Jonathan Pintaro went undrafted out of high school and spent five seasons at Shorter University, D2 school in the Gulf South Conference located in Rome, Georgia, without being selected by a Major League Baseball team. The 24-year-old still had the passion for baseball and refused to let his dream die, signing with the Glacier Range Riders of the Pioneer League for the 2023 season. Still, he had no takers. With his dream holding on by a thread, he decided to return to Glacier Range for the 2024 season. He made three appearances, all starts, posting a 4.40 ERA in 14.0 innings, with 13 hits allowed, 1 walk 1, and 23 strikeouts, and finally found a suitor. On June 3, 2024, the New York Mets officially signed Pintaro to a minor league contract.
The right-hander was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and pitched in Coney Island for two months, making 7 starts and 9 total appearances with a 2.50 ERA in 36.0 innings, allowing 28 hits, walking 14, and striking out 35. He was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late July and was just as effective in the two months he was there, making 7 starts and posting a 3.18 ERA in 34.0 innings with 26 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse for his final start of the season, throwing four scoreless innings there, and posted a 2.68 ERA in 74.0 innings on the season in totality, allowing 58 hits, walking 28, and striking out 75.
Following the conclusion of the season, the Mets sent him to the Arizona Fall League, where he allowed 4 earned runs in 10.1 innings, good for a 3.48 ERA, with 9 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 10 strikeouts.
He began the 2025 season with Binghamton and once again put up solid results. In 42.1 innings over eleven starts, the right-hander posted a 3.40 ERA with 32 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 57 strikeouts. On June 24, Pintaro was promoted to Triple-A, and a day later, the New York Mets selecting his contract, showing that perseverance does pay off; almost a year to the day prior, he had been pitching in Kalispell, Montana in front of roughly 2,000 people; now, he would be pitching in front of almost twenty times that amount in the capital of the world.
It was expected that Pintaro would pitch out of the Mets’ bullpen and the big 6’3”, 235-pound right-handed did exactly that; he appeared in a single game against the Atlanta Braves on June 25, coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning of a 7-1 lead, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 0.2 innings. He was optioned back down to Triple-A Syracuse and remained there for the remainder of the season, posting a 5.27 ERA in 39.2 innings over 17 games, five of which were starts.
Pintaro did not exactly impress in his brief MLB cup-of-coffee, nor did he put up particularly good numbers with the Syracuse Mets for the rest of the season, but as the Mets identified when they signed him out of the Pioneer League in 2024, the right-hander has the stuff to get MLB outs when he has his stuff working. The right-hander throws fastballs nearly 75% of the time, mixing in a high-spin cutter, a mid-90s fastball, and a low-90s sinker. He supplements those pitches with a mid-to-high-80s changeup that gives him a north-south option and a low-to-mid-80s sweeping slider that gives him a horizontal option.
Already on the 40-man roster with remaining options, Pintaro has an outside shot of making the major league bullpen if he is really impressive during spring training, but odds are, he will be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the year and will be one of a handful of internal starting or bullpen options the team can activate with when and if the need arises.
ARLINGTON, TX - MARCH 31: The Texas Rangers Six Shooters run with Texas flags on Greene's Hill after a run was scored in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Park in Arlington on March 31, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Opening Day is getting closer and closer. The 2026 season is almost here. Let’s do a Rangers Reacts Survey that asks about it.
Who do you believe will lead the team in home runs in 2026?
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26, 2026: Leo de Vries #83 of the Athletics bats during the seventh inning of a spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Hohokam Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Like the undulating haze on a flat desert road to nowhere during a long road trip, the Athletics’ farm system is a mirage. Also like a long road trip on a flat desert road to nowhere, you had better strap in and prepare to be bored if the A’s are your second team.
Last season, he ran a 125 wRC+ in 2025 split between High-A and Double-A as an 18-year-old, including a 144 wRC+ in his 20 games in Double-A. He hit 15 home runs, showing some future pop, and also went double digits on steals with 11. He also flashed some plus-potential with the glove and some soft hands, something he’s continued to demonstrate in Spring Training this year.
De Vries is a clear-cut gem sitting atop the A’s farm system. He has potential to be a .270+, 30 home run, 20 steal player with strong defense. Considering his age and the Athletics’ approximate window, they shouldn’t rush him, especially considering the rest of their farm system. In a perfect world, De Vries would debut in 2028, ready to lead the Las Vegas Athletics to potential playoff contention. Realistically, I could see him getting a cup of coffee with a couple of injuries this season, and he will likely have the starting job this time next year.
Get ready for this guy to be a royal pain in the ass.
The Lefties
There’s either one or two other top-100 prospects in the system, depending who you ask: left-handed starting pitchers Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold.
The big 4 prospect evaluators are split on which they are higher on.
