SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT , PA - AUGUST 17: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners watches a game with Little League athletes during the visit to the Little League International Complex at Little League International Complex on Sunday, August 17, 2025 in South Williamsport , Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cole Young is here for a reason.
Young made his MLB debut on May 31, 2025, after a carousel of misbegotten second basemen struggled to hold down the position… for the eighth year in a row. The Mariners haven’t found competence at second base since Robinson Canó was suspended in May 2018. It’s not been for a lack of effort or creativity, as they’ve trotted out prospects and veterans and platoons and Donovan Walton. But the “2Bs who were not to be” (sorry) posted a combined .651 OPS from 2018 through 2024 — dead last in MLB.
Young, unfortunately, carried the torch. He posted a .607 OPS (81 wRC+) in 257 plate appearances. His playing time evaporated as the season got late and outcomes mattered more. He didn’t play in the postseason.
It’s unclear what Young’s role will be in 2026. The Mariners on Monday added Brendan Donovan to the infield depth chart. Donovan plays several positions, but the one he’s played the most (and the best) is second base. It’s possible he’ll play third base instead, as the trade that brought him here coincidentally opened a hole there. But tip-top prospect Colt Emerson is expected to tryout for third in Spring Training, pitting Young in a staring contest with his precocious mirror.
Don’t expect Young to blink first, though. There were still several positives to take from his rookie year. First and foremost, this pitch:
I’m rarely stunned by baseball, but that stunned me. Young hit a middle-middle fastball from Kumar Rocker 456 feet into the second deck at T-Mobile Park. It was the longest home run hit at T-Mobile Park in 2025 and one of the 10 longest in Seattle in the Statcast Era.
Young hit the ball 114.1 mph, which places him in the top 10% by max velocity. That’s crucial. As Davy Andrews pointed out for Fangraphs (in a post about a young Victor Robles), rookie max exit velocity is one of the strongest predictors of future performance. Here’s how he summarized the results (in a separate post worth reading):
… for rookies with at least 200 balls in play, wRC+ was less predictive of their future performance than max exit velocity. That blew my mind. Knowing just one measurement, the velocity of a player’s hardest-hit ball, was more useful than knowing about their overall performance through their entire rookie season.
I think Young’s blast was a bit anomalous, even for the concept of “max” exit velocity. His Prospect Savant profile shows solid but less spectacular peak power data, and Fangraphs offers a similar report. Though it’s worth considering this quote from Director of Player Development Justin Toole in an interview with David Laurila where he says all the things you’d expect someone to say about Young and then slips in, “I think Cole’s power at times will surprise you.” So one person wasn’t stunned.
It won’t be necessary for Young to hit the ball that hard all the time. Nearly a quarter of the balls he put in play last year were in the air to pull side, which was solidly above average. Maybe it’s obvious, but its good to hit the ball in the air because that’s a perquisite for getting it over the fence, and its good to the ball to the pull side because that’s where the fence is the closest. Cal Raleigh lead the league by that stat in 2025, if further endorsement is needed.
That’s a tremendously exciting premise. Young’s ascendant tool in the minor leagues wasn’t his power but “contact and hitability,” in the words of Toole. Basically, he had a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio. That seemed to transfer over in his rookie season , with a 18.3% strikeout rate and a 10.9% walk rate. He whiffed a bit more than expected (just about the median), but his knowledge of the strike zone was as advertised. He looks like a legitimate “guy who would have batted second 30 years ago” …. while still having the modern “anybody can hit 20 home runs” dressings. That gives him a few believable paths to success. The industry seems to agree: :
It’s not just the Mariners who like Young, either. One rival executive describes Young as “the league model darling right now,” pointing out that analytically based projection systems value him more highly than scouts do.
I’m curious to see what if any adjustments Young makes this offseason. An 81 wRC+ with interesting peripherals is still an 81 wRC+. Often it seemed he was swinging too big and throwing his timing off because of it. The data potentially supports that theory. He got torched by fastballs, swung at pitches very deep in the zone, and swung at full strength more often than most (as the plot below shows). Maybe it’s just about telling him to chill. Or maybe the approach is fine and the timing will eventually catch up. I don’t expect major intervention, regardless.
It’s harder to find nice things to say about the glove. It was bad. Terrible, even. He posted -9 OAA in less than half a season, making him one of the worst infielders in MLB on a rate basis. He especially struggled going to his right and throwing back across his body. His arm was the third weakest among second baseman; it lacked accuracy, or maybe conviction. He just looked kinda overwhelmed out there.
The extent to which Young struggled is surprising more than anything. Fangraphs scouted him well above average in the field heading into 2025. While public scouting isn’t fully prescient, OOPSY projection system creator Jordan Rosenblum points out Fangraphs is generally pretty good at estimating defensive ability. I just don’t think scouts would have graded him as positively as they did if they were seeing the types of plays in the video above. To me that implies an aberration, or maybe an injury. And conveniently, there were reports that he injured his throwing arm early in the season. Maybe his defense will have healed come Spring.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence Young survived the offseason in Seattle, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence they’ve left some playing time up for grabs. His rookie season did not go well, but he’s tremendously talented with a nearly unlimited ceiling. As the Mariners search for a second baseman approaches a decade, perhaps Young is meant to be.
North Carolina's Kane Kepley (27) prepares to run to first base after getting a hit against Arizona late in the game. The North Carolina Tarheels and the Arizona Wildcats met in game two of the NCAA Division 1 Super Regionals in Chapel Hill, N.C. on June 7, 2025. | Steven Worthy / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s our fourth day of counting down the Cubs top prospects and now we’re getting to the really interesting part.
6. Kane Kepley. OF. B:L, T:L. DOB: 2/14/2004. 5’8”, 180. Drafted 2nd round (2025) North Carolina.
Kane Kepley had one of the best starts to a professional career of any 2025 draftee. After the Cubs grabbed the Tar Heel speedy outfielder in the second round, they assigned him straight to Low-A Myrtle Beach. In 28 games there, he hit .299/.481/.433 with two home runs and 16 stolen bases in a challenging hitting environment. He also played a terrific center field.
