Category: Sports News

Now that the minor league season is in full swing, I wanted to do an update on how players are doing at each level. The Nats system is deeper than it has been in a long time, so there is quite a bit to get to. So far, the Nats affiliates have been doing a lot of winning, with every team above .500. With that being said, let’s dive into some performances.

Low-A Standouts:

I am going to start at the lower levels and work my way up, so the Fredericksburg Nationals are the first team I will talk about. The Fred Nats are absolutely loaded with talent. Baseball America listed them as the 7th most talented team in the entire minor leagues. That means there are a lot of notable names to cover.

On a team with players such as first overall pick Eli Willits, MacKenzie Gore trade headliner Gavin Fien and others, Ronny Cruz has been the best hitter so far. Cruz came to the Nats in the Michael Soroka trade, and has been generating buzz all spring. He showed big time flashes on the back fields, and even hit a home run in big league Spring Training.

It looks like his impressive spring is translating to real games. Cruz has a 1.098 OPS so far, and all five of his hits have gone for extra bases. Two of those have been home runs. There was one game where the youngster was a single shy of the cycle. 

Cruz was seen as a raw prospect, but it looks like he has taken a major step in his development. Last season, he was decent in rookie ball, but now he is excelling in Low-A. Cruz had a winding journey that saw him go from the Dominican Republic to the US after an IFA deal fell through. Then, in his senior year of high school, he dealt with a knee injury. He was behind the 8 ball in terms of development, but now he has caught up.

The tools have never been in doubt with Cruz, but now he looks more polished. Despite a skinny frame, he has impressive power due to his raw bat speed. He is also a quality defender in the infield. Naturally, he is a shortstop, but has played second and third base with Eli Willits manning shortstop.

Speaking of Willits, he has not had the loudest start, only hitting .200 with a .604 OPS. However, I am confident the hits will fall. He only has four strikeouts and almost has as many walks, with three. It is only a matter of time before he heats up.

A couple other notable performers are pitchers Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon. Both made their pro debuts recently. Neither went very deep in the game, but both showed their excellent stuff. Sime was particularly impressive with 6 strikeouts in 2.1 innings to just one walk. 

High-A Standouts:

The next level we will visit is High-A. Right now, the Wilmington Blue Rocks are 3-1 and have looked good so far. They are not as stacked as the Fred Nats, but they have plenty of intriguing names we will discuss.

The first guy I want to talk about is Angel Feliz. Sending Feliz to High-A was an aggressive assignment that was likely caused by how many young infield prospects the Nats have. Feliz only played 31 games in Low-A, where he did not light it up. However, the Nats were bullish on his glove and wanted him to play shortstop at High-A.

So far, he has been surprisingly solid with the bat, despite being one of the youngest players in High-A. He has done a really good job controlling the zone, with 7 walks and just 2 strikeouts so far. Feliz is batting just .250, but his ability to get on base is why he has an .859 OPS. He also has a triple, which is his only extra base hit so far this season.

Taking your walks seems to be a theme in Wilmington so far. The two other top prospects at the level, Ethan Petry and Devin Fitz-Gerald are also walking a lot, with five each. Learning to take those walks will be helpful in these guys’ development. Eventually, they will get pitches to hit and we know these players have hitting chops.

Wilmington’s top pitching prospect is Yoel Tejada, who had an up and down first start. He struck out 7 in 4.1 innings, but he did allow three runs. Tejada is a massive 6’8 pitcher who has interesting upside. However, he is still quite raw.

Double-A Standouts:

From a record standpoint, the Harrisburg Senators are absolutely killing it. They are 5-0, and winning the game they are playing while I am writing this. Their offense has been explosive, and they have also had some fun pitching performances.

Right now, Sam Petersen is carrying the Senators offense. When Petersen is healthy, he absolutely rakes. It has been no different this season. Right now, he is hitting .364 with an OPS over 1.000. He may have been picked in the 8th round, but Petersen is the real deal.