2024 Comp B pick Jump is a strike-thrower who has three good pitches, his mid-90’s fastball, a sharp slider and a single-plane curveball. A highly-regarded prep prospect, he elected to go to college, and saw his stock rise for it. He might have a slightly higher average evaluation than Arnold, likely due to his more conventional and projectable profile. You should expect to see Jump debuting later in 2026, unless he dominates out of spring training – the A’s current rotation doesn’t necessarily preclude that possibility.
2025 1st-rounder Arnold is a little more of a peculiar profile, an ultra low-slot lefty, throwing a solid fastball with a flat approach angle and a gnarly east-west sweeper that should trouble even right-handed hitters. Fangraphs published an interesting interview with him, and noted that he fell just outside of their Top 100 list.
He portrays himself as a bit of a tinkerer – he currently uses two change-ups, an outlier-kick change and a split change, as part of his six-pitch arsenal. Consider him a high-ceiling low-floor guy.
The L-ugly
So, why is this system a mirage? It’s the depth. The farm has been ranked in the 10-14 range generally speaking, but that’s been buoyed by having three top-100, even top-50 guys. Most systems don’t have that. However, beyond Leo and the Lefties, it’s looking grim. The big-league team will likely improve and enter a window of contention starting next year, but it’s fair to say that barring huge breakout seasons from the depth of this system or a generational draft, I don’t see how this isn’t a bottom-10 or bottom-5 system by the 2027 Draft.
(Original Caption) "Prof Essor" Andy Seminick (left), regular Philadelphia Phillies catcher, gives receiving tips to Mack Burk, $40,000 bonus rookie from the University of Texas, during a session of Phillies rookie school here February 10th. Looking on is catching coach Benny Bengough (right).
In honor of the Philadelphia Phillies playing host to the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, we here at The Good Phight are launching a yearlong series that focuses on the history of the Phillies and the All-Star Game.Check back regularly for posts about the Phillies participation (or lack thereof) in the Midsummer Classic over its history.
We’re back to wrap up the rest of the long list of one-time All-Stars on the 1940s Phillies teams. Here’s part one of the 1940s, and here’s part one of this series with the 1930s. Without further ado, let’s wrap up this collection of good individual player seasons wasted on horrific teams.
Babe Dahlgren, 1943
The story of Ellsworth Tenney Dahlgren is one of a player who lost his chance to play in the majors in no small part due to something completely out of his control. His career started with the Boston Red Sox who purchased Dahlgren from the Mission Reds of the Pacific Coast League in 1934. The 23-year-old first baseman debuted with Boston in 1935, playing in 149 games and hitting a respectable .263 with nine home runs. Nevertheless, Dahlgren was sent to Triple-A Syracuse early in 1946 as future Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx arrived in a trade from the A’s and took his spot at first. Dahlgren made his displeasure of the trade known, as he claimed he was too valuable to be sent back to the minors and would rather be traded if Foxx was to have the first base job.
Fortunately for Dahlgren, his wish to find a new club was granted in the spring of 1937. But the monkey’s paw curled, as he was bought by the Yankees who were looking for insurance because their first baseman, Lou Gehrig, was in the middle of a holdout. Dahlgren found a new home but was still blocked for any significant playing time. When Gehrig and the Yankees eventually bridged the $19,000 gap in his contract, Dahlgren was once again sent to the minors, but this time with the task of learning third base. He would find his way back to the Yankees in 1938 but only appeared in 27 games. Dahlgren finally became the Yankees starting first baseman on May 2nd, 1939, notably the game that ended Lou Gehrig’s iron man streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. Gehrig, deteriorating due to ALS, requested to be taken out of the lineup, and Dahlgren was ready to step in to the enormous shoes, going 2-5 on the day with a home run.
But Dahlgren’s life would forever change in 1940. Despite Dahlgren appearing in every regular season game and hitting .264 with 12 home runs, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy blamed the first baseman for costing New York the pennant and pointed to a particular loss to Cleveland where Dahlgren committed an error. McCarthy told John Drebinger of The New York Times that “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.” That comment started a lifetime of unsubstantiated rumors that Dahlgren was a frequent marijuana user, something he vehemently denied.
Dahlgren was released by the Yankees despite a good 1940 season and spent the next two seasons playing for four different teams. He ended 1942 with the Dodgers who then traded him to the Phillies prior to the 1943 season. The impetus of the trade was a dispute with Brooklyn that involved Branch Rickey asking Dahlgren in a meeting if he was a marijuana smoker, something that outraged Dahlgren. So, Rickey traded him to Philadelphia, where he became an All-Star for the first and only time in his career after hitting .323 in the first half. Dahlgren didn’t start in the All-Star game at his shared home stadium of Shibe Park, but he did appear as a pinch hitter in the sixth and grounded into a double play. He ultimately went 0-2 as his NL team fell 5-3 to the AL in the first All-Star game played in Philadelphia and the first one to be played at night under the lights.
Dahlgren went back to the Phillies and finished the year hitting .287 across 136 games. But 1943 was his only season in Philadelphia, as he was traded to the Pirates following the season. Rampant rumors of his marijuana usage continued to follow Dahlgren, so much so that he went to Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis in 1944 and asked to be drug tested, becoming the first player to do so. Landis was not able to do much to help end the rumors though, as he died on November 25th, 1944.
