At the start of his fourth season with the Mets, right-handed pitcher Kodai Senga was asked a straightforward question after Wednesday's workout in Port St. Lucie: Any goals coming into spring training?

After a pause, Senga said, "To not get injured.”

His face formed a wry, quarter-smile acknowledging that the numerous injuries have plagued his time in the big leagues just as much as his "ghost fork" has been to opposition hitters.

"These past two years have been frustrating and tough mentally. At some points, maybe I started to lose confidence,” said Senga, speaking through an interpreter, when asked about his confidence level. “In this world, it's either you do it, or you don't. And I'm here to do it. That's all there is." 

After a stellar rookie season saw him pitch to a 2.98 ERA over 166.1 innings, injuries curtailed the next two campaigns, to the tune of 118.2 innings and 23 starts. And after a phenomenal start to 2025, a calf injury derailed his year so much that he finished the season at Triple-A Syracuse after several ineffectual starts.

“Last year with the injuries, it really put me off balance,” the 33-year-old said. “Had to end the year that way, but through rehab this offseason, I feel really good, and I’m really happy with where I’m at.”

Senga added that his rehab this offseason has been with the clear goal of pitching a full season without injuries, which led to reevaluating himself and studying his body to figure out why his performance dipped late last season.

Asked if he felt he needed to earn the organization’s trust back after the last two seasons of play, Senga said he was focused on looking inward at first.

“Before showing the organization anything, I think I need to prove it to myself that I can go out there and pitch a full season,” he said. “And once I can prove it to myself, I think then comes the third party, how everyone else sees me. So, first I need to be out there for myself.”

A healthy Senga pitching to his full capabilities would be a huge boost to the Mets’ rotation, as the club is coming off a year in which the team struggled to find consistency and stability from the starting pitchers. And his importance to the team reaching its full potential isn’t lost on Senga, even if his job in that rotation isn’t assured.

“To be in this locker room, I think it’s obvious and clear that I have a spot to get and be out there and perform. And as long as I’m given this opportunity, I’m gonna give it my all for this organization,” he said.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said later on Wednesday that his expectations for the righty all come down to availability.

"He needs to be healthy," Mendoza said. "When he's healthy, we know the type of pitcher he can be. People saw it here in 2023; we saw it for the first two-and-a-half months last year, how effective he was. And then he got hurt, and he wasn't able to be himself again. 

"My biggest expectation here is, we need this guy healthy. If he's healthy, he's gonna help us." 

Of course, amid a big offseason of change for the Mets, Senga was the subject of trade whispers. And he reportedly asked Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns not to trade him this offseason. 

“At the end of the day, I control only what I can control,” Senga said when asked what prompted this request. “And at that point, I hadn’t gotten traded yet, so I just wanted to do whatever I can, in that moment, and be back out there for the Mets and play hard.”

PORT ST. LUCIE — Francisco Lindor’s spring will consist mainly of rehab from surgery.

The veteran shortstop was scheduled to undergo that procedure Wednesday, after an evaluation confirmed a stress reaction to the hamate bone in his left hand. Lindor’s expected recovery time from the surgery is six weeks, putting in question his availability for Opening Day.

“I’m not going to bet against him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said on the official report day for pitchers and catchers. “This is a guy who has played through broken toes and lower back [discomfort]. Two years ago he barely walked and he continued to play through it, so we’re optimistic he’s going to be available for us on Opening Day.”

The stress reaction and surgery is just the latest offseason setback for Lindor, who previously withdrew from the World Baseball Classic — he was set to serve as Team Puerto Rico’s captain — after the event’s insurer denied him coverage. Lindor underwent a second elbow surgery in three years this offseason.

The Mets will head into full-squad workouts next week with a shortstop cast minus Lindor that consists mostly of Ronny Mauricio, Vidal Bruján, Grae Kessinger and Jackson Cluff.

“The guys that we have in camp are the ones who are going to get the reps early on,” Mendoza said. “And then as we continue to get information we’ll make some adjustments if we need to.”

Bo Bichette, who was signed this offseason to play third base — after playing shortstop his entire career — likely won’t move from his new position this spring.

Lindor’s absence from the Grapefruit League will prevent him from building an early rapport defensively with double-play partner Marcus Semien, who arrived from Texas in a trade for Brandon Nimmo.

“But the one thing Lindor will try to do is be out there for team defense as much as possible,” Mendoza said. “He will have conversations with Marcus after games, so that way we can create that type of relationship there.”

Mendoza said he just learned in recent days that Lindor might need surgery. Team officials were aware in past seasons that Lindor was playing through discomfort in the hand.

Lindor last season appeared in 160 games — marking the third time in four seasons he reached that plateau. Overall, he produced a .267/.346/.466 slash line with 31 homers and 31 stolen bases.

“I think the only time he feels 100 percent is Day 1 of spring training since I have been here,” Mendoza said. “So he’s mentioned it the past couple of years, but it came and went. But we found out a couple of days ago and for him to say something like that was concerning to the point we took the step that we did.”