Kepley is an undersized player with a sharp eye at the plate and good contact rates. He rarely chases bad pitches and has good bat speed through the zone to make hard contact. Kepley likes to spray the ball to all fields. His swing is fairly level, but he does manage to get some lift to the pull side that gives him a little power. He’s a terrific baserunner with plus speed. Defensively, Kepley covers a lot of ground in center field.
The biggest knock on Kepley is his size. At just 5’8”, he’s used to getting overlooked. He had to walk on at Liberty for two years before he transferred to North Carolina. Being overlooked may be one reason that Kepley is one of those guys whose motor is seemingly always running.
But for all of Kepley’s considerable skills, his size is an issue. While he does have a little pull-side power, his overall power projection is definitely below average for a starting major league outfielder. He’s already built like Atom Ant (and if anyone wants to give him that nickname, be my guest) so there really isn’t any room on his frame to add any more strength. His arm probably isn’t up to playing right field either, which limits his versatility.
Kepley is most likely heading to High-A South Bend this spring, where he will look to build on his impressive start to his career. While a fourth outfielder is the more likely outcome, Kepley’s ceiling is a starting major league center fielder and old school leadoff hitter who puts the ball in play, gets on base, steals bases and provides good defense in center field. Only a lack of power will prevent him from having a shot at being a true star.
I could probably just cut and paste what I wrote about Long last year. This year, Long made his Triple-A debut, spent the entire season in Iowa and just continued to hit, pretty much every day. He played 140 games in 2025 and put up a line of .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs. He lead the International League with 157 hits. For that, Long was named and IL All-Star and the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year.
Long has some good bat-to-ball skills and a patient eye at the plate. He rarely swings at bad pitches and can make hard contact to all fields. That patience can sometimes drift into passivity, but he kept his strikeout rate at 19.1 percent in Triple-A last year. His walk rate of 13 percent is also good.
There were a few warning signs on Long’s output last year. His fly ball rate dropped in Triple-A last year, replaced by a lot more ground balls. And while he can make good contact against better velocity, he does tend to drive fastballs to right and right-center field. Going the other way is good, but there is some concern that he might struggle against elite velocity in the major leagues.
Those notes are nitpicking. More seriously, Long is a right-handed first baseman with good but not elite power. The standards for a first-division starter with that profile are sky-high and Long’s ceiling may not go up that far. The Cubs have tried him in left field and third base, but he projects to be well below average at both positions. He’s also blocked at first base by Michael Busch. That may make his biggest value to the Cubs is as a tradable asset.
Long has a very good chance of being a solid everyday first baseman with good on-base skills, decent defense and above-average power. He may not produce enough that good teams won’t be looking to upgrade on him regularly, however. But what he can produce is still pretty good. A lot of pennants have been lost because a team had someone worse than Long in an everyday role.
Here’s a collection of highlights from Long in 2025.
8. Pedro Ramirez. 2B/3B. B:S, T:R. DOB: 04/01/2004. 5’9”, 165. International free agent (2021) Venezuela.
Ramirez is one Cubs minor leaguer who increased his stock over the past year. Moving up a level to Knoxville, Ramirez managed to both increase his power and contact rates. As a 21-year-old in Double-A, he hit .280/.346/.381 with 8 home runs win 129 games. The Cubs were impressed enough with Ramirez to add him to the 40-man roster over the winter.
Despite moving up a level in 2025, Ramirez cut his strikeout percentage from 18.1 percent down to 15.1 with no change in his walk rates. He’s an aggressive hitter at the plate, but his excellent contact rates keeps his strikeout totals down. Ramirez is excellent at making contact and generally hard contact. As a switch-hitter, Ramirez hits for a much higher batting average right-handed (.316 vs. .269 last year) but he has much more power from the left side. All eight of his home runs last year were against right-handed pitching and all four of his home runs in 2024 were against righties as well.
The increase in Ramirez’s power in 2025 was a pleasant development. Against right-handers, at least, it now projects out to be at least average. (Against left-handers is a different story.) I wouldn’t be surprised if Ramirez hit double-digit home runs in Iowa this year.
Defensively, Ramirez is above-average at both second and third base. He won a minor league Gold Glove at third base last year, although I maintain he’s more good than great. (Happy to be wrong on that point.) His arm is easily strong enough to handle third. He doesn’t really have the range to play shortstop on anything more than an fill-iin basis, unfortunately, and that limits his utility as a potential backup infielder.
Ramirez is a very quick baserunner who stole 28 bases last year. That he was caught ten times indicates that he needs to learn to pick his spots better, but there’s no reason to think that Ramirez couldn’t be a threat on the bases in the major leagues.
Ramirez should start the season in Iowa and his status on the 40-man roster means he could make his major-league debut as soon as there is an opening in the infield. He projects out to be an average starting second or third baseman in the majors (I like his bat better at second) for a good team or an excellent bench player.
9. Cole Mathis 1B/3B. B:R, T:R. DOB: 7/25/2003. 6’1, 210”. Drafted 2nd round (2024), College of Charleston.
Mathis came into the 2025 season with high expectations and left it with a lot of question marks. Coming off of Tommy John surgery in 2024, Mathis was expected to DH for most of the season and then work his way back into the field by August or so. Instead, Mathis played just 29 games as a designated hitter until the Cubs shut him down with soreness in his reconstructed elbow. He did return in time for the Arizona Fall League and played both first and third base there.
It’s hard to judge what Mathis did last year for the Pelicans because it was so short and he was playing hurt. Still, he showed some real power promise with 13 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple and three home runs) out of 23 total hits. His batting average of .215 may look disappointing, but that seems to be the result of an unnaturally-low batting average on balls in play of .263 that presumably would have evened out with more at-bats. Mathis’ exit velocities were down from what they were in college, presumably because of his elbow issues. They were still good.