Dahlgren played two more years in the Majors before embarking on a postretirement career that involved ownership of a minor league team, scouting, bringing Little League Baseball to Arcadia, California, and song writing. However, he was never able to escape the marijuana rumors, leading his grandson to write a book entitled “Rumor in Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong” in 2007 to try and put an end to the rumor once and for all.
Ken Raffensberger, 1944
Stop me if you’ve heard something like this before, but Ken Raffensberger was an above average pitcher who was cursed to play for losing teams, especially the 1940s Phillies. Perhaps this was the cosmic payment his Pennsylvania Dutch father had to pay for receiving his wish of a lefthanded pitcher for a first born. Despite playing for a high school without a baseball team that he dropped out after his junior year, Raffensberger signed a professional contract with the Cardinals in 1937 after pitching American Legion and semi-pro ball. It wasn’t long before Raffensberger found himself at the highest level of the Cardinals minor leagues in Rochester, and he was soon invited to big league spring training in 1939. He made his MLB debut not much later, pitching a scoreless inning of relief on April 25th, 1939, at the age of 21.
But Raffensberger found himself back in Rochester for the rest of the 1939 season where he posted his second straight season of 15 wins. The Cardinals decided to trade him to the Cubs in December however, in exchange for two players and cash considerations. Raffensberger was pleased by the trade, as he told his hometown York, Pennsylvania newspaper The Gazette and Daily that he was “tickled” and added “You see I know they’re short on left handers and I confidently feel that with exception of Larry French, I’m as good as any left hander the Cubs will have in camp this spring.”
Raffensberger appeared in just 49 games with the Cubs in 1940, mostly being used as a relief pitcher. His 3.38 ERA across 114.2 IP was impressive for a 22-year-old, but it wasn’t good enough to earn Raffensberger more than 10 games with the Cubs the following season, as he spent most of 1941 in the Pacific Coast League. Raffensberger remained with Los Angeles Angels of the PCL for another two full seasons despite winning a total of 36 games and sporting ERAs of 3.46 and 2.14.
Luckily(?) for Raffensberger, his performance did finally earn him another crack at the Majors, except now it was in Philadelphia with the Phillies. He was acquired by the Phillies along with Cubs first baseman Glenn David Russell in exchange for cash and two players to be named later. It was originally planned for both newly acquired players to not make their Phillies debut until 1944, but Raffensberger was called up on September 29th for a start against the Reds. He performed well, going eight innings and allowing only one run on seven hits, but Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer, of two consecutive no-hitters fame, was better, hurling a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts, sending the Phillies to a 3-0 loss.
When the calendar turned to 1944, the Phillies were looking to continue their upswing, as they improved from being dead last with 109 losses in 1942 to only 90 losses and next to last in 1943. Raffensberger was primed to be a big reason for said theoretical improvement. He held up his end of the bargain, turning in the best season of his career to date and making the 1944 All-Star team at Forbes Field as the Phillies lone representative.
Raffensberger ended up pitching two scoreless innings in the game while allowing one hit with two strikeouts. He actually earned the win for that performance, as he left in the top of the fifth when the score was 1-0 AL, but the NL plated four in the bottom of the fifth and went on to win 7-1. Unfortunately for Raffensberger, the Phillies did not hold up their end of the improving angle, as the 1944 Phillies settled back into last place with 92 losses and even saddled Raffensberger with a league high 20 losses despite a 3.06 ERA across 258.2 IP.
The now 27-year-old lefty returned to the Phillies for just five games in 1945 after a quick five-month service with the Navy. Raffensberger turned in another solid effort for a losing team in 1946 before a slow start to 1947 earned him a trip out of Philadelphia and to Cincinnati. That’s where he would pitch the final full seven seasons of his MLB career. Over that span, Raffensberger went 83-94 with a 3.60 ERA for the Reds. In return, the Phillies received catcher Al Lakeman who appeared in 87 career games with the Phillies and hit .160.
Andy Seminick, 1949
A mainstay catcher for the 1940s Phillies, Seminick would probably be remembered as more of the Phillies lifer he was if he played in an era where there was more winning in Philadelphia. Nicknamed “The Mad Russian” due to his aggressive playing style and his status as the son of two Russian immigrants, Seminick spent twelve seasons total with the Phillies from 1943-1951 and from 1955 to 1957. The team averaged just under 70 wins per season during his tenure.
He dropped out of high school at 17 to play semi-professional baseball and work in the mines of his Muse, Pennsylvania town rather than attend Duquesne University and play football. Despite his father and brothers working for the same mining company, Seminick was the only one of his family who physically worked inside the mines. He suffered a back injury after stepping on some coal in 1940 and decided to be done with mining and focus solely on baseball.
