As the Vancouver Canucks continue to battle an ongoing illness going around the locker room, the team finds themselves down two more players after announcing that forward Brock Boeser and defenceman Zeev Buium have been placed on the injured reserve. In place of them, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenceman Victor Mancini have been recalled ahead of Vancouver's game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Boeser and Buium both ended up on the receiving end of two head-shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, albeit from two different objects. Boeser received an elbow to the head from Penguins forward Bryan Rust, leaving him slow to get up after. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Boeser's condition after the game.
On the other hand, Buium left the game midway through the first period after being nailed in the face by a shot taken from the Penguins. The defenceman later returned to the game wearing a full face shield and sporting a shiner on his eye.
Returning to the NHL in place of Boeser and Buium are Lekkerimäki and Mancini, both of whom have spent the past little bit in the AHL. Lekkerimäki has been on a tear with Abbotsford, averaging a point per game throughout 16 AHL games, and will likely be expected to produce in Vancouver's top-six.
The Canucks resume their current eight-game home stand with a match against the Sharks on Tuesday. This game could see the return of Kiefer Sherwood a little more than a week after he was traded by the Canucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Oct 3, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) skates out as the game’s first star against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Three years ago, a landlord/tenant dispute between the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the City of Glendale, Arizona, made national headlines. To wit: MLB established guidelines requiring facilities to have both male and female locker rooms, and the White Sox and Dodgers, tenants of the Camelback Ranch spring training facility, got into a dispute with their landlord, the City of Glendale, over who would pay for it. Sabers were rattled as the landlord/tenant dispute became quite public.
The most relevant passages from that essay lay out what a slam dunk this case would have been had it escalated further:
There is an old saying in law: if you don’t have the facts [on your side], argue the law; if you don’t have the law [on your side], argue the facts; if you don’t have either, just pound the table and yell really loudly. This adage applies to the City’s position.
When this story broke, I thought that it was quite telling that the City Manager of Glendale was not arguing the terms of the contract. Moreover, the City Manager was attempting to make a moral argument in order to get the City out of its obligations as to the facility….
…But Michael, you say, the White Sox and Dodgers are only paying a dollar a year to lease this facility from the City of Glendale — how on earth is this contract fair? Shouldn’t the White Sox and Dodgers have to pay for these locker rooms out of moral fairness?
That statement is not how contracts work.…
While the White Sox and Dodgers may be the bad guys in the court of public opinion, the City of Glendale dug its own hole for this mess. Digging up is not a solution, either.
Time marched on, and like with most things from the 2023 season, the vast majority of people moved on. I did not receive a follow-up comment after several attempts with the Dodgers and Camelback Ranch, which went unanswered in 2023 and 2024. These setbacks are now moot as I can finally report on what happened next.
The locker room was completed in time for the start of Spring Training 2024.
At the same meeting, the City of Glendale approved a $75,000 contract with Beacon Sports Capital Partners to serve as a consultant for 12 months to provide advice and support in the operation of Camelback Ranch.
Specifically, Beacon Sports was to review the financial statements of Camelback Ranch (the facility), determine the level of annual usage of the facility, identify any aspects of the facility not up to MLB standards, how much it will take to bring the facility into compliance, prepare an estimate to the life cycle of the facility and related equipment with the intent to project any future obligations of the City of Glendale, prepare an assessment of current and planned real estate development of the facility, and prepare a valuation methodology of the facility.
Subsequently, upon review of the minutes and agendas of the Glendale City Council from 2024 to 2026, nothing unusual stood out in the facility’s operation, aside from the April 16, 2024, discussion of difficulties with the construction of a parking garage that the city expected to generate revenue from upon completion.
In the interim, the Dodgers, through the Canopy Team firm, completed construction of the Dodgers Performance Lab in 2024, consisting of 12,000 square feet of large-market, baseball precision flex, which certainly did not hurt during the title campaigns:
Completed in 2024, the Dodgers Performance Lab added 12,000 square foot indoor lab and outdoor agility space, comprised of two instrumented batting/pitching lanes as well as complimentary office/conference/work spaces, storage areas, and technology infrastructure. Initial siting and design was a careful balance struck with players, staff, and executive leadership while construction was planned/sequenced in order to only take nine months to complete and minimize disruption to the team’s occupancy.
The design and programming of the lab is intentionally flexible as the primary occupant besides players is the Dodgers Performance Science department, who are responsible for remaining on the cutting edge in both equipment and training methods. The enabling work in the building’s design is complicated on the design side in order to remain simple and flexible into the future in operation.
Have chair will travel
In early April 2025, lifelong Dodgers fan Yolanda Garcia filed suit in federal court for alleged injuries sustained during a March 2024 Spring Training game at Camelback Ranch.
While walking to the Dodgers’ gift shop, some stacked folding chairs on a dolly allegedly fell on Garcia, causing a laceration and eventual knee replacement surgery months later. Garcia alleged that the Director of Facility Operations publicly reprimanded the staff about the incident immediately afterwards.