In the AFL, Mathis hit .280/.439/.400 with two home runs in 16 games. It’s hard to read much into AFL stats because of the unusual pro-offense environment of that league, but Mathis did seem to be swinging the bat much more freely. He was also playing defense, which is a good sign even though it was too small of a sample to get any real read of how he was out there.
Mathis shows a good eye at the plate, striking out 22.7 percent of the time and walking 13.3 percent. For someone just making his pro debut and coming off an injury, that’s not bad. At College of Charleston, he showed elite bat-to-ball skills and there’s reason to believe that he’ll return to that with more health and experience. His on-base percentage of .336 and his slugging percentage of .402 were quite good for the offensively-challenged Carolina League and Pelican Park.
Defensively, the Cubs are putting a lot of eggs in the basket that Mathis can play third base. He definitely has the arm for the position as he was a two-way player at Charleston and probably could have been drafted as a pitcher. But he’s mostly played first base in the field where he’s decent and most observers think he’d be challenged at third base. Mathis’ bat projects out to be average or better at third base but probably average or below at first, so showing he can handle the hot corner is crucial to his value.
Mathis is still pretty much what he was when the Cubs drafted him in the second round in 2024. A hard-hitting corner infielder with an very good eye for the strike zone and plus bat-to-ball skills. He’s also capable of above-average to plus power at the major league level. But he’s also got to get healthy and find a defensive position before we really know what the Cubs have in Mathis.
Ayers was already getting some attention with an improved second-season in Low-A Myrtle Beach last year, but a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League (.379/.539/.591) pushed him into the top 10. Even taking into account that he was facing a lot of poor pitching in a hitter-friendly environment, that was a strong showing in the AFL for someone who had never played above Low-A.
After struggling with the Pelicans in 2024 (albeit in just 18 games), Ayers returned to Low-A for 2025. That’s not encouraging for a player taken as a fifth-year senior, but he is a relatively new convert to catching, having not taken to the position full-time until his senior year at Marshall. He played 65 games before breaking his hand in July missing the rest of the season. Ayers’ overall line as a 24-year-old in Low-A, .238/.341/.420 doesn’t pop off the page, but he did hit .258/.371/.433 away from the cavern of Pelicans Park. He also made up for some lost time in the AFL.
Ayers is a switch-hitting catcher who makes consistent hard contact, at least from the left side of the plate. His power numbers are kept modest because his level swing doesn’t get a lot of lift on the ball, but average power potential is there if he can learn to put a little lift off the bat. He makes good swing decisions at the plate and is a relatively disciplined hitter. Ayers is a much better hitter from the left-side than the right, to the point where you wonder if he’d be better off giving up switch-hitting.
Ayers has a cannon behind the plate, but right now his inexperience at the position is hurting him. He’s got the size and tools to be an above-average defensive catcher with a plus arm, but right now he’s still struggling with the non-throwing parts of playing the position. I believe that’s mostly inexperience. There isn’t any physical reason he couldn’t improve, but you can never really tell how a player will handle the mental demands of catching. I’m optimistic that Ayers will improve, but you can never be sure. We should get more answers in South Bend this summer.
Working against Ayers is that he’s awfully old for someone who hasn’t played above Low-A. But catchers often develop late because of the demands of the position, so the Cubs can afford to be patient. His upside is an average defensive catcher with a plus-plus arm who platoons with another catcher who can murder left-handers. His offensive ceiling is a .250 or so hitter who draws a fair number of walks and hits for average power. Since there’s really no such thing as a backup catcher in the majors anymore, that’s good enough to have a significant career if his defense develops like I believe it can.
Here’s a collection of highlights from the AFL this past year.
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 05: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees takes batting practice prior to Game Two of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday, October 5, 2025 in TorontoOntario, Canada. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Any description of José Caballero’s playing style will probably include something along the lines of “pest” or “hate him on other teams, love him when he plays for your team.” Well, as of last year at the trade deadline, he’s on our team.
Going into 2026, the Yankees will now have Caballero to start the season, and — at least at the beginning of the year — he’ll have a bigger role. Can “Cabby” keep up his play or will the utility infielder end up being a utility infielder again?
As mentioned, the Yankees are going to have to rely on Caballero a decent amount, at least to start 2026. After the Yankees were eliminated this past October, shortstop Anthony Volpe underwent shoulder surgery and will almost certainly be out to start the season. At least with the current roster makeup, that leaves Caballero as the most obvious option to start at that spot to open the season.
Considering how Volpe’s career has gone so far and how Caballero played after coming to the Bronx, there are people out there who will suggest that the move should be a full time change. You can make up your own minds on that one, but it’s unlikely that the Yankees will do that. Caballero could maybe force the Yankees’ hands by getting off to a hot start and keeping it up, but we shall see.
It’s fairly easy to throw cold water on that notion, mainly because Caballero’s play after coming to the Yankees — especially at the plate — is just way out of line with his career numbers. Even with the 134 wRC+ after the trade, his career number sits at 91. Sure, he put up decent hitting numbers in his minor league career, so maybe the coaching staff and playing in Yankee Stadium more unlocked something, but I think in the long run, he’s probably a below average hitter.
That being said, even if he doesn’t hit anywhere close to what he did in his 40 Yankees’ games so far, he can still very much be a useful player. His defensive numbers grade out well at almost every defensive position that he’s played. According to Outs Above Average, center field is the only position he’s been a negative defender at, and he’s only played a handful of innings there. Beyond that, he’s also proven to be a very capable base runner. His 49 stolen bases last year lead all of MLB. While that total is far from the ones Rickey Henderson used to put up when he was leading the league, that’s obviously still a good amount. Especially so considering that Caballero got less than 400 plate appearances last year, meaning that he wasn’t leading off and playing every game.
