unclear, but this year was an unfortunate setback for one of the big 2025 breakout prospects. 

15. Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Up

Linhad a solid season behind the more heralded pitching prospects in the Springfield rotation, cutting his BB% from 17.5% to 11.2% across 102.2 innings. It wasn’t a full breakout, but it was progress for a pitcher with substantial upside. 

14. Tai Peete, CF, Double-A – Stock Up

Peete started to translate his raw power into game power in 2026, posting an ISO of .254 while advancing to Double-A. His hit tool is still a question, but he improved his contact rate in Springfield and is obliterating the AFL.

13. Ryan Mitchell, OF, Low-A – Stock Ticking Up

Mitchell is still a bit of a project and will need to add strength to keep advancing through the system. Still, he held his own in full-season ball as a 19-year-old who had limited exposure to elite competition in high school.

12. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Roby missed the entire season, as expected, so you cannot dock him for that. Back on the mound in the AFL, he has struck out 13 in 9.2 scoreless innings while topping out at 99 mph. 

11. Tink Hence, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Hence was injured and ineffective while losing his 40-man roster spot. 

10. Quinn Mathews, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Mathews showed marginal improvements in his second go at Memphis, but the walks were still concerning. His first nine starts for St. Louis were impressive, and if the improved control sticks, he will be a fixture in the rotation for years.

9. Leo Bernal, C, MLB – Stock Up

Bernal continued his methodical climb through the minors with an excellent showing in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. His impressive major league debut was enough to finally put him on the national radar and in top-100 prospect lists where he belongs.

8. Yairo Padilla, SS, High-A – Stock Ticking Up

Padilla showed off exceptional Statcast data in the Florida State League, posting above-major-league-average exit velocity numbers as a 19-year-old shortstop. Injuries limited him to 37 games and kept him from having a true breakout, but I was highly encouraged by the improvements we saw.

7. Joshua Baez, OF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Baez gave up some of the contact gains that fueled his 2025 breakout, but showed the power was real, hitting 41 home runs between Triple-A and the majors. His productive 30-game MLB trial run is enough for me to come away feeling positive about his season overall. 

6. Brandon Clarke, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Clarke was electric in limited innings and seemed to be improving his control as the season went on. Still, he threw only 29.2 innings, failing to alleviate the biggest concern in his profile.

5.Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Cijntje quietly put together an excellent season and, unlike many recent Cards prospects, had no issue adjusting to Triple-A. Finishing second in MiLB in strikeouts and the strong finish at Triple-A are enough for me.

4. Jimmy Crooks, C, MLB – Stock Ticking Down

Crooks doubled his Barrel% and cut his chase rate by 5% in Triple-A while putting up video-game numbers. But he is already 25 and failed to prove it in St. Louis in his second cup of coffee.

3. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Double-A – Stock Up

Rodriguez had huge expectations coming into the season and was largely living up to those in the first half, earning a promotion to Double-A after tearing up the Midwest League. Then in July he went ballistic and hit .390 with 16 bombs over his final 44 games to establish himself as the best hitting prospect in the minors. 

2.Liam Doyle, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Doyle had an adjustment period to Double-A but finished strong over his final 11 starts with a 1.78 ERA, a 30.3% strikeout rate, an improved 12.4% walk rate, and only 0.49 HR/9. He basically held serve throughout the season, but since he has nudged down slightly on top-100 lists, we will be conservative. 

1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, MLB – Stock Up

Wetherholt’s offensive performance was in line with preseason projections and his defense wildly exceeded expectations. His .029 gap between expected and actual wOBA was the third unluckiest among qualified hitters.

And finally, here are the players who were not ranked coming into the year who should be ranked in the Cardinals’ top 30 heading into next season. 

Miguel Hernandez, SS, Low-A

After a successful run in the Complex League, Hernandez bashed out a 163 wRC+ over 103 plate appearances in Low-A as an 18-year-old. Like Dos Santos, he will start making noise on national lists with a good start to 2027.

Deniel Ortiz, 1B/3B, Double-A

Ortiz was criminally omitted from the FanGraphs preseason prospect list, but that surely won’t happen again. He improved his contact rate by 10% while moving up to Double-A and mashed a 120 wRC+, despite a wrist injury that sapped some of his power.