Initially, Garcia filed suit in Arizona federal court against the Dodgers, the White Sox, the City of Glendale, the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Camelback Spring Training LLC, and other unknown entities, as is common practice. The case is ongoing, and the only defendant remaining is Camelback Spring Training LLC.
Premise liability cases are often fairly straightforward, and the facts that the case is in federal court under diversity jurisdiction (citizens of two different states with a dispute valued at more than $75,000 — a knee replacement would certainly do it) and that the case is still ongoing are unsurprising. True Blue LA will continue to monitor this lawsuit and provide updates as they become available.
The contract is worth $20.5 million, plus incentives.
Bader signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins last offseason and produced a .277/.347/.449 slash line with 17 home runs, 61 runs scored and 54 RBI in 146 games − all career highs.
He was especially productive down the stretch after being acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. In 50 games with the Phils, Bader hit .305/.361/.463, in addition to playing stellar outfield defense.
Bader, 31, was a third-round draft choice by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. He made his MLB debut with the Cards in 2017 and played parts of six seasons, winning a Gold Glove with them in 2021 before being traded to the New York Yankees the following season.
He's also spent time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets during his nine seasons in the majors.
A .247/.313/.401 career hitter, Bader has been even more valuable on defense. Since he debuted in 2017, no other outfielder can top Bader's 77 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast.
He likely will take over as the Giants' everyday center fielder, with Jung Hoo Lee moving from center to right field and Heliot Ramos as the likely starter in left.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues, in what many on the surface would consider a surprising transaction, assigned top prospect Otto Stenberg to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Monday.
But it's not for the reasons everyone thinks.
Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft who has had a strong start to his NHL career playing in 18 games (one goal, seven assists, plus-4), was assigned for the purposes of allowing him to be able to play for the Thunderbirds while the NHL takes a three-week hiatus for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
The Blues (19-24-9) have five more games left before the break, and if Stenberg were to have play in any of the remaining games leading into the break, he would be entitled to take the time off during the break, and the Blues want him to keep accumulating games and minutes.
If Stenberg were to play in any of the five remaining games prior to the Olympics, he would not have been eligible to go to the AHL during the time off, so he will not be playing in any of the five remaining games prior to Milano-Cortina.
"I thought he had a lot of jump, I thought he played well last game," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "As far as leveling off, I think we saw that with that West coast trip where we did three different time zones. It seemed like it didn't only affect him, but it affected by the end of the trip, it affected all of our younger players and that's getting used to the grind of the NHL, how you take care of your body, how you recover game to game.
"I don't think he got discouraged, but it's a learning process that we communicate to them too and really ask our veteran players to take one of the younger guys under their wing so they really learn how to recover quicker. But your body's got to go through it before you understand it."
Under no circumstances are the Blues displeased with Stenberg's game. In fact, far from it.
"Very happy. He definitely has an NHL brain," Montgomery said. "His game management is high end. His play without the puck is really good, really solid. Again, needs to continue to develop his offensive side of the game."
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2017 – Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz
2018 – Chipper Jones, Ivan Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez
2019 – Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Thome
2020 – Roy Halladay, Derek Jeter
2021 – None
2022 – None
2023 – David Ortiz
2024 – Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer
2025 – Ichiro Suzuki
2026 – Andruw Jones
2025 voting
We had 26 votes this year, but I had to discard a pair because the people in question voted twice. I don’t think there was anything malicious: for both, one ballot was submitted when I initially posted, and the other when I bumped the form earlier in the week. I accepted the first ballot only from each, so we ended with 24 valid ballots, and those discards proved crucial. Because Todd Helton appeared on both of them: 19 of 26 would have been more than the necessary three-quarters of votes, but 17 of 24 fell one vote short for the Toddfather, for the second year running. Carlos Beltran also missed out on becoming a SnakePit Hall of Famer by the narrowest of margins.
However, Andruw Jones will be enshrined in SnakePit Towers and Cooperstown this year, after also missing out on the ‘Pit by a single vote in 2025. This was his ninth year on the ballot, and it has been a slow climb for him to our Hall of Fame. Back on his first appearance, in 2018, Jones got 24% of the vote – actually one vote fewer than Manny Ramirez that year. Though a lot more than the BBWAA, where Jones barely survived, getting only 7.3% his first year – a record low for a subsequent inductee. However, Manny being Manny, left him around the same mark in subsequent polls, and this was his tenth and final appearance, both here and on the BBWAA ballot.
Jones, on the other hand, has seen his reputation improve, perhaps connected to a greater appreciation these days for defense. His ten Gold Gloves sit behind only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays among outfielders, and Andruw’s career 24.4 dWAR is the most ever there. That helped counter a low .254 batting average in voters’ minds, although he his 434 home-runs in his career. He becomes the first player from Curacao to enter the Hall of Fame, which I am sure will delight DbacksEurope! Of course, his son Druw Jones is in the D-backs’ farm system. If his career approaches anything like his dad’s, I think we’ll all be more than satisfied.