With his speed and flexibility in the field, Caballero pretty perfectly fits the “pest” category and should be a useful player for the 2026 Yankees, even if he’s not a star with the bat.
Jan 21, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) reacts to a play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards made big splashes that changed their future outlook. Those pieces won’t be available tonight, but both franchises are trending up.
Though there’s been progress on the Wizards’ side, there’s still a ginormous gap between them and the Pistons currently. The Wizards have one of the worst offenses and defenses in the association, while the Pistons have performed like the best team in the conference.
Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris are questionable due to Cade’s wrist and Harris’ hip, but the Pistons have shown they can win with their leaders off the floor. Daniss Jenkins, who would take most of the ball-handling duties, is out too. It will be interesting to see how the Pistons divvy up the playmaking in this one.
Game Vitals
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
How: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -14.5
Analysis
The Pistons odds to win these games, provided by FanDuel, still crack me up sometimes. Detroit has been so dominant, and these spreads reflect that. The Wizards are the Wizards, but Detroit hasn’t been an underdog in one of my previews in quite some time. This is good hoops.
They’re coming off a crunch-time win over the Denver Nuggets. Denver crept back after Detroit had a sizeable lead, but the Pistons continued to power through.
Washington doesn’t provide the same challenges as Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić. Rookie microwave scorer Tre Johnson is out tonight. He’s a natural bucket-getter who can do some of the same stuff Murray can do with range shooting. Alex Sarr is a promising second-year player who is probably more of a four than a five.
The fact that they could buy low on Anthony Davis, paired with putting him at the five next to Sarr, is the main reason they pursued Davis, if you ask me. Those two plus Kyshawn George in the frontcourt is intriguing.
Trae Young’s defensive woes are well-documented; those two bigs can cover for him as much as anyone could, and Young will make their lives easier in PnR possessions.
The Pistons big swing came in the form of spacing. Duncan Robinson, who torched Denver with six made 3s, is the only shooter on the roster that coaches designate as can’t leave. Teams are fine allowing Detroit off-ball players to let it fly, whether they’ve made a couple or not.
Kevin Huerter isn’t shooting the leather off the ball, but teams still respect him as a dead-eye shooter. Once you get that “there’s the shooter” reputation, it really never goes away. Jaden Ivey has shot it better than Huerter over the last few years, but he’ll probably never bend defenders the way Huerter does.
I’m hopeful that playing next to an elite playmaker like Cade can unlock Huerter again. Even if he doesn’t return to 40 percent form, he’ll still provide space for Cade and Jalen Duren to operate.
Huerter is listed as day-to-day tonight, but if Cade doesn’t play, it’s another opportunity for the young core to show their chops. We’ll probably see more Point Ausar and a more scoring-aggressive Ron Holland. He hasn’t put up double-digit shot attempts since January 10th. Caris LeVert is not a part of the young core but will get plenty of on-ball reps.
JD has elite impact and was named an All-Star for a reason. The sky is the limit. I don’t know if he’ll ever average those ’03 Ben Wallace 15 boards for a full season, but 25ish points per game isn’t that crazy. His improvement this year makes me believe anything is possible with him — still only 22 years old.
These squads are built backwards. Detroit’s young core includes the best player on the roster. Washington’s young core (Sarr, Johnson, George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington?) is solid, but their best players are now Young and Davis. They’re mixing timelines, while the Pistons will grow and possibly peak together.
The Detroit Tigers are well-positioned to triumph in the land of the indifferent.
All it took was one handshake with Framber Valdez and a short-term commitment to the left-hander to ensure the 2026 Tigers will be significant favorites in the American League Central, where five teams worth a combined $8 billion typically engage in an annual ritual of seeing who can do less.
The Tigers decided to zag: While the modern fan has been conditioned into the loser mindset of "you better trade a guy before you get nothing," Detroit instead took the more appropriate tack of surrounding Tarik Skubal with another elite arm in his almost certainly final year in Motown.
And they even locked up a replacement when he walks. Novel, isn't it?
In signing Valdez to a three-year, $115.5 million contract, the Tigers immediately trot out the AL's most dominant 1-2 punch, a duo perhaps rivaled in Boston or Toronto or Seattle but still can't match the raw dominance of possessing the game's most dominant pitchers and also one of its rocks.
Skubal's greatness is well-documented. Valdez's is a little sneakier, his greatest value coming in the 180 to 200 excellent innings he typically provides every season. Lest we forget, he was the lead blocker in the 2022 Astros' push to the World Series title, going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA, the Astros winning all four of his starts.
Certainly, a late-season kerfuffle involving his catcher might have dampened his value on the market a tad, but that's the Tigers' gain. And besides, his $38.3 million deal is still the largest per annum for a left-handed free agent.
You'd think stretching for a free agent prize might be out of the Tigers' realm. Then again, memories are short, and baseball's bean counters seem to like it this way.
This is a franchise that once extended future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a $202 million deal and also fellow Cooperstown lock Miguel Cabrera on a $292 million pact. Amid all that, they saw fit to sign free agent pitcher Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year, $110 million deal.
That came in November 2015. Have baseball's revenues increased since then? (Don't answer that).
That money spends well in the Central, where the biggest-market team (Chicago) has never spent more than $75 million on a free agent, where Cleveland likes to pretend any star unwilling to sign a below-market extension must hit the trading block after three years, where Kansas City will nip around the edges until strong-arming any municipality that will have them into a new ballpark, where Minnesota takes on new investors and rotates family members as "control people" as if it doesn't have the greatest ballpark in the division.
No, opportunity is ripe and as we know, consistent access to the playoffs is the most important piece to winning a World Series. Signing Valdez - who can opt out of his deal after the 2027 season - and pairing him with Skubal almost guarantees the Tigers an October ticket, and a favorable set-up when they get there.
Even if it's just one year, what an opportunity. And the Tigers can always come back and reassemble after Skubal leaves. The door should still be left wide open.
It’s NBA Trade Deadline Day, which means there’s betting value all over the player prop markets.
