Category: Sports News

The Grapefruit League schedule is upon us. From February 20 through March 23, the Orioles will be playing near-daily games to help them get ready for Opening Day on March 26. Over the course of camp, cuts will gradually be made until they get down to the 26-man roster at the end. Young players and journeymen will have an opportunity to make an impression early on. Later, it’ll be about the expected regulars getting in the reps to hit the ground running.

Orioles fans get an uncommon treat this spring training. After several years of the team-owned television network not bothering to broadcast more than a handful of spring games, this year will see more than half of the schedule with a local television broadcast. This does still come with the disappointing fact of the broadcasters calling the games remotely, but it’s better than we’ve gotten recently, with not many games and those called remotely as well.

All but seven of the spring training games will be on either one team’s TV broadcast or the other, and when adding in radio broadcasts for both teams, only one game will have no TV or radio at all: a warmup game against the Netherlands WBC team on March 3 before that tournament begins.

Here’s the full schedule for this spring’s Orioles action:

The Cincinnati Reds will open their 2026 season on March 26th in Great American Ball Park with the Boston Red Sox in town. Cincinnati’s Cactus League slate at their home in Goodyear, Arizona will begin this Saturday, February 21st, with the Cleveland Guardians both their home complex compatriots and opponents for the day.

With competitive baseball firmly on the horizon, here’s Red Reporter’s first stab at how the 26-man roster will look when regular season ball commences just five weeks from now.

Starting Rotation

RHP Hunter Greene

LHP Andrew Abbott

LHP Nick Lodolo

RHP Brady Singer

RHP Chase Burns

Notes: The storyline here is the battle for the fifth and final spot in the rotation, as each of Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Julian Aguiar are among the candidates – each of whom already has big league experience under their belts. Burns, though, seems poised to launch into the stratosphere of elite pitchers in the game today, and I don’t think the Reds are in a position to throttle that to begin the season (even if they need to limit his innings at some point later in the year).

Given that each of Lowder, Williamson, and Aguiar is coming off lost 2025 seasons due to major injuries, I think each will get slow-played to start 2026 in order to be built up and ready for the inevitable mid-season needs of the big league club.

Bullpen

RHP Emilio Pagán

RHP Tony Santillan

RHP Graham Ashcraft

LHP Brock Burke

LHP Caleb Ferguson

RHP Pierce Johnson

RHP Connor Phillips

LHP Sam Moll

Notes: The final spot here is the lone one about which I’ve got questions, but usually when that’s the case it’s the larger, administrative factors that win out. In this case, Moll is out of options, and I think that will give him the leg up on the final spot over the likes of Zach Maxwell and Luis Mey. It gives the Reds a third lefty, which might not be ideal, but would buy time for Terry Francona to figure out just how much he really needs a third southpaw (and for Moll to show he’s healthy again), with Big Sugar and Mey around for immediate depth if anything goes askew.

Position Players

C Tyler Stephenson

C Jose Trevino

1B Nathaniel Lowe

DH/IF Eugenio Suárez

IF Sal Stewart

IF Matt McLain

IF Elly De La Cruz

3B Ke’Bryan Hayes

IF/OF Spencer Steer

OF TJ Friedl

OF Noelvi Marte

OF Will Benson

OF Dane Myers

Notes: The recent signing of Lowe to a non-roster contract put this projection into flux, but I do truly think there’s plenty left in his tank and that will show in spring camp. That means he’ll be in the mix at 1B more often than anyone originally thought, and while initially that would look like a major impact to the playing time of Stewart, I think it will actually impact JJ Bleday more than anyone due to Lowe hitting from the left-hand side. Bleday has options remaining – as does Benson, as they’ll be competing directly with one another – but I think Benson gets the inside edge for the time being.

What carrying Lowe, a solid defender at 1B, does though is push Spencer Steer into more time in LF. Stewart, Lowe, and Suárez will rotate through 1B/DH on most days, though I do still expect Suárez to get at least one start a week at 3B until the point at which he proves unplayable there. Steer will also likely get time at 2B on days when McLain either a) takes over SS to give Elly a break or b) when McLain needs a break himself, with Stewart hopefully getting in that mix a time or two here and there, too.

While I’m still highly skeptical of the concept of Myers at all, I think he gets the nod as the right-handed outfielder who can play CF for the time being.

NBCSP launches multi-platform coverage details for Phillies spring training originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NBC Sports Philadelphia is kicking off Phillies spring training with extensive coverage, highlighted by 17 live games and extensive TV, digital and social content.