On the outside, there was a gaggle of players in addition to Beltran and Helton, who came fairly close. C.C. Sabathia and Scott Rolen both got in the sixties, so still have a change of impressing the (generally tougher) SnakePit Hall voters. Rolen will be on his final shot for this site next year, as will Omar Vizquel. Among this year’s new arrivals, Cole Hamels did best at 20.8%, but most of the other newcomers will be one and done. An interesting exception: Ryan Braun. I’ll be reaching out to the two who voted for him, with a business proposal to avoid your identities from “accidentally” being leaked to the mob of angry SnakePitters, forming as I speak. 😀
Everyone else can feel to provide their ballots in the comments, and explain their choices. For example, did Beltran’s involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing impact your decision? Thanks to everyone who took part! We’ll be back next off-season – perhaps with the “Veterans Committee” idea discussed in the ballot comments! But certainly, in December with the 2027 ballot. The leading new candidate there is certainly Buster Posey, but other names to make their first appearance will be Jay Bruce, Jon Lester, Kyle Seager and Ryan Zimmerman. We’ll see how they, and the candidates returning from this year’s ballot, do on next year’s edition.
SALAMANCA, Mexico (AP) — Beer cans, candles and blood-stained clothing littered a soccer field in central Mexico on Monday, a day after gunmen killed 11 people and injured 12 others during a gathering after an amateur match.
While authorities investigate the killings, Guanajuato state Gov. Libia Dennise García said Monday that “security in the region has been reinforced” with state and federal forces. She said on social media that the state “will act decisively to protect families, restore peace to the community, and bring those responsible to justice.”
The massacre took place in the municipality of Salamanca, in the state with the highest number of homicides in the country. The region has been wracked by intense violence linked to the territorial dispute between the local Santa Rosa de Lima cartel — a violent group primarily dedicated to fuel theft and trafficking — and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, CJNG.
Salamanca Mayor César Prieto — the only official to provide early details on Sunday — described the massacre as part of a “wave of violence” and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help.
It also comes a few months before the start of the FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the United States, and as the government seeks to highlight its progress in security.
Sheinbaum didn't address the events in Salamanca during her news briefing on Monday, deferring to the local prosecutor’s office, which has only confirmed an ongoing investigation.
Authorities have not offered any hypotheses regarding the possible motive for the attack.
Security analyst David Saucedo, who was based in Guanajuato for many years, suggests the attack was likely an “indiscriminate” act by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.
According to Saucedo, the group may have targeted the public specifically to provoke a federal military surge into territory currently held by its rivals, the Jalisco Cartel — a move he says “undermines the image of security Mexico hopes to project on the eve of the World Cup.”
The 2026 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List marches on, and folks, we’re getting close! After this next chapter concludes, we’ll be three-quarters of the way to ranking the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization.
Friday’s ballot was very close, but a winner emerged: it’s outfielder Lisbel Diaz, who has been voted as the No. 32 prospect in the system. It’s a drop of 15 spots for Diaz, who debuted at No. 17 in last year’s CPL.
That drop might suggest that Diaz had a bad 2025, but it’s more that he merely held serve while others around him rose (and were added to the system). The right-hander, who signed in 2023 out of Cuba, spent the entirety of the year with Low-A San Jose, where he had spent a good chunk of time in 2024 as well. Diaz, who turned 20 over the summer, did some good things, though the overall offense was middle of the road: he slashed .269/.320/.405 for a .725 OPS and a 96 wRC+ in the Cal League.
In many ways, that was disappointing, after Diaz posted a slightly better line (.767 OPS, 101 wRC+) at the same level the year prior, with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates. But there were some things that he made improvements on: most notably, Diaz looked very comfortable in the outfield in 2025, and was quite solid in center field when he filled in for the injured Dakota Jordan and Carlos Gutierrez. He also boosted his performance on the basepaths, stealing 26 bases in 32 attempts, after just nine thefts in 2024.
While Diaz will need to boost the offense to have a Major League future, there’s a solid framework in there. He has very strong contact skills, and posted just an 18.7% strikeout rate and an 11.6% swinging strike rate in 2025. Presumably he’ll be starting at a corner in High-A Eugene when the Minor League season begins in a few months, and hopefully we’ll get to see some offensive improvements.
Now let’s add to the list! As a reminder, voting now takes place in the comment section using the “rec” feature.
Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page.All stats are from the 2025 season.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be without the talents of Joel Embiid and Paul George tonight, but they’re still well-placed to continue their dominance over the Charlotte Hornets, whom they've beaten 10 straight times.
However, my 76ers vs. Hornets predictions expect Brandon Miller to ball out for the hosts in what could boil down to a backcourt battle.