Lindor is hardly alone — Jackson Holliday and Corbin Carroll, according to reports — will both undergo hamate bone surgery this week.

“This is a pretty common [injury],” Mendoza said. “It’s just rare that in the span of 24 hours we had three really good players going down with the same injury.”

Francisco Alvarez underwent hamate bone surgery last March and was in the Mets starting lineup by late April. But Alvarez’s early lack of power was an issue — he hit just three homers over two months before he was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Alvarez showed greater power late in the season, hitting seven homers over the final two months.

“We’re optimistic that Lindor is going to be the same player [as always],” Mendoza said. “There’s been cases where power has been a topic, but there’s also been cases where guys have that type of surgery and it doesn’t affect them at all.”

For best tools when it comes to pitchers, click here.

Best Hitter – John Gil

It was quite the first full season for John Gil, as he was the catalyst at the top of a young and exciting Augusta GreenJackets lineup and showed advanced ability at the plate at just 19 years old. Early in the season he showed struggles despite high contact rates, hitting the ball into the ground far too often and struggling to produce any sort of pop, but throughout the season swing and approach adjustments paid major dividends. He began hitting the ball harder with more line drives but without sacrificing walks or ever going through a stretch where he had swing-and-miss issues. These adjustments combined with his advanced feel for the strike zone and recognition of spin made him a contact beast and allowed him to post a 132 wRC+ and more walks than strikeouts over his final 300 plate appearances. Gil has all of the tools to be a plus major league hitter, though he is going to go through the same struggles many young hitters do. To make a recent comparison to a Braves prospect, Gil has similar issues with consistently lifting the ball to his pull side and keeping the ball off of the ground as Nacho Alvarez did coming through, and though his barrel feel is behind Alvarez at the same level Gil was younger and has a bit more upside at the plate. Gil has a looser, more explosive swing and gets to better top end exit velocities, meaning there are much fewer mechanical adjustments needed for him to tap into pull side power. He also has better bat speed and isn’t going to be beat by velocity, giving him a relatively high contact floor for a player his age. His barrel rates need to improve for him to get to a starter outcome, but he is in a phenomenal place at the moment and has shown the ability to adjust and improve rapidly. 

Best Power – Diego Tornes

Tornes is a name that is going to catch a lot of attention around the league for his raw tool set, and his power potential is the attribute that should most excite Braves fans. While there are other players in the system who are in the debate with Tornes for raw power (such as Juan Espinal), Tornes is the one who has been able to consistently put the bat on the ball and produce the coveted high exit velocities of a premium power hitter. That’s not to say there is no question about his hit tool, as he certainly has as much need for growth as any teenager, but of the players in the Braves system who can boast plus or better raw power he is the only one who currently projects to have the hit tool necessary to tap into it. Tornes has explosive hands, especially from the left side of the plate, and has the power to fit into the middle of a major league lineup with the ceiling of a player who can reach 25+ home runs consistently. Tornes still needs to prove himself against quality competition, but it says a lot even in a system weak on hitters that a player who is 17 years old and hasn’t even matriculated to the United States yet gets our highest regard for his power. There is significant hype within the Braves organization surrounding Tornes’s future, and his power puts him in elite company and makes him a top five player in the system. 

Best Speed – John Gil

John Gil has elite footspeed to go along with his contact ability, turning in 80 grade times down the first base line and showing the ability to consistently beat out grounders on the infield. Anything hit slowly to the left side typically gave the defenders no chance on Gil, and he has recently done better about making use of that speed on the defensive end. Gil has the range to be an elite shortstop, but at times his footwork and instincts held him back from making every play on that side of the ball. 2025 saw him steadily improve and get better with his first step and positioning, and he has matured from a guy with some questions about whether he would stick to one who seems like a solid fit for the shortstop position long term. If he is pushed off of the dirt due to the competition in the system his speed could make him a plus center fielder, as his top end speed would allow him to track down balls in the gap with the best of them. It’s his best defensive attribute, but he does need to do a bit better job on the bases. Gil did put pressure on defenses with 54 stolen bases last season, and he did so with above average efficiency but not the elite efficiency or volume that his raw foot speed would suggest. His speed makes him an above average baserunner, but if he can improve his jumps or timing he could reach the next level and add even more value to his game. 

Best Arm – Conor Essenburg

There aren’t many players in Atlanta’s system with standout arms at the moment, and Essenburg is a pretty clear top guy here given his pitching background and how much value his arm could add to his profile. Essenburg doesn’t have the athleticism to stick up the middle, but his plus arm strength makes him a fit in right field which will slightly ease the burden on his bat compared to if he had to play left or first base. He is a plus thrower who should produce significant excess value with his arm out in right field.