Seminick spent the next few years playing independent ball and working various jobs including as a meatcutter and running a bulldozer at a defense plant after a knee injury disqualified him from the military. The Phillies tried to purchase Seminick’s contract from his semipro team the Knoxville Smokies in 1943, but Bill Veeck, then with the Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers, obtained Seminick’s rights first for $15,000. But Veeck then immediately sold Seminick to the Phillies anyway for $35,ooo. It must also be noted, the reason Seminick started playing catcher in Knoxville despite originally being a utility infielder is that the Phillies purchased Knoxville’s starting catcher Bob Finley earlier in 1943.
Seminick made his MLB debut on September 14th, 1943, in a game against the Giants that ended in a 4-4 tie after ten innings, quickly acquainting him to what life would be like with the Phillies. He collected his first big league hit with a home run to left in the second half of a double header the next day, snapping an 0-8 to begin his career. Seminick followed his Knoxville teammate Finley’s lead once again, as both catchers collected their first hit in the second day of their career with home runs to left field. However, Seminick broke a bone in his wrist a few days later after falling over the mound while tracking a pop-up. He did not tell his manager and convinced the team trainer to keep it quiet so he could finish his rookie season. Seminick ultimately played 22 games in 1943 and hit .181.
1944 began with Seminick breaking camp with the Phillies but ultimately being demoted to Double-A on June 18th due to his weak hitting. That is where he excelled with the Buffalo Bisons, hitting .273 with 14 home runs in 87 games before ending the season once again in Philadelphia. That’s where he would stay for all of 1945 as the backup catcher, quickly becoming the target of new manager Ben Chapman’s frustration. Chapman frequently berated Seminick over his defense behind the plate. But with the arrival of two former catchers to the coaching staff in Cy Perkins and Benny Bengough for 1946, Seminick’s defense improved enough to keep his vastly improving hitting in the lineup. He secured the starting catcher’s job that year and ran with it, hitting .247 with 38 home runs from 1946-1948. Nevertheless, he was frequently booed in Philadelphia due to his defensive lapses, so much so that three local teenage girls started the official “Andy Seminick 21 Fan Club,” producing their own newsletter and hosting various days of celebration for Seminick at the ballpark.
Their attempt at positive reinforcement seemed to help Seminick in 1949, as he started on a torrid pace, hitting .274 with 13 home runs through the first half of the year, earning him a selection to the NL All-Star team. The 28-year-old catcher was in the starting lineup that day at Ebbets Field for the NL, batting eighth in a lineup that featured Pee-Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Ralph Kiner. On the mound throwing to Seminick was Warren Spahn who only lasted 1.1 innings and surrendered 4 runs. Seminick had two plate appearances in the contest, getting hit in the elbow by a pitch in the second and grounding out in the third with the score tied 4-4. Roy Campanella then replaced Seminick as the NL ultimately went on to lose 11-7 thanks in part to Joe DiMaggio’s three RBIs.
Seminick cooled off a little after the break, hitting .212 with 11 home runs. But the Phillies finished in third place with an 81-73 record. It was Philadelphia’s first winning record since 1932 and the first time they crossed 80 wins since 1917. The team and Seminick continued to improve in 1950, as the Phils’ backstop hit a career-high .288 with a career-best .925 OPS and had his second straight seasons of 24 home runs while helping lead the Phillies to their first NL pennant since 1915. Seminick, then 29-years-old, was an elder statesman on the “Whiz Kids” but was third on the team in home runs and guided a pitching staff that featured young starters like Robin Roberts and Jim Konstanty to the best ERA (3.50) in all of baseball. Unfortunately for Seminick and the Whiz Kids, they were quickly dispatched in a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the World Series.
Seminick regressed in 1951 and so did the Phillies, who finished the season in fifth place. He was then traded along with Dick Sisler to the Reds in a seven-player deal in December. That’s where Seminick would spend the next three and a half seasons before being traded back to the Phillies in April of 1955 where he would reassume starting catching duties. However, Seminick was relegated to a backup role by 1956 behind the better hitting and younger Stan Lopata. He started 1957 as a coach on the Phillies staff but was activated as a player in September due to injuries, appearing in eight games as a 36-year-old.
Seminick then embarked on a coaching career that led him back to the Phillies in 1967 and saw him manage a young Double-A MVP Greg Luzinski with the Reading Phillies in 1970. He later managed Mike Schmidt and Bob Boone with the Eugene Emeralds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1972. It was Seminick who moved Boone to catcher after the latter was originally an infielder. Seminick then converted into a role as a scout after being passed over for the Phillies manager job in favor of Danny Ozark in 1973. He would remain with the Phillies in his new role as a scout until his retirement in 1986 at the age of 66. Seminick is third among all Phillies catchers in career home runs with 123 and fifth in career WAR with 16.4.
The Big Ten basketball regular season is down to the final four games Sunday. Teams are still jockeying for Big Ten Tournament seedings with positions 2 through 4 earning the all-important triple-bye to the quarterfinals.
Purdue, which began the season ranked No. 1 in the country, will be the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament after losing Saturday at home to Wisconsin, and UCLA beating USC.