Let's take a closer look at this January 26 clash with my NBA picks and betting tips.
76ers vs Hornets prediction
76ers vs Hornets best bet: Brandon Miller Over 20.5 points (-105)
The Charlotte Hornets are 7-6 in their last 13 games, and their young core is showing flashes of promise. That includes steady production from Brandon Miller, and he’s my top target for tonight’s clash with the 76ers.
Miller has been on a tear over the past two weeks, and he’s gone past this O/U number in five of his last six outings, headlined by a 28-point effort against the Golden State Warriors. His 3-point shooting has been a contributing factor in his surge, with Miller making 17 of his past 42 triples, and he should benefit again from the hosts’ improving offense.
With a 21 PPG average at home, Miller is showing that he can fit alongside LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel, and this is a favorable matchup against a Philadelphia 76ers team missing Embiid’s presence in the paint. The Hornets have shot better than 50% from the field in their last two contests, and there’s something brewing here for Charles Lee’s squad.
While Charlotte’s offense can sometimes slide into too much LaMelo usage, Miller has finished with 15+ field goal attempts in nine of his 12 contests this month. If that trend holds up, he’s got a clear path to this Over.
76ers vs Hornets same-game parlay
The 76ers are 4-1 ATS in their past five visits to Charlotte, and we’re going to see a lot of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe here against a Hornets backcourt that’s unlikely to slow them down. Philadelphia is 12-7 SU on the road, and 24-18-2 ATS overall this season.
Speaking of perimeter struggles, LaMelo is no lockdown defender, but he’s willing to gamble on steals. He’s recorded six swipes across his last four outings and, with the 76ers going deeper into their bench tonight, look for Ball to cash in.
76ers vs Hornets SGP
Brandon Miller Over 20.5 points
76ers +2
LaMelo Ball Over 0.5 steals
Our "from downtown" SGP: Maxey on the mark
Count on Maxey to make some noise. He’s shooting 38% from downtown in January, and he knocked down three 3-pointers against the New York Knicks on Saturday. With Philly missing key scorers, he’ll have a neon green light, and he’s nailed this Over in 12 of his last 20 games.
76ers vs Hornets SGP
Brandon Miller Over 20.5 points
76ers +2
LaMelo Ball Over 0.5 steals
Tyrese Maxey Over 3.5 3-pointers
76ers vs Hornets odds
Spread: 76ers +2 | Hornets -2
Moneyline: 76ers +102 | Hornets -125
Over/Under: Over 228.5 | Under 228.5
76ers vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Hornets are just 8-13 SU at home this season. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Hornets.
How to watch 76ers vs Hornets
Location
Spectrum Sportsnet, Charlotte, NC
Date
Monday, January 26, 2026
Tip-off
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN SE-CHA, NBCS-Philadelphia
76ers vs Hornets latest injuries
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The Giants have reportedly signed outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year deal, $20.5 million deal, that includes another $500,000 in incentives. The Royals had been reportedly interested in Bader earlier this offseason, but later reporting by Ken Rosenthal indicated they were being priced out on his market. Bader was coming off a career-best season at age 31, hitting .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs in 146 games last year.
The signing leaves what was already a thin free-agent outfield market even thinner. Austin Hays is among the best of those available, and the Royals were reportedly keeping an eye on him earlier this offseason. Hays specializes in hitting left-handed pitching, and he hit .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs in 103 games overall last year.
Miguel Andujar is another option remaining after a strong season with the Athletics. The once top 100 prospect hit 27 home runs his rookie year in 2018, but battled injuries for several years afterward. Last year he resurfaced to hit .318/.352/.470 with 10 home runs in 94 games and he was particularly good against lefties.
Other remaining outfielders include Michael Conforto, Starling Marte, Tommy Pham, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, and Alex Verdugo. Max Kepler is also available, but will be out for 80 games, as he serves a suspension for PED use. The Royals could also bring back outfielder MJ Melendez, who was non-tendered last fall, or Randall Grichuk, whose mutual option was declined by the Royals.
The Royals have already added Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas to an outfield mix expected to include Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone, with Michael Massey and Kameron Misner potential options for some outfield play. Royals outfielders last year hit .225/.285/.348, worst in baseball.
The NHL announced on Monday that Anaheim Ducks starting goaltender Lukas Dostal had been named as the NHL’s third star of the week for the week of Jan 19 to Jan 25. Kirill Kaprizov, with nine points (3-6=9) in four games, and Nikita Kucherov, with eight points (2-6=8) in three games, were named first and second stars, respectively.
Dostal (25) finished the week with a 4-0-0, a .925 SV%, and saved 3.33 goals above expected. He stopped 111 of the total 120 shots he saw during the Ducks’ four-game stretch last week, as the Ducks are now riding a seven-game winning streak heading into Edmonton on Monday night.