Jacob Odle, RHP, High-A

It was Jacob Odle, not Tanner Franklin or Liam Doyle, who graded out as having the best starting-pitcher Stuff+ in the system by Baseball America (sixth in MiLB). Odle will need to improve on his 15.5% BB%, but his 34.1% K% was the best in the system. 

Xavier Cruz, RHP, Low-A

Cruz came out of nowhere in 2026, flashing an upper-90s fastball and insane spin rates in the Complex League and at Palm Beach. In Jake Wood’s excellent podcast earlier this week, Moises Rodriguez compared his arm talent to that of Tanner Franklin. 

The Final Tally

Stock Up: 12

Stock Ticking Up: 15

Stock Ticking Down: 13

Stock Down: 13

Brycen Mautz and Nate Dohm were the two I was highest on who took a step back this year. You are always going to have some pitcher injuries, and Elissalt and Henderson both losing a year was disappointing. Tink Hence is really in a separate category since his decline started in 2025 and he just did not bounce back the way we hoped. The rest of the prospects who slipped a full grade, by my evaluation, were lower-impact.

The raw numbers understate just how successful this season was from a development perspective. Top prospects’ performance has an outsized impact on the health of a system. The Wetherholt, Bernal, and Rainiel seasons alone would have been enough to make this a pretty positive season for the system. No players in the preseason top 10 performed poorly enough to move them down a FV tier. When you add the Franklin, Fajardo, and Molina breakouts on the pitching side along with the emergence of Dos Santos, Jesus Baez, and Miguel Hernandez on the hitters’ side, you have to be incredibly happy with the results. 

Final Grade: A+

Now, the important part. Which player evaluations do you disagree with? Who did I miss? 

With each day that the World Series plays a game, we get closer to the start of free agency. The Phillies promise to be active, but the thing that I am most interested in is arbitration. Which players are going to be tendered contracts, which players won’t be. That discussion will lead to more free agents entering the market, a big thing considering that the market isn’t that great to begin with.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Don Mattingly was ready to sit back and just be a bench coach until the 2026 Phillies “rekindled” his desire to manage again.
• The Phillies have needs in the outfield and should consider making another run at acquiring Steven Kwan.

MLB news:

• The Marlins are Marlins-ing again, this time being willing to listen to offers for Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez.
• Cleveland loves Stephen Vogt and he loves them back, enough to not entertain other ideas of managing in other places.
• Sebastian Walcott might be a top three prospect in the game today, so the Rangers are trying him in other spots to fast track him.

The first game of the 2026 Fall Classic was a nailbiter, with Milwaukee using some timely hits, excellent pitching, and a tense ninth inning to survive a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay. It was the Brewers’ first World Series game in 44 years, and—much to the pleasure of the home crowd—they fortunately slammed the door on their first World Series win since then as well. It had been over 16,000 days ago! My parents were barely married at that point, and I’m older than most of the players at this point. So yeah, it’s been a little while. Congrats to the Brew Crew, who really needed to win the Jacob Misiorowski vs. Nick Martinez start that was closer than it should’ve been. Now, we’ll see if the Rays counter by winning their own apparent mismatch on paper.*

*This is no shade to Logan Henderson, who I very much like. But we’ve soon too much of what Drew Rasmussen can do when he’s rolling.

Today on the site, Peter will recap the World Series opener, Michael will run through the third week of Yankees prospect action in the Arizona Fall League (shouts to Dax Kilby), and Nick will celebrate the 139th birthday of the Deadball Era’s Hugh High. Later, Andrés will take Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner to task on his blame game and John will examine where the Yankees’ budget stands as the offseason begins.

Today’s Playoff Matchup:

World Series Game 2
(Brewers lead 1-0)

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
(RHP Logan Henderson vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen)

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

TV: FOX/FOX One/Fox Deportes

Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who was the MVP of World Series Game 1?

2. Were you surprised to see the replay review center overturn this call at second on the possible game-ending double play in the ninth?

Friday night was the second scrimmage of the third week of fall ball for LSU. It was the first intra-squad of the session that was closed to the public, as they hosted members of the Coaches Committee and players’ families. Media was allowed to attend, though, so I was able to get another full night of observations.

Although a few pitchers had some success on Thursday night, the offense was really good. Like I had mentioned, 10 of the 18 starters drove in at least one RBI and while there was only one ball that left the stadium for a homerun, it seemed like productive at-bat after productive at-bat.