The 17-game slate includes seven matchups on NBCSP, 10 on NBCSP+ and gets underway with the team’s exhibition opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. ET. A look at the NBCSP broadcast production schedule below:

*WBC Exhibition
**Spring Breakout Prospects

NBCSP is extending bonus coverage in partnership with other regional networks including Sportsnet, YES Network and MLB Local.

Live games will feature play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy and veteran analysts Ruben Amaro Jr., Ben Davis and John Kruk rotating in the booth. Phillies legend Cole Hamels will also return as a game analyst on a part-time basis.

Digital reporting will feature work from both Jim Salisbury and Cole Weintraub, who will also spearhead coverage through the regular season.

Salisbury, who previously served as the Phillies writer/reporter for the network from 2010 to 2022, returns in a similar role covering the team. The veteran sports reporter brings more than 30 years of experience reporting on baseball and 26 years covering the Phillies.

“I’m excited to return to NBC Sports Philadelphia and once again be part of its great baseball coverage team,” said Salisbury. “Opening day can’t come fast enough. I’m sick of the cold and ready for some ball. Hopefully I won’t dangle any participles.”

Weintraub also joins the team as a digital reporter, previously spending time as a contributor for MLB Pipeline and MiLB.

“[Philadelphia is] a fantastic baseball town,” Weintraub said. “The opportunity to bridge the gap between younger and older audiences through our coverage of Phillies baseball is beyond exciting.”

Special edition episodes of the Phillies Talk Podcast, featuring hosts Spencer McKercher and Sean Kane, will feature comprehensive team/player progress reports and special guest interviews.

“Sean and I are incredibly excited about the growth of the Phillies Talk podcast coverage, which continues to exceed expectations and deliver fans the best Phillies content, especially down in spring training,” said McKercher. “Most importantly, the engagement and feedback from Phillies fans has been overwhelming and we’re grateful for the passion and support that’s fueling this momentum.”

You can stay up to date on all things Phillies with wall-to-wall coverage on NBCsportsphiladelphia.com and social/digital platforms.

One of the rituals for Major League Baseball’s players every spring is to pose for team and media photographers. These shots get used in a variety of ways; you’re probably most used to seeing them on player pages on various websites, or in the pitcher previews I do here at BCB.

If you think this kind of work is easy, think again. The players had to report to Sloan Park before dawn Monday to begin the shoot at 7 a.m. As a result, some of the poses turn out to be quirky, fun or otherwise notable and those are the photos I’ve chosen to share with you above. If a player doesn’t appear here, it means his poses were… pretty ordinary.

Enjoy the selection below of a couple dozen photos from Monday’s shoot, taken by Chris Coduto of Getty Images and Rick Scuteri of Imagn Images. You’ll see a good cross-section of the spring roster here, including some guys you know well and others… you might not.

I’m pretty sure Alex Bregman is recognizable without the note.

A pensive Dansby Swanson.

Phil Maton shows off his grip.

Jameson Taillon concentrates on that baseball.

Now this guy, you’d probably need the ID for.

Carson Kelly is ready to throw a runner out.

Can you guess the name of this Cub with a big bat? It’s Justin Dean.

Do you recognize Daniel Palencia from his eyes only?

A tip o’ the cap from Caleb Thielbar.

Another cap tip from Seiya Suzuki.

Ian Happ says, “Write your own caption.”

You can see the Jaguar design on Kevin Alcántara’s bat.

“I’ll be back soon,” says Justin Steele.

Another pitcher grip view, from Shōta Imanaga.

Jordan Wicks flips a baseball.

Nico Hoerner shows off his bat.

Just what is PCA thinking right here?

A big grin from Michael Busch.

Matthew Boyd, as if he’s staring down a hitter. Also, in this photo you can see the jersey “vent” that’s been restored for 2026, as MLB goes back to the pre-2024 jersey style.

Cade Horton and his tattooed arm are ready for the season.

The Cubs’ newest starting pitcher, Edward Cabrera, and his glove honoring his Dominican Republic home.

A new addition who might be in the Cubs outfield this year: Dylan Carlson

New Cubs left-hander Hoby Milner smiles for the camera.

Miguel Amaya, ready to hit.

The skipper, looking a lot younger than his age (55).