Dostal was the backbone of the Ducks' roster as they got off to an 11-3-1 record to open the season. Game flow, eye test, and underlying metrics all suggested the Ducks’ record was kinder to them than their on-ice play dictated. They were able to outscore their problems, and Dostal was performing at a superhuman level in the crease.
His numbers dipped a bit, down to that of an average NHL starter, as November turned to December and eventually the new year, and the Ducks went on a month-long skid from Dec. 11 to Jan. 10, where they only registered two wins and six standings points in 15 games, highlighted (or low-lighted) by a nine-game winless streak.
The Ducks, despite key injuries, seem back on track and improved defensively. As of today, Dostal has a 19-12-2 record, a .895 SV% (.002 below league average), and has saved .7 goals above expected on the season. He’s started 34 and appeared in 35 of the Ducks’ 52 games this season, tying him for seventh-most-utilized goaltender in 2025-26, despite an upper-body injury causing him to miss nine games.
Dostal signed a five-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $6.5 million in mid-July, awarding full-time starter responsibility after the Ducks traded John Gibson, and placing him among the ten highest-paid goaltenders in the NHL.
His number’s been called frequently, and he’s risen to the level his status and salary would indicate. He’s blossomed as a game manager from the crease, freezing pucks when needed, deflecting perimeter shots to safety, getting pucks to stick to him that negate rebounds, and playing more pucks with his stick to catch opponents on changes or start breakouts from his end.
Dostal’s trademarks will always be his quiet athleticism, knowledge of angles, and puck tracking through and around traffic. However, his dedication to his craft suggests he’s just scratching the surface of his potential in this, his third full NHL season for the Ducks.
Dostal will head to Milano Cortino next month to represent Czechia as their starting goaltender at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It will be his seventh time representing his home nation and his first time at the Olympics.
Miles Mastrobuoni was the 26th man on the roster for most of his time with the Cubs in 2023 and 2024, a substitute fielder, pinch-hitter and pinch-runner.
The Cubs were 14-10 after defeating the Padres April 27, but then went on a long losing skid, losing 10 of 15 entering the final game of a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field.
They had used five pitchers in losing the previous day 11-1, so when Marcus Stroman, Michael Rucker, Keegan Thompson, Julian Merryweather, Brandon Hughes and Michael Fulmer had the team in an 11-3 hole in the bottom of the eighth, Mastrobuoni was summoned to try to finish things off.
This, he did not do. There were two out when Mastrobuoni entered the game and he allowed four straight hits: Single, double, single, home run.
And so, a game where the Cubs trailed 9-3 heading to the last of the eighth wound up as a 16-3 loss. Mastrobuoni’s career Cubs ERA of 108.00 is the highest for any Cubs position player in the divisional play era, though for his career that dropped to 27.00 when he threw a scoreless inning for the Mariners June 26, 2025 — also against the Twins.
Mastrobuoni batted .250/.324/.296 with one home run in 76 games for the Mariners in 2025, better than either of his Cubs seasons. He’ll likely be back as a backup infielder with the Mariners in 2026.
Michael Forret, RHP 22 | 6’3” | 190 A+ (BAL) | 1.51 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 59.2 IP (16 G, 15 GS), 33.5% K, 7.5% BB AA (BAL) | 1.88 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 14.1 IP (3 GS), 15 K, 3 BB
A product of the State College of Florida Manatee – Sarasota (formerly Manatee Junior College), Forret was a well above slot ($450k) 14th round draft choice in 2023 and arrives via the Shane Baz trade. Despite missing some time to a back injury in 2025, his array of fastballs and breaking balls already look major league ready. He seems adept at trying new things, as he picked up a whiff-worthy kick change in 2024, and is already tinkering with a Rays-like sweeper, both through his offseason program at Tread Athletics. He has a low release point (below 6 feet) but a rising fastball, and has — to quote Eric Longenhagen — “sensational feel.” Forret pitches with efficiency and variety, and could climb the ladder quickly in 2026.
Rank
Player
Position
Votes
Total
Percentage
Last Season
1
Carson Williams
SS
14
25
56%
1
2
Brody Hopkins
RHP
19
25
76%
8
3
Jacob Melton
OF
14
28
50%
N/A
4
Theo Gillen
OF
14
26
54%
13
5
Ty Johnson
RHP
12
25
48%
15
6
Daniel Pierce
SS
13
23
57%
NA
7
Jadher Areinamo
INF
15
28
54%
NA
8
TJ Nichols
RHP
13
28
46%
NR
9
Michael Forret
RHP
8
33
24%
NA
A remarkable turnout resulted in four players getting at lest 5 votes for this recent poll: Bodine, Brito, Forret, and Suarez. Forret won by two votes overall. This poll adds teenage catching prospect Nathan Flewelling.