Best Infield Defense – Ambioris Tavarez

For a stretch in 2024 Ambioris Tavarez seemed to be making strides to turn his career around, but after a broken hand he struggled down the stretch and then had a disappointing season in 2025. With that, the emergence of Gil, and the two shortstops Atlanta added in the draft he seems unlikely to ever carve out any sort of significant role in the Braves system, but his claim to the best glove in the system still goes unchallenged. Tavarez has just average speed, but every one of his other traits is above average or better and it leads to a profile of a player whose defensive acumen should give him some sort of professional role as long as he wants it, even if that’s just as minor league depth. He has an elite first step and is always in the right position to make plays, and he has smooth glove work and great hands allowing him to avoid errors. He had a tough time with his footwork and throwing in 2023, but after significant work (and getting further away from his TOS surgery) he always has a solid base and can make throws from multiple angles with ease. 

Best Outfield Defense – Isaiah Drake

2025 was a massive year for Isaiah Drake, as he re-established himself as a legitimate prospect in the Braves system and at times was the best of a solid outfield in Augusta. Defensively the Braves have a number of talented outfielders in the system – notably Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., Luis Guanipa, Patrick Clohisy, and Owen Carey – but Drake’s combination of top end speed and first step quickness gives him a unique ceiling among that group. He isn’t quite as efficient with his route-taking as Kilpatrick Jr. is, but with double-plus speed, the ability to get up to top speed quickly, and solid routes he can make just about any play look easy. Drake has improved his reads and angles year-over-year since joining the system, and it’s important to remember he is still in the early stages of playing baseball full time. He has the potential to be a 65 defender in center fielder and could make a huge impact with his glove, and so far he hasn’t had to sacrifice any speed as he has added strength to his frame to help him on the offensive end. 

Highest Ceiling – Diego Tornes

The Braves have had a run of their high value, high ceiling position players failing to live up to expectations, but as mentioned above Diego Tornes seems to be the real deal. His defensive potential is lower than players like Tate Southisene, Isaiah Drake, or Luis Guanipa given the near certainty he is going to end up in a corner, with a real chance that corner is left field. Thus it should make it clear how bullish we are on his offensive projections given that we still see him as a step above that group. Tornes has the chance to be a true impact bat in the middle of a lineup, something the Braves have struggled to produce in the Alex Anthopoulos era. Tornes has commonly gotten Anthony Santander comps – high praise for a player that young – and with elite bat speed there is still a ceiling to reach for his hit tool. Tornes has all star talent and the early returns back up a measure of confidence.

Oh man, first I had to brush up on my low level catchers. Now, I have to research a guy that, prior to this prospecting season, I hadn’t really heard much of.

Romeli Espinosa – 56
Zach McCambley – 31
Jean Cabrera – 28
Keaton Anthony – 13
Griffin Burkholder – 12
Carson DeMartini – 9
Yoniel Curet – 7
Mavis Graves – 6
Seth Johnson – 3
Alex McFarlane – 3
Cody Bowker – 1

Well, Matt Winkelman seems to like him. From his own scouting reports:

It isn’t hard to see the highlights and frame and dream he is a future impact player with plus tools everywhere, but he has an enormous distance to go and there are a lot of pitfalls he hasn’t faced yet.

Listen, it’s always fun to dream on a prospect when he really, really young and Espinosa will likely make us do that. Choosing a young player and following his progress as he moves up the chain is a time honored tradition of many fans, so get used to hearing Espinosa’s name a lot as time moves on.

2025 stats (in the Dominican Summer League)

168 PA, .282/.363/.430, 28 R, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 SB, 6.0 BB%, 20.2 K%, 113 wRC+

Fangraphs scouting report

This is an aggressive evaluation of Espinosa meant to illustrate his ceiling. He presents a rare combination of present contact feel and long-term power projection for an up-the-middle prospect. Espinosa’s build comps to Elly De La Cruz at the same age: endless limbs on a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4 frame, with the room to add big strength while remaining sufficiently lithe and agile for shortstop. The 2025 DSL season began a few days before Espinosa’s 17th birthday, and he managed to slash .282/.363/.430 there while posting a 77% contact rate (a shade better than the big league average). That’s a very positive contact-hitting origin point for a shortstop prospect built like this, as long-levered hitters like Espinosa are often still uncoordinated at this age… [l]et’s see how his chase rate trends in year two. He’s one of the more exciting and tumultuous prospects in all of rookie ball.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

Walt Weiss gave the press some more injury news today. To no Braves fan’s surprise, it’s not good news.

Oy. It’s the song that never ends. Jimenez, already having lost the 2025 season with a left articular cartilage injury and further surgery in November, may be out for 2026. The Braves, after placing Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day Injured List yesterday, have lost two pitchers in as many days. Standard disclaimer that I’m not a doctor. But this doesn’t look good. How he would return in 2027 after two years out would be a challenge as well.

Coming into this year’s Spring Training, I assumed that we all might see Joe Jimenez for the majority of the season. The Braves looked set in the bullpen, and adding another reliever would have made it obvious that Joe would not be back. They have 44 days until Opening Day if they choose to add.

Good luck, Joe. Get well soon. We want you to get well.