This year, the Big Ten Tournament expanded to all 18 teams. So Penn State, Oregon and Maryland, who would have been in line to miss the tournament, get a chance to play in Chicago.
Here's how the bracket looks as of Sunday, March 8.
Something has been in the air lately, almost like a bug—or perhaps an injury bug? Jokes aside, both Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. have had ankle injuries in recent games. Amen hurt his ankle in Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards, while Jabari was injured during last Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Houston’s upcoming injury report is anticipated to include an official severity update for Amen, and Jabari’s comeback is anticipated on Thursday when Houston plays the Golden State Warriors. Smith and Thompson are both dealing with ankle issues, which is testing Houston’s depth. The coaching staff has been compelled to experiment with lineup combinations, increasing the responsibility of secondary scorers and bench contributions. The absence of two young building blocks also affects chemistry. Thompson and Smith make up the squad’s long-term core; their extended absence disrupts the team’s identity-building process.
Luckily for Houston, neither injury is currently believed to be a season-ending one. Both players remain vital to the Rockets’ present and future objectives. Thompson’s top priorities will be steadiness and regaining confidence when going downhill. Smith’s main goal is to ensure that the ankle is strong enough to endure defensive shifts and heavy minute workloads. As the season goes on, both talent and health might determine the Rockets’ destiny. Houston will have two dynamic players who can alter the tempo of a game on any given night if Smith and Thompson heal completely. Without Thompson and Smith, expect more minutes from members of the “stay ready crew” such as Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green, along with Reed Sheppard starting.
The Rockets will be back in action Thursday at 6:30 pm as they take on the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. You can watch the game on SCHN, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for both pre- and post-game content.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 09, 2025: Pitching coach Derek Johnson #36 of the Cincinnati Reds walks onto the field for a mound visit during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 09, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have put together an enviable breadth of starting pitching heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season. That’s a nebulous, bland, blanket statement on its surface, but it’s also very much emblematic of the fact that almost none of the cadre of starting-caliber arms they have down there is the same, or even in the same situation.
They’ve got a bona fide ace in Hunter Greene, the lone one amongst the group operating on a long-term contract extension. They’ve got Brady Singer, a veterans innings-eater, who is in his final year of team control with free agency looming.
They’ve got a flamethrowing rookie with Cy Young upside in Chase Burns, and a mix-match command maestro in rookie Rhett Lowder – who’s own stuff is good enough to chase awards, too. They’ve got lefties in Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo and Brandon Williamson to match the might of their RHPs. They’ve got guys coming off lost seasons who’ll need to deal with innings limits, and guys like Lodolo and Greene still looking to complete full seasons to add that badge of honor (an incredibly lucrative badge of honor) to their already growing resumes.
It’s also unique in that it’s a group composed completely of players who were already within the organization last year, with nary a new starting pitcher brought in to camp on a big league deal among them. Even with Nick Martinez, who left for free agency following the 2025 season, they lost a guy who spent a ton of the end of the season pitching as a reliever despite his prowess as a starter, so their rotation options have been lined up for 2026 long before 2026 ever arrived.
The one obvious question that we don’t necessarily know about this group, though, is who becomes their workhorse.
Last season, it was Singer who topped the IP leaderboard for the club at 169.2, a number that marked the fourth straight season in which he’d topped 150 IP for his respective clubs. That edged out both Abbott (166.1) and Lodolo (165.2) for the team lead, with each of those numbers marking career-bests for the lefties. Greene, meanwhile, has the best stuff on the team (and perhaps in the game) with the best surface stats, too, but injuries once again limited him during the 2025 campaign and he fired just 107.2 innings.
If the mantra is truly have your best pitchers pitch the most, then it’s pretty obvious the Reds would love it if Greene ended up leading the team in IP this year. However, since he’s only topped 150 IP once (at 150.1 IP in 2024) and threw just 107 IP last year, I doubt the Reds are itching to see him chase 200 IP this season from a long-term (and playoff) perspective. Innings limits for each of Lowder and Williamson coming off injury will 100% be in play, while the team is going to be cautious with Burns due to his 2025 forearm issue and lack of overall IP experience, too.
Singer, a perfectly cromulent mid-rotation starter for just about any rotation in the bigs (including this one), may well end up being leaned on more to take innings off others this year and wind up leading the team in innings once again – all despite being perhaps the fifth or seventh most ‘talented’ arm on the roster. Lodolo or Abbott could power their way to 32+ starts and set new career marks, too, something that would inch both closer to being considered legitimate top-of-the-rotation starters nearing lucrative paydays.
It’s a discussion with no crystal ball, clearly. Who do you think ends up leading the 2026 Reds in IP?
The Detroit Red Wings responded in impressive fashion after a difficult road swing, earning a statement 4–2 victory over the Nashville Predators. The win came on the heels of a demanding trip to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes, widely regarded as one of the NHL’s strongest home teams.