On Friday, pitching fought back. Landon Hood and Danny Lachenmayer were two of the names that had very good outings, which is a continuation of what we’ve seen from them for the past three weeks. I firmly believe that Hood is a name to watch to land in that all-important weekend rotation come the spring.

Opposite of Hood was two-way stud, Lucas Nawrocki, who started on the mound after hitting a homer the night before. That’s two weeks in a row that he’s done that. He had his moments of struggle, but still flashed plenty of signs to be excited about.

Dylan Minnatee, Parker Loew, and Angel Laya each notched 2 hits, but the big swings were very limited against Nate Yeskie’s pitching staff.

Before we get going, I’ll list off the lineups for each team and who pitched. Cumulative stats for Thursday night are included. We’ll then transition to some bullet point notes.

Lineups

Gold (visitors)

1.) CF – Nate Davis-Cleary (0-4)

2.) 2B – Cade Kurland (1-3, BB)

3.) RF – Angel Laya (2-4)

4.) C – Cade Arrambide (1-3, BB)

5.) 1B – Mason Braun (0-1, 2 BB)

6.) SS – Dawson Park (1-2, RBI/BB)

7.) 3B – Jack Ruckert (0-2, RBI/BB)

8.) DH – Jordan Martinez (1-3, RBI)

9.) LF – Eddie Yamin (0-3)

SP – Landon Hood (3.0 IP/3 H/0 R/4 K/1 BB/61% strikes/6-11 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Cooper Williams (2.2 IP/4 H/2 R/3 K/3 BB/57% strikes/8-14 1st pitch strikes)

Purple (home)

1.) CF – Jason Wachs (1-3, RBI)

2.) C – Omar Serna (0-3)

3.) SS – Steven Milam (0-1, 2 BB)

4.) LF – Dominic Santarelli (0-3)

5.) 2B – Parker Loew (2-2, RBI/BB)

6.) 3B – Malachi Washington (1-3, RBI)

7.) 1B – Dylan Minnatee (2-2, 2B/BB)

8.) RF – William Patrick (0-2)

9.) DH – Lucas Nawrocki (1-2, 2B/RBI)

SP – Lucas Nawrocki (1.2 IP/1 H/1 R/3 K/4 BBs/40% strikes/1-9 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Kaden Smith (2.0 IP/3 H/1 R/1 K/0 BB/67% strikes/5-9 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Danny Lachenmayer (3.0 IP/2 H/0 R/5 K/2 BB/60% strikes/9-13 1st pitch strikes)

Scrimmage notes

• Lucas Nawrocki struggled with his command out of the gate. He struck out 2 in the 1st inning, but walked 3, which led to them calling the inning with just 2 outs. After he walked the leadoff in the 2nd, he locked in. Velocity was up to 96, but it was his offspeed that struggles, leading to plenty of pitches in the dirt, including some wild pitches. After he finished pitching, he walked down to the batting cages with a bat and eventually came in to the game. He hit an opposite field double to drive in a run in his second plate appearance.
• Landon Hood was REALLY good, once again, featuring his 4-pitch mix and getting up to 96. He threw 14 pitches in his 2nd inning with 9 strikes, then had a quick 1-2-3 with the help of a double play turned by Ruckert to Kurland to Braun.
• Jack Ruckert’s stat line doesn’t jump off the page tonight, but it was another game in which he found a way to be productive at the plate. His first AB was with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs and he did what he’s supposed to do by driving in a run on a hard hit ground ball out.
• Omar Serna threw out Dawson Park, adding to his list of caught stealing.
• Speaking of throwing runners out, Cade Arrambide gunned down Parker Loew twice tonight. Both catchers have thrown out quite a few guys through these early fall scrimmages.
• Dylan Minnatee continues to make noise at the plate, ripping a double deep in to the right-center gap. Davis-Cleary actually almost made a gold glove play because of his elite speed, but was unable to corral a tough sliding catch on a well-hit ball.
• Kaden Smith had probably his best outing in 3 weeks. He was up to 95 and showed grit. In his first inning, he got 2 quick outs, but gave up back to back singles to Laya and Arrambide, then started Braun 3-0. He fought all the way back with 4 straight strikes to get out of the inning without damage.
• Jason Wachs has a pretty good arm. He almost threw out Park trying to tag from 2nd with a good throw from CF, but Washington was unable to reel in the short up in the dirt. That’s something that will take time to get used to for the former outfielder.
• Dawson Park manufactured a run mostly by himself by singling and stealing 2nd with 0 outs, then moved to 3rd on that flyout to Wachs, which put him in position to score on a groundball with the infield in.
• Cooper Williams was up and down. He first came in and got 2 quick outs, but then issued a 2-out walk on 5 pitches. He immediately tried a pick off, but missed his target, allowing the runner to move in to scoring position, which promptly bit him on a single that drove the runner in.
• Danny Lachenmayer threw 9 of his 10 pitches for strikes in his first inning of work. His command slipped to start his second inning, walking 2 of the first 3, but then struck out Martinez and Yamin to get back on track. He went right back to pumping strikes in his third inning, holding strong through 50 pitches.
• Cade Kurland flashed his former shortstop defensive skills on a tough pick and throw up the middle.
• Cooper Williams breaking balls to lefties looked unhittable, but it’s the righties that he needs to find his out pitch for.