As Spring Training kicks into second gear, we have our first game of the season to look forward to on Saturday. It will be our first glimpse of the arms, the bats, and the gloves that our hopes and dreams this season will rest upon…but no pressure guys. There has been a flurry of ‘minor signings” that may add some competition that we didn’t see coming, but I think we’ll largely see what we expected come opening day with a few interesting twists. Of course, the qualifier that always comes into play is real, and that is “barring injury.”

An early projection for A’s Opening Day roster

Last week, A’s Beat Writer Martín Gallegosgave his thoughts on the opening day lineup. With all due respect for a guy who knows this team better than anyone, there are no bold or wild predictions, just solid insights into the roster skipper Mark Kotsay will likely use to start the season.

No surprises at catcher, we can expect Shea Langeliers to be the starter with veteran Austin Wynns serving as primary backup.

First base belongs to Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz. If heathy, I expect a monster year with no sophomore slump in sight.

Second base will surely go to one of this off-season’s trade acquisitions Jeff McNeil. Coming over from the Mets, he brings a multi-positional resume but will be a real upgrade offensively and defensively over Zack Gelof so until something drastically changes the job at second is his.

The biggest battle this spring will be for third base. We can expect a true competition between Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz, and Brett Harris. My gut tells me that before his sweet contract extension expires that we might see Jacob Wilson over at third, but I seriously doubt that it will be this season.

Jacob Wilson is pretty much a lock for starting the season at shortstop. The ROY runner-up put together a solid season at the plate and should build on that for 2026. His range is somewhat limited so he may not be there forever but expect him to play a solid short and contribute nicely to the ever-improving offense.

I think we can safely expect Tyler Soderstrom, Denzel Clarke, and Lawrence Butler to roam the outfield on opening day. Soderstrom’s defense was one of the biggest surprises of 2025 having just moved from first base and yet being a finalist for a Gold Glove award. Clarke is a walking highlight reel in centerfield and if he stays healthy will be web gem superstar. Butler is evolving into a team leader and with more plate discipline will continue to grow as an offensive asset to this team. Expect three additional names to battle for the backup outfield roles: Carlos Cortes, Colby Thomas, and Junior Perez.

Veteran Brent Rooker will likely have a lock on the Designated Hitter role, his job for all but twenty-seven games in 2025. With McNeil likely leading off and setting the table for him, I expect Rook and Kurtz to drive in more runs this year than last.

With Andy Ibáñez picked up off waivers from the Dodgers, Max Schuemann was traded to the Yankees. That likely means that Ibáñez will take over the role of super-utility guy for Kotsay.

The starting rotation is far from settled, but all indications are that Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Luis Morales, Jacob Lopez, and recent acquisition Aaron Civale will be the starting five. Civale effectively bumped J.T. Ginn to the bullpen, but it’s a long season so he may still get his shot.

The bullpen will have two fresh faces to start the season. We’ll see Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow join with Hogan Harris, Justin Sterner, Michael Kelly, Tyler Ferguson, Elvis Alvarado, and Jack Perkins. No closer has been officially named so we can expect a closer-by-committee at least as the season opens.

Only time will tell if this is truly how the A’s start the season, but the great news is, the first pitch is just three days away!

A’s Coverage

• Can Kurtz get his glove to match his monster bat?
• Zack Gelof: Outfielder?
• Athletics 2026 Top MLB Prospects Deep Dive
• A’s Community Prospect List: Baez Takes 13th spot
• Waiting For Gelof: What Do We Do?
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• A’s Trade Mitch Spence to KC Royals in exchange for minor leaguer
• Diamondbacks Claim Grant Holman
• Darrell Hernaiz to play for Team PR in WBC
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?
• Story Lines To Watch As Spring Training Unfolds
• A’s Sign Starter Aaron Civale
• Athletics add developmental leaguer in trade with Yankees
• Little Signings Everywhere
• A’s Non-Roster Invites to Keep an Eye On
• A’s prospect Jump impressing in first big league camp
• What to know as A’s head to spring camp with high hopes for ‘26
• A’s Claim Andy Ibanez, Add Scott Barlow In Busy Roster Shuffle
• Extensions For Everyone! (Except Kurtz)
• Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contract
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects lists

MLB News and Interest:

• All eyes on Verlander as throwing work begins again in Tigertown
• MLBPA leader Tony Clark resigns after revelation of inappropriate relationship
• Twins right-hander Pablo López has major elbow injury that likely will need season-ending surgery
• Phillies’ Trea Turner Reveals ‘Phone Never Rang’ Despite Interest In Playing for Team USA at WBC
• Bo Jackson rips modern MLB’s home run obsession over batting average
• Buehler joins Padres after years with Dodgers: ‘It feels a little weird’
• Phillies and 11-year-old shortstop reportedly agree on historic $1.8 million deal
• Corey Seager Discusses Rumors of ‘Toxic’ Marcus Semien Relationship After Mets-Rangers Trade
• Steven Cohen: Mets will never have captain while I own team
• Diamondbacks sign veteran starter Zac Gallen to one-year contract
• Cubs ink reliever Shelby Miller to one-year pact
• Bryce Harper addresses comments Dombrowski made about him
• Machaco embraces Dodgers’ big spending ways
• Boone: No restrictions for Judge this spring
• Castellanos embracing move to first base with Padres
• Roki Sasaki working on 3rd pitch
• A.J. Preller agrees to multiyear extension with Padres
• MLB TV strike zone box won’t indicate whether pitch is ball or strike due to ABS system
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X

At the end of January, I wrote an article about the Kansas City Royals potentially moving a starting pitcher for prospects. The Royals have enviable depth, and I think there are six guys – Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, and Ryan Bergert – who really should be in an MLB starting rotation on Opening Day. Stephen Kolek, the Royals’ presumptive #7 going into next season, would be a great back-end of the rotation guy for other teams as well.

My thought when writing the article was that no major league help was coming in a trade for a starting pitcher, and that the Royals would not consider using a six-man rotation during the year. Royals manager Matt Quatraro, however, revealed to Jack Johnson that the team has at least held discussions about using a six starters during the upcoming year:

Quatraro’s answer on this is interesting for multiple reasons. Regardless of whether the Royals decide to try out a six-man rotation this year, it’s great that the team is having the conversation about it and is willing to be transparent with the public that they are thinking through these things. As someone who thinks about the Royals probably more than I should, I’m comforted by the fact that the people running the team are thinking about them even more.

So what would be the potential upside of a six-man rotation? In theory, the starters would be more effective when they pitched and able to go deeper into games. Mike Petriello pointed out at the beginning of 2025 that more pitchers are pitching on five days rest than four days rest anyway, even if a few teams are actively employing a six-man rotation. The Los Angeles Dodgers are planning on using a six-man rotation this year, as that helps Shohei Ohtani manage his two-way load while also being more familiar with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Houston Astros are also considering using a six-man rotation throughout the season, particularly in their jam-packed beginning of the year. The Astros will be incorporating Tatsuya Imai from the NPB to their team, and pitchers in NPB pitch once a week, so a six-man rotation should make his adjustment to MLB smoother.

The 2024 Royals showed how valuable having starters able to be effective and go deep into games was, as that proved to be a key ingredient to the team’s success. The 2025 rotation battled more injuries, particularly at the top of the rotation, and was saved by Cameron’s remarkable rookie season. Can Ragans and Lugo be more effective than they were in 2025 and remain able to pitch all year if they get an extra day of rest between starts? If you are just trying to get your best 26 players on the team, can you really leave out a healthy Bergert?

The potential downside of a six-man rotation is that your best pitchers get fewer starts and have less ability to positively impact your season. Ragans is likely to get five fewer starts in a six-man rotation, assuming that every guy goes on five days’ rest in order. Cameron and Bergert are both great options for the back end of a rotation, but a healthy Ragans is still bette,r and your team is likely to win more games with Ragans starting. In a winnable AL Central, every game matters, which might make the Royals loath to have their best guys pitch less frequently.

Quatraro also mentioned that it is difficult to manage the bullpen if you have six starters and not a lot of relief pitchers with minor league options. Right now, Roster Resource projects the Royals to have eight relievers and five starters; teams are only allowed to carry thirteen pitchers on their roster. Of the eight relievers that Roster Resource projects to make the Opening Day roster, only three have options remaining: Lucas Erceg, Daniel Lynch, and Alex Lange. Something will have gone terribly wrong if the Royals are sending Erceg to Omaha. So if you have seven relievers instead of eight, presumably one of Lange or Lynch will be in Omaha to start the year, and the other one is the only guy who could safely go down if you need more bullpen help.

Roster Resource does project Bailey Falter to make the team, and he is out options, so if the Royals really wanted a six-man rotation, they might have to try and sneak Falter through waivers or be willing to let another team claim him for their staff. An extra pitcher in your starting rotation should make the long reliever more of a luxury than a necessity. The Royals, however, were very willing to shuffle out the back end of the bullpen in 2025 and clearly would like to be able to do so again in 2026.