Detroit now returns to the Motor City riding momentum, but another stern challenge awaits in the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas enters Wednesday’s matchup desperate to reverse its fortunes, having gone 4-8-2 over its past 14 games and carrying a three-game losing streak into the contest.
Historically, the Red Wings have had mixed results against Vegas. Detroit has won just one of the past four meetings overall, but the Golden Knights have struggled in Hockeytown, dropping four of their last five visits.
Lineup Storylines
Vegas may once again be without captain Mark Stone, who is listed day-to-day. Stone was among the team’s hottest players prior to the Olympic break, and his absence has been noticeable as the Golden Knights have lacked their usual sharpness and offensive rhythm.
In his place, Pavel Dorofeyev has stepped up in a major way as the 24-year-old winger has quietly become one of the league’s most productive goal scorers, tallying 12 goals and three assists for 15 points over his last 16 games. Skating alongside elite playmaker Mitch Marner, Dorofeyev has thrived and will be a focal point for Detroit’s defensive game plan.
To counter, Detroit will lean heavily on the dynamic pairing of Lucas Raymond and captain Dylan Larkin. The duo has combined for eight goals over the Red Wings’ past 10 games and continues to drive the team’s top line offensively.
The biggest storyline, however, could unfold in between the pipes. Goaltender John Gibson exited Monday’s win in Nashville, and while head coach Todd McLellan initially indicated the veteran was fine, Detroit’s decision to recall top prospect Sebastian Cossa suggests there may still be some concern.
Cossa, one of hockey’s premier goaltending prospects, has been dominant in the AHL this season. The 23-year-old Hamilton native owns a 24-4-3 record, along with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 31 games. He was even included in an early projection for Team Canada’s 2030 Olympic roster. Cossa could make just his second NHL appearance Wednesday or serve as backup to Cam Talbot, who has struggled recently with only three wins in his last 12 outings.
Vegas is expected to counter with Adin Hill. The Golden Knights’ regular starter has endured a challenging campaign, posting a 5-4-3 record, a 3.46 goals-against average, and an .858 save percentage.
With both teams seeking stability in goal and momentum in the standings, Wednesday’s clash presents a pivotal opportunity for Detroit to continue its surge and for Vegas to halt its slide.
Vegas: Adin Hill Expected (Season: 5-4-3 record, 3.46 GAA, .858 SV% | VS DET: 4-1-0 record, 2.64 GAA, .895 SV% in six games)
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Wednesday's game against Team Israel...
McLean good to go for sim game
Nolan McLean's vertigo-like symptoms are gone, and the right-hander is officially set to throw in a sim game on the backfields in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday.
McLean is expected to throw about four innings and 50-55 pitches.
If he's able to get through that without any issues, he'll likely join Team USA in the coming days and make his scheduled start in their pool play finale against Italy on March 10.
The 24-year-old is also penciled in as USA's starter for the WBC Championship if they were to make it that far.
McLean expects to make just two appearances of around 60 pitches during the tournament.
Robert's next step
McLean won't be the only big-name Met partaking in that sim game on the backfields, asLuis Robert Jr. is officially set to play four innings in center, as well.
This will be Robert's first game action as a Met this spring training.
The 28-year-old has gotten plenty of swings in the cages and during live BP sessions, but the Mets are easing him in to game action in an effort to keep him healthy heading into the year.
He'll be playing in these sim games on alternate days until he's ready to jump into Grapefruit League action.
Minter's up and moving around
The Mets have been encouraged by how A.J. Minter has looked in his early bullpen sessions, and he's officially ready to take the next step in his spring training build-up.
Minter is set to face hitters in live BP for the first time since undergoing season-ending lat surgery last May.
The southpaw still remains without a timeline for a return, but best-case scenario, the team is hoping he'll be back in the mix around late April or early May.
Whenever he does return, it'll certainly be a huge boost for this group.
Minter was spectacular before going down to injury last year, allowing just two runs and striking out 14 over his first 13 appearances in orange and blue.
MLB is returning to NBC and Peacock for the 2026 season and a familiar face will provide the soundtrack to the action.
It was announced Wednesday that award-winning broadcaster Jason Benetti will serve as the lead play-by-play voice for Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock. He’ll be joined by analysts with ties to each team featured in each Sunday Night Baseball broadcast.
Benetti currently serves as the Tigers’ primary TV broadcaster, but he’s no stranger to NBC Sports, as he was the lead play-by-play voice for MLB Sunday Leadoff on Peacock in 2022. He was also the lead baseball announcer for the Tokyo Olympics. Now he’s back to bring his trademark wit and humor to Sunday Night Baseball at its new home.
“I am thrilled to be rejoining the NBC Sports family,” Benetti said. “Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and the whole team at NBC all have a deep appreciation for live sports. It's a true honor to be part of the dawn of Sunday Night Baseball at NBC Sports. Each week is going to be a new, unique experience with analysts who all have different viewpoints on the game of baseball.”
Benetti will make his debut on Thursday, March 26 as the Dodgers take on the Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The game will be the only primetime game on the first full day of the 2026 MLB season.