Player of the night

Although Landon Hood was very good, I’m going with Danny Lachenmayer. He struck out 5 threw 3 innings of work for the second week in a row.

As far as a positional player of the game, Dylan Minnatee and his 2-2, including a nice double, were probably two of the best swings of the night.

Next up

LSU has one more intra-squad game for the week and potentially for the fall session. With the next 3 weeks being their exhibitions against Samford, Troy, and SLU, I’m not sure if they will have any more public scrimmages. It’s possible, but we will keep you guys informed.

As for this weekend, they return on Sunday at 1 pm for first pitch. It’s back to being open to the public with gates opening at 12:45 and entry/parking free.

Below is my video recap that I do after every single game. Follow me on X @DCBilliotJr for much more!

New York Post | Greg Joyce: With the World Series just getting underway, there are not yet any roster moves to be made. However on Friday, the Yankees came closer to a big one on the coaching staff. Reports are that the Yankees are close to a deal with pitching coach Matt Blake to retain him going forward. Under Blake, the Yankees had arguably the best rotation in the majors this year and have regularly turned less-than-heralded pitchers into crucial bullpen arms.

MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: After another disappointing exit in the ALDS, the Yankees have some decisions to make across the roster this offseason. Here’s an overall outlook of who’ll definitely be back, who might not be, and the choices the Yankees will face over the winter.

Japan Times | Jason Coskrey: Yankee legend and 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui is getting back into the baseball ranks as he has been named manager of the NPB’s Yomiuri Giants. Before coming over to MLB, Matsui was a legendary player for the Giants, who are considered the Yankees of Japan. Debuting as a teenager and spending a decade in Tokyo, he won three MVP awards and three Japan Series championships, clubbing 50 homers during his final season with the Giants in 2002. Now, he’ll look to lead the team to similar heights as their skipper. Fellow former Yankee Masahiro Tanaka is a member of the Giants’ playing roster. Congrats to Godzilla!

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski threw the fastest recorded pitch in World Series history as his side began the best-of-seven season finale with a win.

The right-hander played a starring role in the 3-2 win at home to the Tampa Bay Rays, in the first match of the 122nd World Series.

It is only the second time in more than a century that neither side contesting the World Series has won the title before.

A sell-out crowd watched the Brewers in only their second appearance in the finale of the Major League Baseball season, and their first since losing to the St Louis Cardinals in 1982.

Milwaukee's American Family Field has 41,900 seats but with standing-room-only tickets available for the 'Fall Classic', 43,250 fans packed in to see the game.

"It was amazing - just to have the city behind me, it means the world, we couldn't ask for anything better," said Misiorowski.

The Brewers host the second match of the best-of-seven series on Saturday before the teams move to Florida for three games, then return to Milwaukee for the final two matches, if needed.

Misiorowski, 24, became the youngest starter since 1997 to win a World Series opener, after restricting the Rays to just one run in five innings.

His fastest pitch at 103.5 mph beat the previous mark of 103.2 mph set by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 - though speeds have only been recorded since 2008.

Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich also played a key role, scoring one run and driving in another as they took a 3-1 lead.

The Rays added one run in the final inning and had a runner on third base as they pushed to level the score, but Milwaukee closed out victory.

"It feels great. The guys settled in right away and did a great job," Yelich said. "We've still got a ways to go but nice to get that first one."

The Brewers made the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 to claim the National League title, while the Rays clinched the American League pennant with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians to reach the post-season finale for only the third time.