I did think it was interesting that Quatraro mentioned that the Royals might use a six-man rotation during longer stretches of games. Bergert, Cameron, and Kolek (along with newly acquired Mason Black) all have options remaining and could stay stretched out in Omaha when the Royals have more off days. The Royals have an early stretch, from April 5th to April 27th, where they play 21 games in 22 days. It’s early in the season, so rainouts are certainly possible, but that’s a long stretch right out of the gate. More pitcher injuries happen before the season and early in the season rather than later in the year, so keeping your starters from overtaxing themselves and getting hurt right out of the chute could be a prudent choice. The team also plays 29 games in 31 days from the end of May to end of June, which seems like another stretch where the team could consider going to a six-man rotation.

It’s certainly possible that injuries will render this entire conversation moot. It’s also possible one of the starters will struggle and no longer be deserving of a rotation slot. Still, I’m glad that the team is talking about a potential six-man rotation, and I will be very curious to track if we see one during the busiest stretches of the season.

6. Robert Calaz (470 points, 19 ballots)

At the end of 2024, Calaz seemed to be on a rocket ship toward the big leagues after a season in which he was named the MVP of the Arizona Complex League and tore up the Low-A California league in a small sample. Instead, the 2025 season saw the 6’2” toolsy right-handed 20-year-old Dominican outfielder repeat in the California League and perform at an above-average (but not elite) level as one of the youngest players in the league. Calaz, who was 24th on MLB.com’s international amateur free agent prospect rankings for 2023, received Colorado’s top international signing bonus in the 2023 January period at $1.7 million, which is similar to what fellow PuRP Sean Sullivan received as a second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Calaz began his professional career with a bang in the Dominican Summer League, producing a 149 wRC+ and playing center field with a bit of right field mixed in. In 2024, Calaz came stateside to play with the Arizona Complex League and flat-out murdered the ball. In 210 PA with the ACL team, Calaz hit ten homers among his 27 extra-base hits with 12 steals in 13 attempts en route to a monster .349/.462/.651 line, good for a 172 wRC+. He led the ACL in several major offensive categories (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS/HR/RBI/TB) en route to a well-deserved league MVP award. The Rockies promoted Calaz to Low-A Fresno after the ACL season in early August, where he was 3.1 years younger than league average. That didn’t stop Calaz — he hit .327/.386/.571 with two homers, two triples, two doubles, and three steals in 57 plate appearances (147 wRC+).

In 2025, the Rockies chose to send Calaz back to Fresno for a longer run, where he was still 2.2 years younger than league average. The season started inauspiciously, as Calaz suffered an injury in the first game of the season that knocked him out for three weeks. In 424 plate appearances, Calaz hit .259/.338/.399 with ten homers among his 29 extra-base hits. Calaz performed above average offensively (105 wRC+), but not nearly as high as Rockies fans were expecting considering his performance in 2024 at the same level.

Additionally, Calaz struck out in 26% of plate appearances (9% walks), which is pretty high for low minors pitching (though he improved his contact % from 66% to 70% year over year). It is of course important to remember that Calaz only faced a younger pitcher than him in 6% of plate appearances in 2025, but at some point Calaz will need to figure out how to beat upper minors pitching that can execute a scouting report. In the field, Calaz split time between right field (71 games, five assists, nine errors) and center (25 games, two errors).

Here is a look at Calaz from 2025 in Fresno, including some slow-mo looks at his swing:

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Calaz 11th in the system earlier this month:

Calaz got a lot of attention after he hit .349/.462/.651 in the Arizona Complex League in 2024, but he did so mostly on physical ability rather than a feel for the game, and that deficiency caught up to him in Low A last year. Still just 19, he hit .259/.338/.399 in Fresno with a 26 percent strikeout rate driven by high whiff and chase rates, including a 34 percent swing-and-miss rate just on fastballs. He wasn’t ready for the level and probably needed short-season ball — he would have put up stupid numbers in Grand Junction — so take some of that with a grain of salt, but his baseball instincts just aren’t that advanced yet. He’s going to be big and strong with 30-homer upside in an outfield corner, with a lot of work to do on approach to get there.