Candidates
Caden Bodine, C 22 | S/R| 5’10” | 200 A (BAL) | .326/.408/.349 (133 wRC+) 49 PA, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 8 K
Drafted 30th overall in 2025, Bodine was acquired in the Shane Baz trade. He profiles as a relatively safe prospect thanks to 60 grade bat-to-ball skills, and comfortably-plus blocking and receiving behind the plate. There is some concern that his smaller frame limits him to fringe power, but those concerns are off-set by solid plate discipline from both sides of the plate; his sweeter swing is left handed. All catching prospects will see their value proposition shift with the challenge system, but his defensive actions, leadership, and receiving give him real value, projecting him as a solid major league contributor.
Acquired in the Brandon Lowe trade, Brito has three plus pitches with a fastball that touches 100 with cut-ride, and two breakers in a mid-80s curveball with surprising depth and a mid-80s slider he commands best. He also mixes in a developing low-90s cutter and a scattershot but intriguing mid-80s changeup with strong velocity and movement separation, with some added deception from his smaller frame helping limit hard contact. The concern is control, as he’s posted below-average strike rates in A-ball across 2024–25 and lacks consistent feel outside the slider, leaving him to project as a slightly wild, high-leverage reliever for now. Still, with multiple plus pitches, improved durability, and meaningful command gains, he has mid-rotation starter upside, giving him possibly the widest range of outcomes on this list. Baseball Prospectus describes him as having “Shohei Ohtani’s stuff with Johnny Cueto’s body.”
Slater de Brun, OF 18 | L/L | 5’10” | 187
Drafted 37th overall in 2025, through a draft pick traded by the Rays, de Brun was essentially re-acquired in the Shane Baz trade. Like many Rays outfield prospects he’s not expected to develop much power, but compensates with an ability to hit to all fields, and has the benefit of years to develop. His hit tool rates plus thanks to a quick, compact swing, and his double-plus speed elevates both his baserunning and range in center; he has a solid arm and can stick long term. The key to his development will be improving pitch selection to maximize his power potential. Despite not yet playing in a pro game, he’s a good bet to skip the complex league and debut in Charleston this season.
Nathan Flewelling, C 19 | L/R | 6’2” | 200 A | .229/.393/.336 (126 wRC+) 439 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 20.3% BB, 27.6% K A+ | 22 PA, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 K
The 94th overall pick from 2024, Flewelling made his debut at 18 years young and caught a full season (75 C, 26 DH), plus a five game cup of coffee (3 C, 2 DH). Taking the longview, he could grow into 50-60 grade power with 50 grade defense, which makes him one to follow. His plus zone awareness at the plate offsets his lagging contact, and most importantly for the position his ability to call games and frame pitches are already plus. A strong season with the bat at High-A could vault him into Top-100 consideration.
Harrison entered the season as Baseball America’s top pitcher in the system thanks to a cleaned up delivery and high heat. He ran into some bumps in the road by running up his pitch count against batters, but he still made it over 100 innings in 22 starts. A power pitcher through and through, his hard slider flirts with cutter classification and could evolve into two distinct pitches down the road. It will be interesting to see how his change up plays as he’s challenged at higher levels, but for now he has premium stuff and the upside of a rotation anchor. (video)
Isaac had his season cut short large-in-part due to the discovery of a brain tumor, disrupting an otherwise great start to the season that duplicated his cup of coffee in Double-A as a 20-year old, despite some minor arm injuries along the way. He has the best power projection in the system, and if he can hold his own for a full season in 2026 — particularly against southpaws, which is somewhat of a concern — the former first round pick (29th overall, 2021) could see his status restored near the top of the Rays prospect rankings.
Morgan continued to hit without power in 2025, a great discouragement for some evaluators, but his present 50-grade hit tool and feel for the zone allow a major league projection. He continued his improved, quieter two-strike approach in 2025 that built on his success retooling his swing in the AFL last year. The Rays gave Morgan 14 starts in Left Field last season, and Baseball America called the defense “playable,” but his value is tied to his plus-plus defense at First.
Santiago Suarez, RHP 21 | 6’2” | ? A+ | 2.88 ERA, 2.07 FIP, 40.2 IP (10 GS), 26.9% K, 3.6% BB AAA | 5 ER (9 H, 2 BB, 3 HR) 11.0 IP (2 GS), 9 K
Suarez climbed the ladder to Triple-A to finish a short season, as some triceps/shoulder issues hampered his 2025, but when called upon this Venezuelan strike-thrower has earned the trust of his managers to go out there and pitch. He has two plus fastballs, with easy heat but average ride on the 4-seam, and a hard cutter with tight bite. His only complimentary pitch thus far is a 12-6 curve, which makes it a fairly vertical arsenal. He gets good extension, although I’d be remiss to not mention the double pump in his plant leg that on first glance looks like noise, but has led to evident repeatability. What Suarez boasts in control he might lack in command. Right now it’s a supinator’s profile with an average arm slot. To progress he either needs to add some east-west depth to his arsenal (à la Chris Bassitt), or find ways to unlock the spin rates a touch more (Shane Baz). I’d expect him to slot into Montgomery’s rotation as one of the younger starters for his level.