NBC Sports announced last month that Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, and Anthony Rizzo will serve as NBC Sports’ pregame analysts for exclusive MLB postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC and Peacock. With the addition of one of the best broadcasters in all of sports in Benetti, the All-Star lineup continues to grow.
From an MLB Opening Day doubleheader on March 26 to the Wild Card round of the playoffs, NBC Sports’ 2026 schedule delivers wall-to-wall coverage.
D.J. Short
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About MLB on NBC and Peacock
As part of a three-year media rights agreement, MLB will be presented across NBC, NBCSN, and Peacock.
It all begins on Thursday, March 26 with an Opening Day doubleheader, as the Pirates and Mets square off at 1 p.m. ET before the Dodgers host the Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
Sunday Night Baseball will debut on March 29 with a matchup between two 2025 first-place teams, as the Mariners host the Guardians. The 18-game MLB Sunday Leadoff schedule begins May 3, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Twins in Minnesota. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
Viewers can also look forward to a weekly Sunday whip-around show, a Labor Day special, the MLB Draft, the All-Star Futures Game, as well as highlights, short-form content, and documentaries.
Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Jurickson Profar #17 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Shawn McFarland continues his prospect countdown with left handed pitcher Dalton Pence at number 22 right handed pitcher Izack Tiger at number 21.
There has been a lot of turnover in the Ranger bullpen, but Chris Young says that the best bullpens in baseball have a lot of moving parts.
Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Tyler Black (7) scores on a double by second baseman David Hamilton (6) in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re back with another Brewers Reacts Survey as we’re now nearly two weeks into spring training! In this edition of the survey, we’re asking fans which position player they’d most like to see make the roster.
Now, before we look at the options, let’s quickly run down who should make the roster.
William Contreras (C)
Gary Sánchez (C)
Andrew Vaughn (1B)
Jake Bauers (1B)
Brice Turang (2B)
Joey Ortiz (SS)
Luis Rengifo (3B)
David Hamilton (UTIL)
Jackson Chourio (OF)
Sal Frelick (OF)
Garrett Mitchell (OF)
Christian Yelich (DH/OF)
Assuming all of those names are safe (barring the seemingly inevitable injury), that leaves one roster spot up in the air. There are probably five realistic candidates, but I didn’t include Jett Williams simply because he isn’t on the 40-man roster. That leaves us with the four candidates below.
Akil Baddoo (OF)
Tyler Black (1B/OF)
Brandon Lockridge (OF)
Blake Perkins (OF)
Baddoo, 27, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Twins in 2016 and made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2021. His best season was that rookie year, when he totaled 2.1 bWAR across 124 games, hitting .259/.330/.436 (112 OPS+) with 13 homers and 55 RBIs. Over the last four years, however, he played in 223 games and totaled just 0.7 bWAR, with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He did have some success at Triple-A in 2025, though, hitting .281/.385/.483 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs across 103 games. It remains to be seen if he’s just a AAAA-type player, a la Keston Hiura. He’s had a strong start to his spring, hitting .455/.462/.818 with a homer, three RBIs, and three runs across four games.
Black, 25, was a supplemental pick (No. 33 overall) by the Crew in 2021 out of Wright State University. He rose through the minors at a pretty average pace, hitting Triple-A Nashville in 2024. Across 102 games with the Sounds that year, he hit .258/.374/.429 with 14 homers, 67 RBIs, and 20 steals. He took a slight step back in the minors in 2025, hitting .243/.369/.360 with just four homers, 34 RBIs, and 22 steals across 61 games at Triple-A. He’s had brief MLB cameos in each of the last two seasons, totaling 23 games with 57 at-bats, hitting .211/.357/.263 with three RBIs, five runs, and three steals. The main reason he’s on this list, though, is his hot start to spring training — across four games, Black hit .667/.692/1.250 with a homer, a triple, two doubles, eight RBIs, four runs, and three steals before departing for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic.
Lockridge, who turns 29 next weekend, was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees out of Troy in 2018. He made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2024 and has appeared in 79 games between San Diego and Milwaukee the last two seasons, hitting .226/.268/.308 with a homer, 12 RBIs, 21 runs, and 12 steals. Not known for his power, Lockridge got out to a powerful start this spring, slugging a pair of homers in the Brewers’ first couple of games. Across four games this spring, he’s hitting .545/.643/1.182 with six hits, including those two homers, with two RBIs, six runs, and a steal.
Another veteran, Perkins, 29, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Nationals in 2015, though he didn’t catch on anywhere until finding a home with the Brewers. He made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 2023, and across three seasons with the Brewers, he’s hit .232/.314/.339 with 13 homers, 82 RBIs, 107 runs, and 35 steals over 242 games while providing above-average defense. Perkins has also had a solid start to his spring, hitting .375/.500/.500 with three hits, including a double, to go with two RBIs and two runs scored over three games.