I’ve found my three favorites, which include Jalen Suggs bringing the magic back to the Orlando offense, and Quentin Grimes lighting up the scoreboard in La La Land.
Those and more NBA picks for Thursday, February 5, are below.
Jalen Suggs has been a cash machine with his assists prop since he returned to the lineup, and I love him to keep dishing out the dimes against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Orlando Magic point guard is averaging 6.3 assists in six games, and now faces a Nets team that struggles to stop everything.
The Nets rank 26th in defensive rating and are next to last in opponent assists per possession.
Suggs has topped 5.5 assists five times during this stretch, so getting the Over at plus money is too good to pass up.
The Golden State Warriors are missing an interior presence, and trading for Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t do much to change that.
Besides, he’s still a few games out from playing. In recent games, the Dubs have allowed 12 points to Andre Drummond, 21 to Jalen Duren, and 15 to Rudy Gobert.
So, containing Mark Williams will be a tough task. The Phoenix Suns center is averaging 12.3 points per game and is coming off an impressive 24-point performance against the Trail Blazers.
I’m betting Williams has another big night against the overmatched and undersized Warriors.
Quentin Grimes looks ready to step up in Paul George's absence and has started this road trip on the right foot.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ shooting guard has put up 14 and 10 points in wins over the Clippers and Warriors, going 4-for-11 from 3-point range.
Tonight, the Sixers head back down the coast to take on the Los Angeles Lakers, who continue to struggle defending the perimeter, ranking 24th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
Grimes will take advantage of this added opportunity and cash this plus-money bet.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Leicester breached PSR rules for period ending 2023-24
Club outside the relegation zone on goal difference
Leicester City have been deducted six points after being found in breach of the Premier League’s financial rules. The punishment, determined by an independent disciplinary commission, leaves them outside the Championship relegation zone on goal difference.
A hearing took place in November after Leicester were alleged to have breached profitability and sustainability regulations for the three-season period ending with 2023-24. There were also two further charges against the club for failing to cooperate and failing to submit their financial accounts on time.
Mar 29, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard (10) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Hawks remained busy on deadline day. After getting a strong last month from their offseason guard acquisition, Luke Kennard is now on the move to the Western Conference. This from Shams Charania of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard, sources tell ESPN.
Kennard is shooting a league-leading 49.7% from three after taking criticism for his passivity to begin his stint with the Hawks this season. In comes Gabe Vincent, a forgotten man in Los Angeles who broke out with the Miami Heat during their most recent run to the NBA Finals.
Vincent makes $500,000 more than Kennard ($11 million) in salary, but both player’s deals are up after this season. This move seems primarily motivated by picking up the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks requested waivers on injured center Duop Reath on Thursday, four days after he was acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Hawks sent forward Vit Krejci to Portland on Sunday in exchange for Reath and second-round draft picks in 2027 and 2030.
Reath hasn’t played since Jan. 18. He underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot last week and is expected to miss the rest of the season after averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 rebounds.
The Hawks made another move on Wednesday when they acquired center Jock Landale from the Utah Jazz for cash considerations. Landale was traded to Atlanta one day after being traded from Memphis to Utah as part of an eight-player trade.
Landale, 30, averaged 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 45 games, including 25 starts, for Memphis.
On Wednesday night, Atlanta traded center Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State in exchange for forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield.
There is one place we have talked about a lot in passing when discussing the Washington Nationals coaching hires. That place is Driveline Baseball. So many of the Nats new coaches have ties to the famed baseball lab. I wanted to do a deeper dive on Driveline and talk about why so many Nats coaches are coming from there.
In short, Driveline is an incubator for some of the brightest young baseball minds out there. Paul Toboni clearly wanted to build a staff full of bright young minds, so Driveline is a great place to look. ESPN actually did a great profile on Driveline last week which was a great read. It dug into how Driveline is trying to change the game for hitters.
I spent two days in Arizona last week with 22-year-old White Sox catcher Edgar Quero as he went through Driveline’s hitting program for the first time.
Driveline Baseball emerged as the place to go for players who wanted to improve their game. It was founded by Kyle Boddy back in 2007, but did not really emerge as the place to be until about a decade later. As the Moneyball era evolved into the Statcast era, Driveline was the place to be, especially for pitchers.
It was where pitchers went if they wanted to increase velocity or learn new pitches. Driveline’s state of the art cameras and high level instructors help players learn more about their bodies. If they have a mechanical flaw that costs them velocity, Driveline will fix it. If they need to overhaul their arsenal, Driveline will show them new pitch grips. A good example of the ladder is Luis Severino, who totally overhauled his arsenal which helped him get a big contract.
New Nationals pitching coach Simon Mathews actually worked at Driveline for a bit. He was also involved in another similar pitching lab. After doing that, he found his way into pro ball. He was a rehab specialist for the Reds before becoming their assistant pitching coach last year. After a year of being an assistant, he took the pitching coach job with the Nats.
Mathews is far from the only Nats coach to have Driveline connections. Minor League pitching coach Luke Dziados also came from Driveline. However, the Nats went even more Driveline heavy on the hitting side. While Driveline started as mostly a pitching lab, they have been changing the game for hitting development lately as documented in the ESPN story.
With that in mind, the Nats took two of Driveline’s top hitting minds. The first guy I want to discuss is Travis Fitta, who is now an assistant hitting coach in AAA. Earlier this offseason, before he was hired by the Nats, Fitta was working with Jacob Young. Driveline put out a really cool video of their session together.
"That was so unbelievably insane. But that's like such a good athletic movement." Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young joins Hitting Coordinator Travis Fitta in this swing design. Full video on YouTube ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6uLnluCQgS
Fitta’s main emphasis was trying to translate the athleticism Young has on the field to his hitting. The way he talks about hitting is so impressive and high level. It is so scientific which really interests me. Young seems to be leaving a lot of meat on the bone from a biomechanics standpoint, and Fitta was trying to fix that. His specialty is optimizing these players’ swings.