Brendan Summerhill, OF 22 | L/R | 6’3” | 200 A | .333/.429/.444 (160 wRC+) 42 PA, 0 HR, 5 SB, 6 BB, 5 K
Following an All-Star performance at the Cape Cod summer league, Summerhill exhibited some of the best bat-to-ball skills in NCAA as a junior at Arizona. His draft stock took a minor hit due to injury (broken hand from from punching a cooler) and was drafted 42nd overall, but Summerhill rebounded well with a dominant stop at Charleston to finish the year. Summerhill has plus barrel control, allowing for a high-contact approach for his long swing. He has plus speed as well, which provides a chance to stick in center. Evaluators would like to see more power to complete a five-tool profile. Even if the power doesn’t materialize, it’s an above average contributor’s projection.
Jose Urbina, RHP 20 | 6’3” | 180 A | 2.05 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 92.1 IP (19 GS), 26.4% K, 8.2% BB A+ | 2 ER (2 HR), 4.0 IP (1 GS), 5 K, 0 BB
Good pitchers grow and adjust, and Urbina has done that consistently at an age young for his level. Physically he has grown in strength, sitting at 96 with the fastball after flashing high octane in 2024, and technically he has grown, refining his dialed up slider and his two-plane curveball into complementary pitches — which lack plus command but are thrown with feel. He shouldered a starter’s workload at 19, and was awarded one additional start at High-A, where he allowed two solo shots and struck out fiv
Tonight's Peacock NBA Monday action features an exciting tripleheader. First, at 7:00 PM ET, the Orlando Magic go head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Then, at 8:00 PM ET, it's the Portland Trail Blazers vs Boston Celtics, followed by the Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 PM ET. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM ET on NBCSN and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch each game and follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
Portland's four-game win streak was snapped last Friday at home, in the team's 110-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Shaedon Sharpe and Jrue Holiday led the way for the Trail Blazers with 21 points each, Toumani Camara scored 16, and Donovan Clingan finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Deni Avdija did not play on Friday due to a lower back strain. Avdija has led Portland in scoring this season (26 ppg) and is on pace for career-highs in scoring, assists (6.9 apg), and threes made (2.3 per game). He is listed as a game-time decision for tonight's matchup.
Despite the loss, Portland has been one of the league's best teams in January, winning 9 of its last 12 games. The Trail Blazers are looking for their first winning season and first playoff appearance since the 2020-21 season.
Boston Celtics:
The Celtics are coming off a 114-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Jaylen Brown finished with a game-high 33 points, while Anfernee Simons added 21 off the bench.
Brown, who was recently named as a starter for this year's All-Star game, has 25 games with over 30 points this season. He is on pace for career highs in points per game (29.8), assists (4.9), and field goals made per game (10.9).
The Celtics are 13-6 over their last 19 games, powered by their three-point shot. Boston is second in the NBA in both three-pointers made per game (15.8) and three-pointers attempted per game (42.7). Boston is currently ranked third in the league in scoring defense (110.3).
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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The JJ Wetherholt hype train continues to pick up steam as the St. Louis Cardinals get closer to Spring Training as Keith Law has just ranked him as the #7 prospect in baseball plus he makes a bold prediction about his future.
If you haven’t already subscribed to Keith Law’s work, I highly recommend it. The fact that the St. Louis Cardinals JJ Wetherholt was ranked in Keith’s top 10 wasn’t a surprise, but there’s one prediction that he made about JJ which is bold to say the least. Keith Law said “He’s the National League prospect about whom I’d feel most confident saying that he’ll win a batting average title some day.“ He praised JJ’s hard hit and barrel rates plus his use of all fields for his frequent contact. He did mention that Wetherholt’s 2-strike decision making could use some work, but his power numbers might actually go up in the big show eventually.
I’m frankly surprised that JJ didn’t rank higher in Keith’s list. MLB Pipeline had Wetherholt ranked at #5 just a few days ago, but there’s little doubt that the expectations for JJ being a huge part of the St. Louis Cardinals roster in 2026 remain sky-high. What JJ had to say during the Winter Warmup a week ago was interesting including his mention that there were some in the development pipeline that were encouraging him to focus on acquiring more pull power which he rebuked since he is an all-fields hitter. He mentions this just after the 7-minute mark in the video.
JJ Wetherholt – “I’m a swing decision guy. Make good swing decisions, control the zone, drive the ball to all fields…power is usually a tool that comes later…being myself and continuing to drive the ball to all fields and make good decisions”.
Prospect list season continued on Monday with the release of Keith Law’s top 100 list at The Athletic. His list joins recently-published ones by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Five Orioles minor leaguers made the cut for Law’s list this year, headlined by Samuel Basallo at #8. Basallo has been a top ten prospect in the game on all of this year’s list that have been released by now.