The Rays lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series and the Dodgers in 2020, but manager Kevin Cash took solace from the fact that they tested the Brewers on Friday.

"We came up a little bit short, but there's some benefit maybe from a loss," said Cash.

MILWAUKEE — Trevor Megill induced the game-ending double play Friday night and screamed. The sellout crowd roared. Fireworks went off. Brewers players hugged. GM Matt Arnold was high-fiving friends and employees in his suite.

The Brewers had just won Game 1 over the Tampa Bay Rays, their first World Series victory in 44 years.

Then, as Megill stomped off the mound, he noticed the umpiring crew starting to huddle.

The Tampa Bay Rays were challenging.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal," Megill said. “It was the last out of the game, so what did they have to lose? I thought they were just challenging the call at first base.

Nuh-uh.

The Rays were challenging the play at second too. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot barely lifted off the base as he turned what appeared to be the game-ending double play.

After all the pomp and circumstance, after all the anticipation, the Milwaukee Brewers finally hosted a World Series game for the first time in 44 years, and my goodness did it live up to the hype with a 3-2 Brewers victory.

In the first inning, Jacob Misiorowski ran into a little bit of trouble, allowing singles to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson. The Rays had two on and one out with a big time threat in Junior Caminero at the plate. Caminero ripped a line drive, but it was right at third baseman David Hamilton, who easily caught it and doubled off Aranda at second base.

The crowd erupted on that play and they were able to erupt again in the bottom half of the first. Multiple times.

Jackson Chourio swung at the first pitch he saw from Rays starter Nick Martinez and lined a single to right field. The captain, Christian Yelich, then crushed an 0-2 cutter on the inside corner into the gap in right-center.

Jonny DeLuca came oh-so-close to running that down and making an incredible catch, but he just couldn’t hold on to it. It goes as a triple for Yelich and it gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

“It got in on me a little bit, I could kinda tell I backspun it, so it’s not really like hooking or it’s not really diving, so you know it’s gonna kind of hang up there a little bit. Was just hoping that it was fan enough away from him to get down and fortunately it did.” Yelich said.

With Yelich on third, the Rays infield was drawn in for William Contreras. And he took advantage.

Very quickly, the Brewers established a lead for Misiorowski and got to Martinez before he was able to settle into the game.

After that, though, the Brewers offense struggled for a few innings, going three-up and three-down in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings.

Meanwhile, the Rays were able to get some traffic against Misiorowski in the 4th. A leadoff walk to Aranda was followed by a scorching double to center just off the outstretched glove off Garrett Mitchell. The ball left the bat at 112.7 MPH. That led to 2nd and 3rd for the Rays and Liam Hicks cashed a run in with a groundout to first on a slow roller.

The Rays had some more traffic in the 5th and 6th innings. They were 11-for-11 on stolen bases in the first two rounds of the postseason. But they hadn’t yet faced William Contreras. Contreras gunned down Victor Mesa Jr at 3rd base in the 5th and then completed a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the 6th inning.

Contreras literally could not have walked the baseball down there and handed it to Hamilton in a more perfect spot than he did on that throw in the 5th.

It was a 2-1 ballgame after that, typical of the Brewers this postseason. A close, intense matchup, battling out long at-bats and grinding your way through.

The Brewers finally broke through again in the 7th inning. Cooper Pratt got things started with a leadoff walk. Sal Frelick then flew out and David Hamilton grounded out, but the grounder allowed Pratt to reach second base. That would prove important for the two out rally as the Brewers had their most clutch hitter due up in Jackson Chourio.

Chourio has said he was born for those moments. Once again, he proved that he was.

Swinging at the first pitch, Chourio delivered a single past a diving Jonathan Aranda that brought home Pratt and made it a 3-1 Brewers lead.

“The way I’ve always looked at it is it’s important to start with a good foot ahead. So if I have the opportunity to do that, I’m going to take advantage.” Chourio said.

“He’s special. He’s got special ability to compete at the big time. He’s poised. The last AB is the last AB. He’s ready every time. The kid is continuing to do this (indicating up), and it’s scary.” Pat Murphy said.

The Brewers bullpen was once again spectacular. Abner Uribe went 1.1 scoreless IP. He turned it over to Aaron Ashby, who again, delivered a perfect outing, retiring each of the five batters he faced and striking out three of them. Then it was on to Trevor Megill to close things out in the 9th.