I think this will be very helpful for Nats in the MLB and in the minors. One guy that stands out to me that Fitta will be working with is Yohandy Morales. The former second round pick has so much raw power, but his swing is not optimized. He hardly ever pulls the ball and hits it on the ground a lot. This tells me that Morales is not on time consistently due to his swing. Hopefully Fitta can change that.
At the MLB level, Andrew Aydt was added as an assistant hitting coach. Aydt was the assistant director of hitting at Driveline and helped players like Ivan Herrera take the next steps in their development. Now, he will get the chance to work with the likes of James Wood, Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile every day.
Some Nationals coaching news: Washington is planning to hire Andrew Aydt as its assistant hitting coach, per sources.
Aydt serves as the assistant director of hitting for Driveline Baseball.
After looking at Driveline, and the kind of people they attract, it is easy to see why Paul Toboni is poaching their employees. They are full of young people who are at the cutting edge of baseball. That certainly fits the Toboni ethos of creating a player development monster.
Toboni wants the Nats to be a place to be for young, up and coming minds. It is only natural then that he is poaching from Driveline, which is currently the place to be for those people. The Nationals will be all in on things like adding pitches or making data backed swing changes. That should really excite you if you are a Nats fan.
For players that want to improve their game, Driveline is the place to go. You can only go to Driveline in the offseason though. Toboni is bringing Driveline into the organization so players can improve their games in season. The Drivelineification of the Washington Nationals is very exciting and will be something to watch this season in the MLB and on the farm.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 03: Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on April 03, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers finally made a move at the trade deadline on Thursday morning, joining the madness that began earlier in the week.
A host of big name free agents have been moved, all in fairly surprising deals, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is still on the board. As we count down the final hours until the deadline, here’s a place for everyone to react to the news around the league while we keep you updated on the other deals across the NBA.
The Mavs get a real point guard just in time to tank
After spending most the year trying to win and not having a point guard, the Mavs traded away AD, are trying to tank and have a point guard now.
The Charlotte Hornets are trading Tyus Jones to the Dallas Mavericks for Malaki Branham, sources tell ESPN. Mavericks have had interest in Jones this season and get him today. Hornets open up a $7 million trade exception.
A former baby Laker is on his way to the East as the Clippers continue their teardown. Surely, the deal will be for nothing more than Mike Muscala. I will never forgive you, Magic.
Also, the protections on the 2026 first round pick are wild.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/eu6KtWgA9j
No matter how bad things get for the Lakers, just know you’re not Philly, who spends each trade deadline shedding salaries and picks to get under the luxury tax.
The Philadelphia 76ers are trading Eric Gordon and a 2032 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN. This gives the 76ers the flexibility to complete conversion of two-way Dominick Barlow.
Looking to open up roster space to sign their two-way standout, the Nuggets dumped Hunter Tyson and a pick to the Nets for a future second.
The Denver Nuggets are trading Hunter Tyson and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the lesser favorable of a Clippers/Hawks 2026 second, sources tell ESPN. Denver creates an open roster spot for the buyout market and gets out of the luxury tax.
Denver Nuggets will convert swingman Spencer Jones from a two-way contract to a standard contract, league sources tell me. The rookie has had a standout campaign. pic.twitter.com/MGTan23xZq
The Pelicans are trading Jose Alvarado to the Knicks, giving the Knicks some guard depth. For New Orleans, they will have some extra cash, draft picks and Dalen Terry.
The Knicks are sending Dalen Terry, two second-round picks and cash to the Pelicans for Alvarado, sources said. https://t.co/Dqb6As7uAI
After a ton of rumors and hoopla, Giannis Antetokounmpo will not be traded. He will remain in Milwaukee, and we’ll see what happens with him in the summer.
The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.
Minnesota has been in search of a guard for most of the season and eventually found one in Chicago — where they were hoarding them — in Ayo Dosunmu.
Minnesota traded Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to Chicago for Dosunmu and Julian Phillips, sources said. https://t.co/bVhLA9Sb3f
After a breakout Olympics and strong season with the Sixers last year, Yabusele was a bit of a flop in New York, leading to the Knicks trading him to Chicago.
The New York Knicks are trading Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls for Dalen Terry, sources tell ESPN.
Former Jalen Hood-Schifino teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis went from promising rookie season to out of the rotation before being moved to the Raptors on Wednesday.
The Golden State Warriors have traded center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a 2026 second-round pick via the Lakers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6T94OzpLhQ
The long national nightmare finally ended on Wednesday evening with the Warriors packaging Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis, an interesting move for Golden State if the big man is healthy.
BREAKING: The Golden State Warriors are trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/eqNWwCupEZ
American baseball player Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays, March 10th 1981. (Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are going to be (trying) to ask a ‘Question of the Day’ to get a discussion going.
Today’s question is “Which year permanently changed how you watch baseball?”
Hmmmm that’s a tough one for me. I’ve watched baseball my whole life. I guess the change came when Bill James started publishing his ‘Baseball Abstracts’ in the 1980s and, around the same time, started noticing Earl Weaver, and how he managed differently than other managers.
I started looking at the differences among managers (back when each manager had their own way of doing things, one of the things I miss about the old days). Billy Martin would pick four starting pitchers and ride them hard (and, of course, fight with everyone). It would work for a season or two, but then the workload would catch up with them. Of course, Martin knew that he wasn’t going to last long in any job, so why should he worry about the health of his players?
Whitey Herzog built his teams to make the most of the home field. In KC, his team played on a very fast artificial turf and a huge outfield. He used fast outfielders who could cut off balls before they got to the track and, of course, could round the bases when their hits made it to the track. Fly balls died before reaching the wall, so power wasn’t high on his priorities.
Around the same time, the Blue Jays were assembling a young, talented roster, and I found myself enjoying watching them develop before my eyes. Watching Bell, Moseby, Barfield, Mulliniks, Whitt, Stieb and all would make a fan out of anyone.