MLB Pipeline has him as the 22nd ranked prospect in the system, which just feels too low. Petersen has a .937 OPS in his minor league career. Those numbers are just undeniable. The Nats have a lot of outfield prospects in the upper levels, but Petersen is the next man up and could force his way to the big leagues before too long.

However, Petersen is not the only hitter performing down there. After a rough start to his pro career, Seaver King has been heading in the right direction since the Arizona Fall League. His approach is much improved, and he is showing why the Nats took him in the top 10.

Right now, King has a .908 OPS on the season. He already has 8 walks, which is a great sign for a player who has faced concerns about chasing too much. We know King has the raw athleticism, he just needed to perform. With his athleticism and versatility, he could be in the big leagues by the end of the season.

On the mound, the Senators have a couple intriguing prospects worth following. While he is not in the Nats top 30 for MLB Pipeline, Davian Garcia is a name with a lot of helium. Baseball America listed him as a guy with breakout potential due to his uptick in velocity and improving command. In his first start, Garcia threw 4.2 innings of one run ball with five strikeouts and two walks.

Another high octane arm in AA is Eriq Swan. The Nats got him as part of the Alex Call return. Swan has control issues, but he has elite arm talent. He can touch triple digits and has a wipeout slider to go with it. In his first start of the season, he threw 4 no hit innings with two walks. This is likely a reliever profile, but if he looks how he did last night, he could be fast tracked.

Triple-A Standouts:

The Rochester Red Wings are such a fascinating team. They have prospects like Harry Ford, Abimelec Ortiz and others, but some of the most interesting guys are players with big league experience. The biggest name in that group is Dylan Crews.

The former second overall pick was sent down after a brutal spring. The idea was to have Crews rebuild his swing and confidence at a lower level. So far, the results have been solid, if not mind blowing. Crews is hitting .278 with an .830 OPS. One thing I do like is that he is walking at a 17% clip. The whiffs have been high, but after his spring, that is not a giant surprise. 

Crews hit a mammoth pull side homer the other day, which has gotten him going. In the last week or so, Crews has really heated up. If he can push that OPS close to .900, I think he will force Paul Toboni’s hand and get a call up before too long.

However, Crews is far from the only intriguing bat in Rochester. One player who has not done as well is Harry Ford, who the Nats acquired in an offseason trade. As usual, Ford is taking his walks, but the quality of contact has not been great so far. However, he had a slower April last year before hitting over .400 in May, so it is not time to panic at all.

One player I want to see in the big leagues soon is Abimelec Ortiz. He had a chance to win a job out of camp, but struggled this spring. However, he has had a great start in AAA. He has an .849 OPS and has more walks than strikeouts. I think he would plug in nicely to that DH spot against righties, a role currently held by Jose Tena.

On the pitching side of things, Andrew Alvarez and Riley Cornelio have been the standouts. Cornelio is the one who really catches my eye though. His stuff has been ticking up, and he is getting more whiffs than ever. The fastball has been particularly sharp so far, comfortably sitting in the mid-90’s.

Cornelio is 25 and on the 40 man roster, so I would not be opposed to giving him a shot in the rotation or the bullpen. The bullpen desperately needs help and I think Cornelio could be nasty in short bursts sitting 96-97 MPH. He will certainly get a big league look at some point, but it should happen sooner rather than later.

While there has not been much winning at the big league level, it is a different story in the minors. All of the teams are above .500, and I actually think that is a good sign for the overall health of the organization. Last year, the Nats minor league teams were not very good across the board. This year, that looks to be changing. Paul Toboni is taking a ground up approach to his project. Eventually, he hopes that minor league success will make its way to the big leagues.

Shohei Ohtani is back to being a full-time two-way player again, which adds another layer of complexity in managing his unique workload.

Ohtani pitched six innings in Wednesday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing only an unearned run. He was hitless in three at-bats at the plate, with a walk. That double duty is directly followed by the Dodgers’ scheduled off day Thursday, before starting a homestand on Friday.

“How you balance the workload, the focus on the pitching, to then still really lock in on those four or five at-bats, it’s not easy. Obviously, no one else is doing it,” manager Dave Roberts said last week during the opening homestand. “He definitely has a handle on it, I think as much as anyone can.”