Megill retired Yandy Diaz on a grounder to third. Jonathan Aranda reached base for the fourth time with a single to left. Then Chandler Simpson lined a single to center and Junior Caminero drew a walk. That loaded the bases for Liam Hicks.

Hicks hit a grounder to Turang’s left, forcing a tough turn and fire to second base to attempt the double play. Initially, it was a double play, the game was over, the fireworks went off, the TV postgame show set was being wheeled onto the field, fire up Glory Days, it’s a big Brewers win.

But hold on. Hold everything. The Rays challenge and upon review, Cooper Pratt’s foot left second base just a little bit early. That meant the Brewers had to lock back in, there was still one more out to get. A run had scored, so it was a 3-2 Brewers lead now. Tying run is on third, the go-ahead run is on second.

Megill, unphased, comes back to strike out Jonny DeLuca to end this game for good this time.

“Just freaking get after it. Gotta go for a strikeout there.” Megill said on his mentality after the overturn.

The Brewers got four impressive innings from their bullpen in support of Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski hasn’t had the strikeout stuff he had during the regular season, tallying just three punchouts in his five innings. But he still kept barrels off the ball, and he kept the lead for the Brewers and the bullpen to hold.

Yelich struck first, Contreras added on, and Chourio came through with what ended up being the winning run in front of a crowd of 43,250.

The Brewers have taken a 1-0 series lead over the Rays. They are three wins away from immortality. Logan Henderson gets the start for Game 2 while the Rays will have Drew Rasmussen.

The Tampa Bay Rays had a World Series Game 1 win on the line multiple times. They just could not reel it in.

Tampa Bay dropped Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. A ninth-inning rally, kept alive by a replay review, ended with the tying run on third base when Jonny DeLuca struck out against Trevor Megill. Between a ball that popped out of a glove and two double plays that caught two runners stealing, the Rays had their hands on this one several times. The Brewers lead the series 1-0, and if the rest of the series is anything like this one, everybody is in for a ride.

The first near miss came three batters in. Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson singled, but Junior Caminero lined a ball right at third baseman David Hamilton, who doubled Aranda off second.

The bottom half was where the first opportunity slipped free. After Jackson Chourio led off with a single against Nick Martinez, Christian Yelich drove one to deep center, where it bounced out of DeLuca’s glove. Instead of a long out, it was an RBI triple. William Contreras followed with a single that caromed off shortstop Taylor Walls into left, and Milwaukee led 2-0 before the Rays could settle in.

Martinez ultimately settled in. He struck out Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell to end the first, stranded Sal Frelick at third in the second, and retired eight straight at one point. His final line: five innings, two runs, five hits, no walks and five strikeouts.

Jacob Misiorowski, the majors’ ERA leader at 1.80 during the regular season, threw triple-digit heat, topping out at 103.5 mph on the first pitch of the game. The Rays finally started making a dent on him in the fourth. Aranda walked, Caminero scorched a double to center, and Liam Hicks grounded out to bring Aranda home. DeLuca flew out, leaving Caminero at third, and it was 2-1.

Then the basepaths started taking bites out of the line.

Victor Mesa Jr. singled to open the fifth and moved to second, only to be thrown out by Contreras trying to steal third with two outs. Mesa got some payback in the bottom half, starting a relay that nailed Hamilton at third after a double to right.

In the sixth, Aranda singled off reliever Abner Uribe and was cut down stealing second on the same pitch Simpson struck out on. Normally that’s a hit-and-run you can count on like the sun rising but tonight it did not work according to plan. That made three Rays runners erased on the bases in six innings in what ultimately would be a one-run game.

Milwaukee needed only one extra-base hit. Steven Matz wiggled out of two two-out walks in the sixth but walked Cooper Pratt to lead off the seventh. Pratt reached second with two outs, and Kevin Kelly came on to face Chourio, who grounded a single into right. 3-1.

That run looked like a minor detail at the time. It wasn’t.

The Rays bullpen kept the door shut. In the eighth, Garrett Cleavinger and Cole Sulser stranded runners at the corners, with Caminero handling three plays at third, including a bunt he caught on a line. Aaron Ashby, meanwhile, set down all five Rays he saw for Milwaukee.

That set up the ninth, and the closest the Rays came to reeling it in. Díaz grounded out, but Aranda singled for his third hit and Simpson followed with another. Jorge Mateo ran for Aranda, the two pulled off a double steal, and Caminero walked to load the bases.