The other Orioles prospects ranked on Law’s list: shortstop Wehiwa Aloy at #73, outfielder Nate George at #78, catcher/outfielder/? Ike Irish at #85, and outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. at #97. Dylan Beavers ranked pretty highly on the BA list at #21 but is absent from Law’s list entirely.
By the same token, Law has rated a few of these players who weren’t on either of the other two top 100s so far: Aloy, Irish, and Bradfield are, so far, only top 100 guys for Law. He liked the Orioles use of their high draft pick capital in the 2025 draft. The Orioles traded two more high picks from that draft to the Rays for Shane Baz. At this juncture, Caden Bodine and Slater de Brun have not cracked any top 100s.
There’s a good amount to be exciting about this group of players, with Basallo at the top:
(Basallo is) easily the best catching prospect in the minors right now, who hits and has significant power, and reached the majors just four days after his 21st birthday … Heʼs got power to all fields, peaking at 116 mph and hitting a third of his Triple-A homers the other way, and his Barrel rate was 21 percent. Only two MLB hitters last year topped that, and each won his respective leagueʼs MVP award.
When I copied that last sentence into this article, I made a “Whoa!” sound. That’s just incredible company for such a young player. The profile also includes praise for Basallo’s arm strength, though Law does note that Basallo is going to need to do some work on improving his swing decisions particularly once he falls behind in the count, and that he has more development to do to be able to handle a full-time catching workload. The Orioles are in a position where they don’t need Basallo to shoulder that load as long as Adley Rutschman is around.
It’s a ways down the list before Aloy comes up at #73. I was excited when the Orioles were able to draft him because he’s a player with some high upside even if he also comes with strikeout risk. Law on Aloy:
Aloy is a true shortstop with power, showing plus defense as an amateur with good lateral range and plenty of arm for the left side of the infield … He has 20-plus homer upside in a shortstop who should be at least a 55 defender — or a 60-plus if he ends up at third base — with his ultimate value coming down to whether he can pick up spin and cut down on the chase.
If this was the first player the Orioles chose in the draft, it would have felt like another possible Vance Honeycutt kind of “too many strikeouts” risk. They took Irish before going back around to Aloy, though, so all the eggs are not in this basket. Speaking of Irish, here’s what Law writes:
(Irish’s) upside is all about the bat: He makes very hard contact, works the count well and uses the entire field, with the potential for 20-25 homers if he trades some contact to try to pull the ball more. … Heʼs about a 40 defender in right, but if that even gets a 45 he should hit enough to be an above-average regular.
Also in this scouting capsule, Law included a note acknowledging that Irish has fallen below some other players from the 2025 draft who Law had ranked lower in his pre-draft rankings. There were some teams before the draft and some pro scouts after the draft whose opinions on Irish were lower than others, and that information has been incorporated into Law’s analysis now that Irish is in the pro ranks.
Last year’s out-of-nowhere surprise Nate George also cracks this ranking along with the other two that have been released. Law took note of George in a scouting report last summer with George getting the memorable description “plays like his hair is on fire,” which reappeared in this writeup. On George’s potential:
George plays like his hairʼs on fire, and while that phrase gets thrown around a lot, in his case it seems to make him a better player in every aspect of the game. Heʼs a twitchy athlete with quick hands at the plate and he shoots line drives to both gaps, with fringy power right now. Then he runs like a madman out of the box and doesnʼt stop until he reaches third base. Heʼs the kind of runner whoʼll throw his helmet off because itʼs slowing him down.
Sounds awesome. Law goes on to say about George that this is a player with “All-Star upside,” though he notes that mostly would involve George being able to develop above-average home run power that he doesn’t have yet.
Lowest on this list but still included in the top 100 is Bradfield, a player who has not gotten as much attention from other outlets because many evaluators aren’t convinced he’ll hit enough to make the most of his other tools. Those concerns remain somewhat even for Law, but he really likes what Bradfield can do:
Bradfield is still an 80 runner and a 70 or 80 defender in center field … with enough command of the strike zone to see a high floor for him as a second-division regular who generates 2 WAR in many seasons just on defense, speed and contact. … Heʼs going to save a ton of runs with his glove, as he combines good instincts with elite speed to cover a huge amount of ground.
A player who could do all that and didn’t have any hit questions would be consensus on every top prospect list and much higher-ranked than this. Law’s writeup includes the note that Bradfield’s “swing is still a work in progress,” not really the best phrase to hear about a first round pick from 2.5 years ago.
Other big rankings still to come include Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and ESPN. It seems like a safe guess that Basallo will remain highly-ranked on all lists. I’m curious to see where the consensus starts to come together on some other Orioles prospects, and particularly whether any list other than Baseball America is putting top 100 rankings on any O’s pitching prospects.
Rotoworld Bet Staff