Last year the Dodgers were deliberate in easing Ohtani back into pitching, a year and a half removed from his second Tommy John surgery. His two-way status affords the Dodgers an advantage currently unavailable to other teams — he doesn’t count against the limit of 13 pitchers on the active roster, so using a six-man rotation doesn’t deplete the bullpen; and when he pitches, he is allowed to remain in games as the designated hitter as long as he starts the game at both positions.

The Dodgers last year were fine with Ohtani pitching only one or two innings per start for the first few times out, because any amount he pitched were like free money, reducing the workload for the rest of the staff. But they also started him back on the mound in such a limited capacity because the alternative of building up in simulated rehab games proved to be too large of a burden on his time.

“We got to the point where it feels like we should take that next step, and almost finish the rehab at the major league level, because of the taxing nature of what he was doing,” general manager Brandon Gomes said last June. “So much of it the getting hot, throwing a live (batting practice) at 1:30, two o’clock, cooling down, then coming back and getting ready to lead off a game. I can’t even imagine how taxing that is.”

Another taxing stretch for Ohtani comes when pitching at home. When he bats leadoff, he has to pitch the top of the first inning, then go directly to the on-deck circle to prepare for his at-bat to begin the bottom of the frame.

“I do think that first at-bat is a tough one, especially when you’re at home. When you go from the mound to the on-deck circle to the batter’s box, I’m not saying it’s a throwaway, but it’s hard. It’s a quick transition,” Roberts said. “But then to figure out, how do you restructure the lineup for that one particular day, to appease that one at-bat, that’s a bigger question.”

Ohtani batted first in his March 31st start against at home, and grounded out to third base. He’s batted first 10 times in the bottom of the first inning directly after pitching the top of the frame, and has three hits, including two home runs, with two strikeouts. Roberts indicated during the homestand that it would take some time before considering moving Ohtani down in the lineup for games he pitches at Dodger Stadium.

“I’m more of a slow mover,” Roberts said. “So I would probably wait a little bit.”

Ohtani was fully stretched out by last September, and is stretched out now to start 2026. That means his workload could look more like his final three years with the Angels (2021-23), when he averaged 25 starts and 142 2/3 innings while also averaging 635 plate appearances per year.

Through Wednesday, Ohtani has batted 58 times and faced 47 batters while pitching, his 105 total plate appearances 19 more than Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, with the next-highest total. Ohtani’s most PA in a month last season was 193, batting 121 times and facing 72 batters while pitching last August.

In his rookie season, the Angels were conservative with Ohtani, who would not hit on the day he pitched, the day before, nor on the day after. He did not pitch in 2019 after his first Tommy John surgery and pitched only twice in 2021. In his first three seasons in Anaheim, Ohtani never batted the day he pitched (the two-way rule which allowed him to both pitch and be DH in the same game wasn’t implemented until 2022), and he only batted the day after he pitched once, in 2021, and was hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts.

Ohtani with the Dodgers has just four hits in 36 at-bats on the days after he pitched, but overall in his career his numbers in those situations have been pretty good, though with more strikeouts and fewer walks. The Dodgers are more concerned with managing his overall fatigue, and having fewer games batting the day after the heavy load of pitching, the better.

The schedule doesn’t always work out that cleanly for Ohtani to pitch the day before an off day, but it did this week, and likely will next week as well, with the Dodgers hosting the Texas Rangers and New York Mets at home before another off day next Thursday, April 16.

“If it’s feasible, we will certainly take that into consideration,” Roberts said. “I think you’ve seen that we’ve done that in the past.”

Last year, Ohtani made 14 regular season pitching starts plus four more during the postseason. Excluding the last of those starts — Game 7 of the World Series — Ohtani pitched before a Dodgers off day eight times in 18 start. One of which was by his own doing by eliminating the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series with arguably the greatest individual performance in baseball history, hitting three home runs to go with 10 strikeouts in six scoreless innings on the mound.