Suddenly, a game that felt just out of reach felt like a comeback was moving from possible to probable.

Hicks hit a hard grounder to Turang that was initially called a game-ending double play. Tampa Bay challenged the call at second, and it was overturned because Pratt’s foot was off the base, and suddenly the game was still breathing. Mateo scored as a result; Simpson was on third with the tying run, and Caminero was at second with the go-ahead run. Hicks had driven in both Rays runs without a hit. If the Rays pulled off the win, it would have been one of the most impactful replay reviews in history.

DeLuca, though, struck out swinging, and the tension in the game and proverbial fishing line went slack.

The Brewers are now 5-0 at home this postseason. The Rays get another chance in Game 2 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with Drew Rasmussen starting opposite Logan Henderson.

The Dodgers didn’t have a number of relievers in the postseason.

The back-to-back World Series champions were swept in the National League Championship Series by Brewers, missing key bullpen staples such as Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, and Will Klein.

Klein, who emerged as a World Series hero for the Dodgers in 2025, underwent successful offseason surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. The reliever shared the news on his Instagram Stories.

Klein sported a 3.67 ERA with 49 strikeouts across 41.2 innings pitched in 2026. The right-hander landed on the injured list in August with right elbow discomfort and missed the remainder of the season because of the injury.

In 2025, Klein became an unlikely hero for the Dodgers in World Series Game 3, the infamous 18-inning thrilled that lasted more than six hours. Klein tossed four scoreless innings, entering in the 15th frame and finishing the game as the Dodgers’ final reliever in the bullpen.

His shutout performance helped the Dodgers defeat the Blue Jays 6-5 in a wild Game 3.

The Dodgers acquired Klein in a minor league trade with the Mariners last June. The reliever is set to be ready for the 2027 season as the Dodgers look to bounce back after an early postseason exit this year.

MILWAUKEE — Trevor Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca with runners on second and third to wiggle out of a ninth-inning jam as the Milwaukee Brewers escaped with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

DeLuca’s strikeout came after Tampa Bay’s Liam Hicks had grounded into an apparent game-ending double play that was overturned after a video review. Replays determined that Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt’s right foot was slightly off the bag when he reached to catch a high throw from second baseman Brice Turang.

“You have a big range of emotions,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “It’s a big credit to Trev for locking back in right there and making some huge pitches after you have that emotional dump and then have to get back on it.”

Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five innings to earn the victory.

“Not perfect, but good enough to get a win,” he said.

Yelich hit an RBI triple to spark a two-run rally in the first that put the Brewers ahead for good and delighted a sellout crowd reveling in Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982. Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including an RBI single. Contreras also threw out two runners trying to steal.

This marks the first World Series featuring two teams seeking their first championship since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in six games. The only other major league clubs without a World Series title are the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.

The Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series 62.8% of the time.

Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 and hadn’t put a runner on since the sixth inning until it mounted its comeback attempt in the ninth.

Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson hit consecutive one-out singles off Megill. A double steal involving pinch-runner Jorge Mateo and Simpson put the potential tying run in scoring position with Rays slugger Junior Caminero at the plate. Caminero walked on a 3-2 pitch in the dirt to load the bases.

Hicks hit a grounder to the right side, and Turang ranged well to his left to field the ball before throwing to Pratt to start what initially was ruled a game-ending double play.

Fireworks went off, players poured onto the field and Milwaukee fans roared — before the crowd hushed as it watched the play again on the videoboard.

A replay review determined Pratt’s right foot came off the bag as he caught Turang’s throw. Hicks was still out at first, but the Rays now had runners at second and third with the score 3-2.

“I thought Coop had him, and obviously I was wrong,” Misiorowski said.

Megill finally closed the deal as DeLuca struck out swinging.

“You just have to lock it back in,” Yelich said. “It’s the World Series — you have to do what you have to do to make things happen.”

By sweeping the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, the Brewers had time to set up their rotation the way they wanted by handing the Game 1 start to Misiorowski, the hard-throwing NL Cy Young Award favorite.

Misiorowski opened the game by throwing the fastest pitch ever delivered in a World Series, a 103.5 mph ball to Yandy Díaz. The right-hander finished with a season-low three strikeouts.

“Look, he’s so talented. He’s such a special pitcher. I felt like for him to be out of the game at five innings, there’s a small win in that,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The problem is when you knock him out of the game, you’ve got just an elite bullpen that can match up and come in the ballgame like they did and kept us quiet there.”