Baseball America recently ranked Calaz 9th in the system:

Calaz stands 6-foot-2 with room to add more strength to an already-mature frame. He brings explosive raw power to the plate, though his game remains a bit unrefined. Swing-and-miss concerns have followed him since signing—a common caveat with young, power-first hitters—but they’ve become more pronounced. Calaz’s swing starts with an extremely high hand-set, and he sometimes rests the bat on his shoulder before using a waggle to start his trigger.

Baseball Prospectus put Calaz 49th on their pre-season top 101 prospects list last January on the strength of that breakout 2024. That ranked third in the system, where Calaz was given a 60 OFP grade by Jeffrey Paternostro:

Calaz seemed a pretty easy scout last year, but nevertheless we underranked him. He hit the ball incredibly hard for a 17-year-old, but his contact rate in the DSL suggested better pitching would really undo his swing. Well, he came stateside and hit the ball incredibly hard for an 18-year-old, but made more contact than we expected in the process, making it all the way to full-season ball by the end of the 2024 season. It’s a pretty simple setup with a high back elbow creating a steep swing path that can really do damage in the air when he barrels one in the zone, but while Calaz’s ‘A’ swing is impressive, there’s really no ‘B’ swing a lot of the time, which can lead to in-zone whiff if the pitch isn’t where he expects, or topped/mishit contact even when he tracks it all right.

The thing is, even Calaz’s mishits sound loud, and there just aren’t a lot of teenaged prospects with this combination of damage potential and minor league production, even if it’s come only in the complex and Cal League. I think there is more in the tank here, too. Calaz has already reshaped his body some from last season—not really a surprise for a 17-year-old getting his first couple seasons of professional S+C work—and I’m more confident he will add even more strength and stick on the grass than I was at this time last year. It’s far more likely to be right field than center—he split time at both in 2024—but that’s better than first base or DH, and while the contact rate is still concerning, if he can maintain even this for another year at a higher level, Calaz will be one of the premier outfield prospects in baseball.

Calaz continues to show impressive power for his age, now we just need to see if he can hit upper-minors pitching in a year or two. That’s not that hard, tell ‘em Wash.

MLB Pipeline ranked Calaz fourth in the system as a 50 Future Value player last year, highlighted by a 55 power grade and 50 grades on every other tool:

[Calaz] managed to win the ACL Triple Crown without really having an idea of what he’s doing at the plate yet. Already strong and physical, Calaz hits the ball about as hard as anyone in the system, posting elite-level exit velocities, with tremendous raw power he’s still learning to tap into. He draws walks but still needs to tone down his swing tendencies as he is susceptible to breaking stuff away and out of the zone in particular.

The Rockies feel like Calaz is starting to show the makings of being a five-tool player and he’ll continue to get reps in center field. Most feel that his 6-foot-2 frame will continue to fill out and he’ll slow down more, necessitating a full-time move to right field, where his power production should profile perfectly.

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Calaz as a 40+ FV player (eighth in the system) last January, highlighted by a plus-plus future grade on his raw power, a plus arm, and even a plus future fielding grade:

The power aspect of Calaz’s profile is for real. Perhaps what is most absurd is how much thump he can generate without a leg kick — he starts with a very wide stance and uses just a little toe tap to get going. A very loose athlete, Calaz rotates with verve and ferocity, but in order to do so, his hips often clear very early, leaving him vulnerable to sliders away from him. This is a pretty serious issue already. Calaz ran a paltry 66% contact rate in 2024, worse than all but one qualified big leaguer (Zack Gelof). There are a handful of very toolsy whiff-prone power hitters in that contact rate area, including Christopher Morel and Logan O’Hoppe, both of whom are sound build/frame comps for Calaz. And Calaz projects to have raw power similar to other players in that group, like Brent Rooker and Adolis García. There’s 35-homer ceiling here, but there’s also a lot of bust risk because of how many rookie-level strikeouts we’re talking about.

Calaz is settling more into a right-field role than center and has some big contact rate questions. Still though, plus right-handed power is tough to come by, and the big signing bonus Calaz got is proof positive of its market value. Calaz is clearly a high-ceiling player who at least a couple years away (my bet is a late 2028 debut at age 22) and we’ll see how his plate approach develops as the opposition improves. The recently designated for assignment Yanquiel Fernández has some similar traits and in multiple cases took steps forward in repeat assignments.

Calaz will likely spend 2026 in High-A Spokane as a 20-year-old. I ranked Calaz fourth on my list as a 45 FV player because of the performance, signing bonus, and his ability to stick in the outfield, though I am leery of the contact rate struggles.

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