Directly after the All-Star break last year, the Dodgers had six Thursdays off in a seven-week span, right around the time Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell returned, giving the team a fully-operational six-man rotation. Ohtani pitched five Wednesday’s in a row, four of which came with a built-in off day the following day. He also sat in a day game on Thursday, August 21 against the Colorado Rockies, his only true day off of last season while the division was still up for grabs.

After the Dodgers homestand, they play 32 games in a 34-day stretch, making it tougher to do any sort of maneuvering to pitch Ohtani directly before an off day. How they find ways to get him rest as he carries this dual workload will be one of the stories of the season. But it basically comes down to continually checking in with Ohtani to see how he’s holding up.

“When you’re pitching, the focus is pitching, then trying to layer in the importance of hitting. The day after, that’s case by case, start by start. Home, road, travel, there’s a lot of different variables,” Roberts said. “For me, it’s more just having a conversation and seeing how he feels, because he’s very in tune with his body.”

The Guardians have managed an 8-5 record through their first 13 games, despite a strong slate of opponents. What is real and what is not as we look at this team’s performance so far?

Brayan Rocchio – 112 wRC+, .355 xwOBA, 8.7/13 K/BB%

Verdict – Real: Perhaps the most exciting Guardians’ player to follow so far this season has been Rocchio who has a very reasonable wRC+ about 10% above average and expected numbers that look even better. I’d expect Rocchio’s strikeout rate to probably double and bring his xwOBA back down more in line with his actual output, as his low BABIP of .219 averages out. He’s at 0 DRS and 0 OAA so far, but he looks like a good defender at short which should get him closer to his 2024 numbers of 11 DRS and 5 OAA if the team continues to start him there. A 115 wRC+ with 5 OAA would be a 4-5 win player. WOW.

Austin Hedges – 175 wRC+, .411 xwOBA, 20/0 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real: I do not expect Hedges to run a .500 BABIP this season, nor do I expect him to manage a wRC+ approximately 4 times what he has been as a hitter for a while. HOWEVER, he will end up taking some walks and his quality of contact has dramatically improved. I think an 80 wRC+ is actually on the table. Is it likely? No, it’s probably more of a 60-70 wRC+ when it’s all said and done, but Hedges as an 80 wRC+ would be an insanely valuable player given his continued defensive excellence.

Chase DeLauter – 185 wRC+, .393 xwOBA, 22/8.9 K/BB%

Verdict – Real(ish): I don’t think DeLauter is a 185 wRC+ player, but I do think there is potential for 150 wRC+ here. DeLauter will have to adjust to teams trying to get him to chase and relentlessly attacking him with high heat. But, I do think he will fall back on a strong plate discipline ethic and increase his walk rate while losing some slugging. This is a very exciting hitter and he has only a .231 BABIP right now.

Angel Martinex – 168 wRC+, .319 xwOBA, 17.1/8.6 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real(BUT!): I do not think Angel is going to be a 168 wRC+, but I do think he has potential to outperform his .319 xwOBA which would put him closer to a 120 wRC+, which is insane to think about. The key for Angel is maintaining a lower strikeout rate and a walk-rate of 9-10%, as well as his current 33% pulled fly-ball rate. Additionally, he needs to tighten up his outfield defense. If that’s the case, given his increasing confidence against right-handed pitchers, you could see him as the team’s primary starting left-fielder. Angel will likely need to trim his 34% chase rate slightly because his .364 BABIP will not last when he begins making more weak contact on bad pitches. Pitchers will begin simply throwing him balls to see if he is patient enough to take his walks. That will determine if Angel becomes something more than an early season mirage. I wouldn’t bet against him, myself.

Rhys Hoskins – 151 wRC+, .262 xwOBA, 36.4/18.2 K/BB%

Verdict – Real(ish): Hoskins has not been hitting the ball hard that often, but he has shown tremendous plate discipline and timely contact. I’d expect him to get closer to his xwOBA of 2025 given what we have seen, which was .314. Given his refusal to chase (15%) and his being surrounded by hitters like Jose and DeLauter, I think he has potential to be a 120 wRC+, with a 130-140 wRC+ on the table against LHP.