While Milwaukee started with its ace, Tampa Bay countered with Nick Martinez to give two-time All-Star pitchers Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta an extra day of rest. Martinez struck out five and allowed two runs over five innings, but a slow start proved costly.

Chourio lined a single to right field on Martinez’s first pitch, and Yelich drove him home with a one-out triple to center. DeLuca covered 85 feet to track down Yelich’s drive but just missed making a diving catch as the ball glanced off his glove.

“I thought Jonny covered a lot of ground right there to even make that play close,” Cash said. “I don’t think we did too many things wrong. They did some things right. Squared some balls up.”

Yelich was batting third in the lineup for the first time since Aug. 3. The three-time All-Star and 2018 NL MVP posted the lowest on-base percentage (.315) and OPS (.692) of his career, but he has stepped up his since being named the first team captain in franchise history the final week of the regular season.

He was the seventh player to triple in his first World Series plate appearance, and the first since Kansas City’s Lynn Jones in 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Contreras knocked home Yelich with a line-drive single to left that was deflected by shortstop Taylor Walls with the infield playing in.

Tampa Bay got a run back in the fourth.

Aranda drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third when Caminero doubled on a one-out liner with a 112.7 mph exit velocity that sailed over center fielder Garrett Mitchell and off his outstretched glove. Aranda came home on Hicks’ groundout to the right side.

Milwaukee extended the lead to 3-1 in the seventh. Pratt drew a leadoff walk from Steven Matz and scored from second when Chourio greeted Kevin Kelly with a two-out single.

That insurance run proved critical.

“The guys settled in right away and did a great job,” Yelich said. “We still have a ways to go, but it’s nice to get that first one.”

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers fans patiently waited 44 years for this night, and three hours later, with hoarse throats and weary legs, oh, was it ever worth it.

The Brewers, in front of 43,250 screaming fans who stood most of the game Friday at American Family Field, delivered a powerful victory in Game 1 of the World Series, 3-2, over the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was hardly easy, with the Rays refusing to fade into the night, but the Rays were their own worst enemy, three times running into outs on the bases, and having two balls glance off their gloves in the field.

“This team was the best team in the National League," Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda said before Game 1, “best team in baseball for a reason. … They do almost everything well."

WORLD SERIES: Brewers manager with Springsteen tattoo got call from The Boss

The Brewers, led by ace Jacob Misiorowski, dominated for five innings, and then sat back and watched the Brewers’ bullpen completely suffocate the Rays’ offense. The Brewers’ bullpen pitched four shutout innings, giving up just two singles, while Aaron Ashby continued his brilliance, pitching 1 ⅔ shutout innings. He has pitched 14 shutout innings this postseason, giving up just four hits.

The Brewers had just two extra-base hits without a homer, but scrapped and clawed their way to three runs with the top four hitters in the lineup_Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, Christian Yelich and William Contreras_producing six of their eight hits. They did most of their damage in the first inning with Chourio leading off with a single, Yelich hitting a one-out triple to center field field that glanced off Jonny DeLuca’s glove with Contreras following with a sharp single off shortstop Taylor Walls with a drawn-in infield.

But the real heroes, the Brewers say, are their fans.

MILWAUKEE – William Contreras is already having a historic run through this postseason. The Tampa Bay Rays certainly didn’t need to play into his hands in Game 1 of the World Series.

Yet over the course of just a few innings, Contreras, the Milwaukee Brewers’ dynamic catcher, showed just how much he can control a single baseball game – on both sides of the ball.

It is not often that one man smokes his team’s hardest-hit ball of the night for a run-scoring hit that stood up as the winning run, then snuffs out two of the opposition’s scoring chances by cutting down baserunners foolhardy enough to run on him.

Contreras, though, is truly built different.

The three-time All-Star finally has a stage befitting his massive skills and nickname to match – Wild Bill – for the baseball world to appreciate. And Friday, Oct. 23, as Milwaukee was ready to burst over its first World Series appearance in 44 years, Contreras gave them what they asked for as he commanded the Brewers’ 3-2 victory before 43,250 giddy onlookers at American Family Field.

Milwaukee takes a 1-0 lead into Saturday’s Game 2, thanks to a victory in a game that was taut yet also featured several unforced errors by the Rays.

Then again, Contreras forced the issue on numerous occasions.