Given that all of these players have options remaining — Baddoo and Black each have one, Lockridge and Perkins each have two — the question is really where the Brewers see the most value for this team on opening day. Who do you think the Brewers should include as the 13th man when opening day rolls around later this month? Weigh in on our poll below, and stay tuned for results later in the week!
For the past two seasons, MLB has featured a “Spring Breakout” series during Spring Training where every team assembles a team of their best prospects from throughout their farm system. Then these teams of prospects each play one exhibition game against a squad from a rival team in the Cactus or Grapefruit League. These games have been a great way to showcase baseball’s next generation of talent. The games are all televised locally and some of them end up on the MLB Network or streaming platforms. All games are also streamed for free on MLB dot com.
This year, the Cubs will take on the Padres at Sloan Park at 8:05 p.m. CT on March 21. The game will be broadcast both on Marquee Sports Networkand the Padres sports channel as well as streaming for free. Tomorrow, March 5, the rosters for every Spring Breakout Series team will be announced on the MLB Network at 11 a.m. CT. Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds will host the hour-long announcement program.
But that’s just for this year. The bigger news is that in 2027 and 2028, the Spring Breakout series will become two single-elimination tournaments, with one team being crowned the winner of the Cactus League and one the winner of the Grapefruit League Spring Breakout tournament. These two tournaments will take place from March 19 through the 22nd at various Spring Training venues in Arizona and Florida.
On the one hand, this is a great idea to showcase the next generation of talent in baseball and give fans something to be invested in during a slow part of the Spring. It will even give fans of two teams a little bragging rights.
On the other hand, this is clearly insurance by MLB to have something to show next March to the fans if major leaguers are still locked out in a labor dispute. Prospects not on the 40-man roster will not be locked out, so they will still be playing in Spring Training and available for the tournament no matter what is going on with the major leaguers.
So this tournament can be two things at once. It’s both a great idea and an ominous omen about baseball next year.
In any case, let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that and that the Spring Breakout Tournaments in 2027 and 2028 just become an added attraction for baseball fans before the season starts in years that there is no World Baseball Classic.
Rob Dillingham looked like something close to Gen Z Allen Iverson in college when he was tearing it up for the Kentucky Wildcats next to Reed Sheppard. The super shifty point guard was ripping deep three-pointers, cooking defenders off the bounce, and playing with a flair that energized fans and teammates alike. The Minnesota Timberwolves were so sold on Dillingham that they traded a first-round pick seven years out to move up to the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft to select him.
Dillingham could not get on the floor for a contending Wolves team in his first 1.5 seasons, so at the trade deadline Minnesota dealt him to Chicago for Ayo Dosunmu. Taking a flier on the 21-year-old guard made sense for a rebuilding Bulls team, but so far the change of scenery hasn’t benefitted Dillingham too much.
As the Thunder were crushing the Bulls on Tuesday night, Dillingham had one of the strangest turnovers you will ever see. Pushing the ball on the break, the Chicago guard accidentally heel-kicked the ball to OKC. This is something straight out soccer, but not sure if Messi himself could actually pull off if he tried. Watch the play here:
Some of these Rob Dillingham turnovers are mind-boggling. He just heel kicked the ball to the Thunder pic.twitter.com/ngAuzeJjBG
This feels absolutely impossible to recreate. If Dillingham tried to do it 100 more times, I don’t think he could. That’s yours truly on the clip, and I’m just glad I had the game recording when such a strange play happened.
Dillingham needs to do two things to save his NBA career: cut down the turnovers, and improve as a shooter. He has a nearly 20 percent turnover rate since entering the league, which is about twice as high as it needs to be given his other limitations. For such a small guard to succeed, they need to be able to drain threes off the dribble. Dillingham’s 44 percent college three-point stroke has fallen to 31.7 percent in the NBA. A lot of his issues could probably be fixed just by getting stronger.
Dillingham is really fun to watch when he’s on, but his significant lack of both length and strength hurts him. This is just a bizarre play. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before, and I doubt I’ll ever see it again.
Spring training is in full swing as the Detroit Tigers prepare for their 2026 campaign, locked and reloaded for another run to the playoffs, and hopefully, a World Series ring. Sure, the team is just 2-6 so far, but these games do not matter… yet.
A great deal of the optimism heading into the season rests on the shoulders of the pitching staff, which features the best left-handed pitcher in all of baseball, Tarik Skubal, along with a robust supporting cast that includes newly added Framber Valdez and a reunion with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The bullpen also got a boost by bringing back Kyle Finnegan and adding Kenley Jansen, who ranks fourth all-time in saves.
Which brings us to today’s question: “Who will be the Tigers’ best pitcher not named Tarik Skubal this year?” While the aforementioned four players are certainly prime candidates, there are other options, such as Casey Mize, who still has some headroom for growth, or perhaps Jack Flaherty can rediscover his 2024 form; maybe Keider Montero finally makes the jump to the next level.
Or maybe it is none of the above.
So, Tigers fans, who do you think will be the standout hurler for the Ole English D in 2026? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
D.J. Short