Juan Brito – 270 wRC+, .544 xwOBA, 12.5/0 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real(BUT!): Surprisingly, while I am a Brito-truther, I do not expect him to win AL MVP. The most exciting part of his debut is that he has had no walks yet and he is very capable of taking walks. He looks like a player who will see a lot of pitches, make consistent contact and pull fly balls. The question for him will be if he can avoid untimely errors at second base, because he will make mistakes there. It’s early but he definitely looks like a player who can manage a 120 wRC+, which might give Travis Bazzana some needed leash to try to figure himself out at Columbus.

Jose Ramirez – 62 wRC+, .338 xwOBA, 12.7/10 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real: Jose will be Jose, folks. His xwOBA is what it’s been for the past two years. He’s been pressing a bit and gotten robbed a few times (by defenders and umpires). Relax, he’ll be Jose.

Kyle Manzardo – 6 wRC+ .315 xwOBA, 34/9.8 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real(BUT!): Manzardo has been widely publicized as the most unlucky hitter in baseball so far. True. However, he is swinging and missing way too much and chasing at a career-high rate (32%). He needs to take a cue from his teammates who have been very disciplined as a whole group or the team is going to be looking longingly at Ralphy Velazquez by July with Manzardo hanging around league average as a hitter.

David Fry – 101 wRC+, .280 xwOBA, 35.3/17.3 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real: Folks, I don’t know if I believe in David Fry. His current value is reliant on his ability to continue to walk at a healthy rate, and I think pitchers are going to be daring him not to chase more and more. I think he might be a 90 wRC+ hitter overall, and 110 wRC+ vs. LHP. His spot on the roster won’t be secure if Hedges can somehow sustain competency at the plate, or if the team refuses to play him as a catcher (as they have so far).

Bo Naylor – 23 wRC+, .303 xwOBA, 24.2/12.1 K/BB%

Verdict – Not Real(BUT!): Bo will eventually be something more like his xwOBA… but that’s still a slightly below league average hitter. Bo isn’t going anywhere for 2026, but if Cooper Ingle continues to advance as a defender, I’d expect Ingle to be on the team in September with a chance to show himself as a contender for starting catcher in 2027 and putting Bo on the trade block. Bo needs to find a way to get to his power and continue to take walks, and I think he will, but there are some reasons to doubt.

C.J. Kayfus – 92 wRC+, .305 xwOBA, 32/8 K/BB%

Verdict – Real: Kayfus looks like a slightly below average hitter. I think he’s probably roughly 100 wRC+, which will make him an easy replacement when George Valera is ready. Hope he surprises me and proves me wrong.

What do you think? Whom do you believe in? Whom do you doubt? Let us know in the comments below

The White Sox seemed to bottom out in their rebuild in 2024 when they lost 121 games. They improved by 19 wins last year, and actually added some high-priced free agents this winter like closer Seranthony Dominguez and Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. But it has been a tough slog for them already this year, with sweeps at the hands of the Brewers, and earlier this week, the Orioles. They’ve lost five of six on the road and have been outscored 52-21.

Chicago White Sox (4-8) vs. Kansas City Royals (5-7) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

White Sox: 3.42 runs scored/game (26th in MLB), 5.83 runs allowed/game (28th)

Royals: 3.75 runs scored/game (21st), 4.75 runs allowed/game (21st)

White Sox hitters have the third highest-strikeout rate in baseball, and the third-lowest batting average. Murakami became the first Japanese player to hit four home runs in his first eight games, but he is just 1-for-11 in his last eight games. Andrew Benintendi was 10-for-29 (.345) against his old Royals club last year. Colson Montgomery tied for the most home runs (21) by any shortstop in baseball last year from July 1 until the end of the season. Catcher Edgar Quero is hitting just .1478/.233/.148 to start the year, while the other top catching prospect, Kyle Teel, is out with injury.

Miguel Vargas hits much better on the road in his career with a line of .224/.307/.414. In addition to Teel, the White Sox are without Austin Slater and Brooks Baldwin, who are out with injury.