Anyway, the point of this wasn’t for me to answer the question; it was for you guys to do it. Tell us what year permanently changed how you watch baseball?
TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 17: Ochai Agbaji #30 of the Toronto Raptors warms up ahead of their NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets at Scotiabank Arena on October 17, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We know that’s not very edifying on trade deadline day, but as of Thursday morning with four hours or so to go, it’s where we’re at. The front office has finalized the trade they worked out with the the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers and created the roster space needed for Ochai Agbaji by waiving Haywood Highsmith who the Nets acquired in the summer from Miami but never played for the Brooklyn.
Teams are allowed 15 standard deals (and three two-ways) and with the Agbaji deal, they were looking at 16 standard spots. So someone had to go. The most rumored candidate was Cam Thomas who the Nets left behind in New York, citing personal reasons, when they flew to Orlando for Friday’s game with the Magic. But the 24-year-old remains on the Nets roster.
Before the move, pundits were suggesting that there were various ways for the Nets to move forward on the particulars. Although the initial issue is now solved, what Kevin Pelton and Erik Slater wrote Thursday morning could still have relevance later in the day if the Nets need to make other moves.
As ESPN’s Kevin Pelton notes in his trade grades Thursday morning, the Nets could expand the multi-team deal and work out something a little more complicated using their room MLE. (Pelton gave the Nets a B.)
This is the start of Brooklyn using its position as the only NBA team with appreciable cap space to take on contracts for draft picks. Getting Agbaji leaves the Nets about $9 million below the cap, now less than teams can add using the taxpayer midlevel exception, though they could take on a bigger contract by sending back a smaller one (such as Agbaji’s) or exhaust their space and then use their room midlevel exception to add more salary.
Similarly, Erik Slater wrote this about the possibilities in his trade grade. (Slater gave the Nets an A-)
The Nets can take Agbaji into their $15.3 million in cap space. They could also use their cap space in other salary-dump moves, then absorb the Raptors guard into the $8.8 million room mid-level exception.
The Nets of course have been trying to move Thomas, with his cooperation, since the summer, and could still. But his trade value still seems low. Mike Scotto reported Wednesday that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks had some interest but Aryan Bhullar reported Thursday the Cavs have lost that interest…
League sources say Cleveland had registered interest in Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas prior to Lonzo Ball being routed to Utah, with Milwaukee continuing to be viewed as the strongest suitor for Thomas.
No less of a source than Brian Windhorst has predicted the Nets will be active today. How long will we have to wait? Not long, obviously, 3:00 p.m. ET, no further.
The Celtics began trade deadline week by sending Anfernee Simons to the Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vučević in a significant move for the short term and potentially setting up long-term flexibility for the franchise as they attempt to return to contention. The move, or any others that happen ahead of 3 p.m. on Thursday, will all face an uphill battle in stacking up with some of the most significant moves in franchise history.
Boston built its championship teams through trades as much as they did in the draft, and certainly more than in free agency, where they didn’t strike on a star in his prime until Al Horford in 2016. The Celtics build the Bill Russell and Larry Bird dynasties through shrewd moves, and returned to championship status in 2008 through a pair of blockbuster deals for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s arrivals to Boston came through picks acquired in the Paul Pierce and Garnett deal with the Nets.
CLNS Media’s Nick Gelso counted down the top trades in Celtics history ahead of Thursday’s deadline and settled on five that stood apart from any others.
The Bill Russell draft trade
Celtics receive No. 2 overall pick in the 1956 draft (Bill Russell)
St. Louis Hawks receive Ed MaCauley and Cliff Hagan
The Celtics used their territorial pick in 1956 to select Tommy Heinsohn, and they originally received the 13th overall selection in the draft. Red Auerbach and Celtics owner Walter A. Brown famously angled to prevent the Rochester Royals from selecting Bill Russell by offering guaranteed performances from the Ice Capades. Rochester balked at paying Russell, took Sihugo Green, and the Celtics drafted Russell, pairing him with Heinsohn and K.C. Jones, who they took at 13 as Russell’s teammate from San Francisco. All three made the Basketball Hall-of-Fame and won eight championships together, Russell securing 11 for the franchise while impacting the style of NBA play, solidifying the Celtics’ franchise identity and paving the way for generations of Black players by challenging institutional racism.
Robert Parish and Kevin McHale draft trades
Celtics receive Robert Parish and the No. 3 overall pick (Kevin McHale)
Warriors receive the No. 1 (Joe Barry Carroll) and No. 13 (Rickey Brown) overall picks
The Celtics entered the 1980 draft with the top pick despite going 61-21 in the previous season because they dealt Bob McAdoo to Detroit in September, 1979 for two first round picks. One of them became the top pick, which they traded back to No. 3 from and selected Kevin McHale while acquiring Warriors veteran Robert Parish. Parish joined Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell in the front court and immediately won the 1981 championship with McHale thriving off the bench immediately as a rookie. That core won again in 1984 before McHale moved into the starting lineup in 1986 as part of arguably the greatest team in franchise history. Bird, McHale and Parish played together through 1992, McHale retired in 1993 and Parish departed for Charlotte after 1994. The original Big Three teams went 690-294, won three championships and lost the Finals in 1985 and 1987.
Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett trades
Celtics receive Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and No. 35 overall pick (Glen Davis)
Timberwolves receive Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, 2009 first round pick (Wayne Ellington) and Minnesota’s own first (Jonny Flynn)
The Celtics went 24-58 in 2007 through injuries and with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant looming as two generational prospects atop the draft, Boston received poor lottery luck and fell to the No. 5 overall pick. A relatively new ownership group led by Wyc Grousbeck and Steph Pagliuca alongside Danny Ainge pivoted, and traded the pick for Ray Allen to appease Paul Pierce, with his future with Boston growing tenuous across several uneven seasons. The Celtics and Timberwolves also almost pulled off a blockbuster to bring Kevin Garnett to Boston, and revisited talks one month later to secure one of the best players in the NBA and form a new Big Three. Pierce, Allen and Garnett alongside young guard Rajon Rondo and big man Kendrick Perkins won 66 games, an NBA record 42-win turnaround on their way to the championship. They raced to a 27-2 start in 2009 before Garnett fell with a knee injury, returning to the Finals in 2010 and blowing a 3-2 lead to the Lakers. Boston returned to the East Finals in 2012, losing in seven games, before Allen departed for the rival Heat in controversial fashion. Pierce and Garnett reached the playoffs once more in 2013, losing in six games to the Knicks in the first round.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade to the Nets
Celtics receive Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph, 2014 (James Young), 2016 (Jaylen Brown), 2017 (Jayson Tatum) and 2018 first round picks
Nets receive Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry.
The Celtics decided to rebuild following the 2013 season, trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn to appease a franchise hoping to make a splash after their move from New Jersey to New York City. Boston also allowed Doc Rivers to go to the Clippers that offseason, paving the way for Danny Ainge to hire Brad Stevens as head coach. The Nets’ Billy King added extra draft compensation, including a pick swap that became Jayson Tatum in 2017 and a 2018 first the team later used to acquire Kyrie Irving. Boston also drafted Jaylen Brown with the 2016 Nets pick. Brooklyn lost Pierce in free agency to the Wizards after only one season then traded Garnett to Minnesota in 2014-15, falling into a string of losing seasons that vaulted the Celtics back into contention in the East.
Jayson Tatum draft night trade
Celtics receive No. 3 overall pick (Jayson Tatum) and a 2019 first round pick (Romeo Langford).
76ers receive No. 1 overall pick (Markelle Fultz)
The Nets won the 2017 NBA Draft lottery, allowing the Celtics to move up to the No. 1 pick with their swap from the Pierce and Garnett trade. Many speculated that they’d select consensus top prospect Markelle Fultz from Washington, but Ainge focused on Duke’s Jayson Tatum, feeling comfortable about his chances to still select Tatum third overall if they passed up on Fultz. The Celtics, during the week leading up to the draft, traded back to third overall and while the deal itself didn’t return any substantial assets, Ainge’s decision to take Tatum over Fultz, who’s no longer in the NBA after eight seasons, established the core that’d reach the 2022 NBA Finals and win the franchise’s first championship in 2024. Tatum made six straight All-Star teams, four straight All-NBA First Teams and emerged as one of the best players in the NBA and Celtics history before tearing his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs. He’s signed with Boston through at least the 2028-29 season and is expected to return to the floor sometime in 2026 alongside Jaylen Brown, who’s also signed through 2029.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 27: A general view of an Oakland Athletics logo and hat before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
We’re almost done with our top-10 prospects! Shortstop Edgar Montero has won the fan vote for the eighth-best prospect in the farm system. An international signee just last year, the switch-hitting shortstop is a well-rounded batter in the box and has made huge strides on defense, so much so that the A’s are reportedly planning to continue developing him at shortstop even though scouts believe that as the 19-year-old gets older he’ll need to move to third base. The A’s have some serious talent at shortstop coming up the pipeline, and that’s without even counting the recently-extended Jacob Wilson.
We have a new nominee and that player is right-handed pitcher Cole Miller. The former 4th-rounder missed his first professional season after undergoing Tommy John surgery soon after signing an above-slot bonus to join the A’s and forgo college. In his first taste of the pro ranks Miller did not disappoint as he showed his plus-fastball and improving secondary offerings. The righty is way down on the farm and won’t be an impact in the next couple of years but if things break right he could become one of the team’s better pitching prospects down the line. Just need to coach him up this coming year and we could see an aggressive promotion.
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Which A’s prospect do the fans believe is the ninth-best player in the system? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
White’s right-handed power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long way to all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He might be known for his home run totals but he’s a better overall hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can lead to him expanding his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.
It will be White’s bat that carries him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely lacks the range and tools to stick at third base, where he toiled as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.
At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.
Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.
Taylor shows the potential to become a plus hitter in terms of both average and power while controlling the strike zone. A left-handed hitter with plenty of bat speed and strength, he hits the ball extremely hard and generates power to all fields. He likes to swing the bat but has cut down on his chases this spring. He makes consistent contact and has no problems handling breaking pitches.
The majority of Taylor’s value will come from his offensive production. His speed, arm strength and defensive instincts all grade as fringy, which will limit him to a corner outfield spot in pro ball.
The A’s believe Echavarria’s stuff played better than the overall numbers might suggest. His fastball reached 98 mph and sat 95-96 with good ride up in the zone. The issue was struggling to command his arsenal when he would fall behind in counts. His mid-80s slider flashes plus, and his upper-80s changeup continues to improve. He also throws a two-seamer in the 92-93 mph range. He clearly dealt with some control issues, but the A’s are not at all sounding the alarm, instead patiently working with the teenager on adjustments.
Echavarria profiles as a starter for the long-term with his 6-foot-1 frame and sound delivery. Previously having shown an ability to consistently throw all of his offerings for strikes prior to the Draft, he will continue to work to rediscover that control in his second season of pro ball.
The A’s were working on some mechanical adjustments with Miller prior to his injury. His electric fastball ticked up to 96 mph in high school and displayed excellent movement down in the zone. The mid-80s slider is a hard breaker and was showing signs of improvement. His low-80s changeup showed some potential as an average third pitch.
There was real excitement within the organization for Miller’s professional debut. His three-pitch mix and large 6-foot-6 frame give off the potential of a workhorse-type starting pitcher in the big leagues. The A’s also loved the competitiveness they saw from him on the mound while scouting him. After an unfortunate delay, he finally got his first opportunity to make an impression this summer.
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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay m
Jalen Suggs
Mark Williams
Quentin Grimes