*-All numbers from 2025+indicates numbers in Japan

The White Sox signed Anthony Kay after he led the NPB in Japan in groundball rate last year. Kay was a journeyman before going to Asia, pitching in parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mets. He walked four hitters in 4.2 innings in his first start, but allowed just two runs. In his second outing, he was the “bulk reliever”, giving up two runs in 4.1 innings with two walks and no strikeouts.

Davis Martin won each of his first two starts with six strikeouts in each outing, and no runs allowed in his last game against the Blue Jays. He has a 2.67 ERA in five career starts against the Royals. He has a deep arsenal that includes a four-seamer, change, cutter, sinker, curve, and slider, that helped him put up a 45.9 percent ground ball rate last year.

Erick Fedde returns to the White Sox after pitching for three teams last year. He gave up just two runs in six innings in a loss to the Orioles his last time out. Vinnie Pasquantino is 3-for-7 (.429) with a home run in their career matchups. Lefties hit .310/.395/.527 against him last year.

Jonathan Cannon seems likely to get the call up to start the Sunday game after Opening Day starter Shane Smith was demoted. Cannon has a 5.09 ERA in 228 MLB innings over the past two seasons and gave up eight runs in 8.2 innings in Triple-A this year. The White Sox could also go with Duncan Davitt, who has yet to make his MLB debut, or go with a bullpen game.

*-All numbers from 2025+ indicates numbers in Japan

The White Sox overhauled their bullpen, but aside from Dominguez, much of the bullpen are castoffs from other organizations. So far, White Sox relievers have a 5.71 ERA, sixth-worst in baseball (but better than the Royals at 6.40!) Dominguez has converted one of his two save opportunities, but hasn’t pitched since last Saturday. Grant Taylor had the second-largest gap by any reliever with 30+ innings between ERA and FIP last year, and had the 12th-highest strikeout rate. He has been used as an opener to start games three times this year. Lefty Chris Murphy has given up seven runs in six innings and opponents are hitting .333/.438/.556 against him.

*-All numbers from 2025

I wrote last month the White Sox may be friskier than last season, but this is still far from a quality Major League roster. The pitching staff has a lot of holes, with unproven talent and veterans way past their prime. Royals bats have been quiet so far, but higher temps at home (with a chance of wet weather) and a White Sox pitching staff should be just what they need to wake up.

A year ago, I wrote:

It is Thursday afternoon, the season is a week old, and the Texas Rangers are off.

So I decided to offer up a trivia question.

Once again, it is a Thursday afternoon and the Rangers are off. This time, though, the season is two weeks old, not one.

Still, seems like a good time to offer up a trivia question.

Once again, a couple of rules…

1 — Put a spoiler over your answer in the comments.

2 — Don’t go digging around on baseball sites to try to discover the answer. This is a trivia question, not a scavenger hunt.

Here is an alphabetical list of professional baseball players:

Eddie Bressoud

Eli Grba

Ruppert Jones

Roger Nelson

David Nied

Troy Saunders

These players all have something in common, and this is a complete list of every professional baseball player who has this commonality (so, for example, the answer can’t be “Players who have never been in my kitchen,” because Tris Speaker and Logan Forsythe and Roger Moret, among others, also haven’t been in your kitchen).

Can you guess what this is a complete list of?

One of their missing pieces to their roster, the Phillies saw Zack Wheeler make his third rehab start with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Wednesday evening. The results were better this time around, if that’s something that you’re looking at closely.

The real thing to watch with Wheeler is how the stuff is coming out post surgery and the results there were a little more encouraging.

Postgame, Wheeler talked about still feeling a “little bit off” a bit with everything that is going on in the process, which is understandable.

As much as we want Wheeler to come back looking like the Zack Wheeler we know and love this season, those expectations need to be throttled back. It’s probably to expect that the days of his hitting in the upper tier of 90’s with his velocity won’t happen this season, living in the range of 93-95 with his fastball. That’s certainly doable for him considering how good a command he has of everything else in his arsenal, so the next question comes back when to expect him.

We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, he’s healthy and making regular starts where he’s showing effectiveness. That’s awesome.