While the prep pitchers have dealt with injury, the Detroit Tigers continue to do well in the college ranks. Outside of Jackson Jobe, most of their pitching success on the farm has come from finding undervalued college arms like Troy Melton, Jake Miller, Andrew Sears, Lucas Elissalt, and Jaden Hamm. Other than Melton, the group hasn’t quite broken through at the major league level yet, and the Tigers dealt away a pair of solid young prospects in Josh Randall and Micah Ashman, both college draft picks, in trades last July. For the first time in Scott Harris’ tenure running the club, the Tigers took a college pitcher in the top two rounds last summer when they selected Oklahoma right-hander Malachi Witherspoon with the 62nd overall pick. We’re excited to see his pro debut this spring.

Witherspoon and his twin brother Kyson were both notable prep pitchers and they went to Oklahoma together, eventually heading up the Sooners rotation in their junior seasons. Kyson was the more successful of the two, but Malachi has huge stuff and simply hasn’t been able to refine his command enough. He spent his junior year striking out plenty of batters when he was on, and falling behind too often and giving up walks and homers when he wasn’t. It was a disappointing junior season with an ERA over 5.00 for him, and his draft stock slipped out of the top rounds as a result. The Tigers were apparently confident they could make him a much more consistent strike thrower, and drafted him in the late second round last summer. They paid him full slot value at $1,448,700, so it wasn’t as though they got a discount either. We’ll see if this minor gamble pays off.

The powerfully built, 6’3” right-hander certainly has the stuff to be great. Witherspoon has routinely hit 98-100 mph while sitting comfortably in the 95-96 mph range as a starter. The fourseamer has good riding action with a little cut, and the Tigers, as we mentioned in Michael Massey’s scouting report, seem to be hunting for that shape a bit these days. Tarik Skubal himself is a prime example of a pitcher who can really jam opposing handed hitters with a riding fastball that looks like it should tail back into the strike zone, but never quite does. Thrown inside to right-handers, Witherspoon’s heater does feature a bit more late tailing action that ties hitters up and generates a good whiff rate. The problem remains commanding it, and this has been Witherspoon’s issue since the Jacksonville, Florda native’s days in high school, when his raw stuff was already getting him some notoriety.

Witherspoon backs up the gas with a plus slider in the upper 80’s with a traditional shape. He’ll also throw a cutterish version around 90 mph, and can snap the slider off into more of a sharp, downward diving version for whiffs when he wants it. He also has a good 12-6 power curveball in the lower 80’s. He throws with a really sound delivery and a pretty standard three-quarters look, but doesn’t seem built to turn over circle changeups or sinkers very well. He might be a splitter candidate, or perhaps the beneficiary of seam-shifted changeup like Skubal’s, because otherwise his changeup is well behind his main offerings and shows no signs of developing into a major league caliber pitch.

The big issue here is command, and there isn’t really an obvious flaw in his delivery to pin it on. Oklahoma has a pretty good pitching program, and couldn’t really crack the case in two seasons of working with him after Witherspoon transferred there after a freshman season at the JUCO level. His stride direction can sometimes get a bit out of whack, but otherwise it just seems like rhythm and timing issues that may be tricky to correct. He shows pretty good balance and a nice clean arm path. He gets solid extension and resists well with his lead leg to help generate velo without excessive upper body effort. From the wind-up he does raise his arms up head high and has a pretty high leg kick as well. Perhaps just trimming those moves down a little could make the whole delivery a little more consistent in terms of timing.

If the command doesn’t improve significantly, it may be that Witherspoon ultimately has to simplify his pitch mix and work in relief. So there’s certainly some real relief risk despite his durability and pretty ferocious pitch mix. However, the upside here is definitely as a frontline major league starting pitcher. If he’d thrown more strikes last year the stuff alone would’ve made him an easy first round pick in the draft. If he figures it out he’ll be a top 100 prospect by season’s end.

All his issues have been present for a while and he had plenty of eyes on him in his junior year, so the Tigers must have a plan to help him spot the fastball and avoid the occasional bouts of spiked sliders that plagued his junior year. If they can get him sorted, this is going to look like a steal and Witherspoon could move very quickly toward the major leagues. Presumably he’ll be starting for West Michigan this season as an advanced college starter. If things come together he’ll be in the upper minors by year’s end and could be ready for a debut sometime in 2027.

When a team — say, the Detroit Tigers — has, arguably, one of the best pitchers on the planet — maybe someone like Tarik Skubal — and their control of that pitcher is in its last season, it would make sense to seize the moment and try to win it all.

Further, let’s posit that said team is coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, which indicates some organizational momentum. The only reasonable choice, then, would be to move heaven and earth and build around that player for one last run.

For most of the offseason, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris seemed relatively tame as the team was inactive in the free-agent market while rumors flew that the Tigers might be open to trading Skubal. And then Harris began building seriously for 2026 — as in signing Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract and bringing back fan favorite Justin Verlander, along with a series of other moves designed to fortify the Tigers as they push their chips to the center of the table.

The question now is whether they did enough.

2025 Record: 87-75 (1st in the AL Central)

Projected FanGraphs 2026 record: 86-76 (1st in the AL Central)

What did they do during the offseason? Well, the Tigers went to work this winter despite a slow start. Besides the aforementioned additions, they extended manager A.J. Hinch, brought back Jack Flaherty (well, he exercised his player option) and Gleyber Torres (accepted a qualifying offer), and made some interesting signings, such as relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen, plus KBO sensation Drew Anderson.

Other minor moves included trading righty Chase Lee for lefty Johan Simon and flipping outfielder Justyn Henry-Malloy for cash.

So, how good are the 2026 Tigers? Well, despite the fact that they did their best to irritate the best and most consistent pitcher in the league with lowball offers, they can actually compete.

Skubal, winner of the last two AL Cy Young awards, remains with the team despite the record gap in arbitration negotiations and the endless trade rumors, so the Tigers begin with a significant advantage. Plus, they’ve added Valdez to an already solid rotation, which also projects to have Flaherty (3.85 FIP last year), Casey Mize (3.87 ERA), and Verlander. Anderson is around in case there’s an injury, and he just put up a 2.25 ERA in 171.2 innings in Korea with 245 punchouts.

Detroit will miss Reese Olson in 2026 after he underwent right shoulder labral repair surgery, but waiting on the farm will be Troy Melton, Keider Montero, and Sawyer Gipson-Long; plus, Jackson Jobe is expected to return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of the season.

Long story short, the Tigers have a deep rotation.

As for the bullpen? The Tigers are mostly solid on this front. They have Jansen, Finnegan, Will Vest, Anderson, Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, Brant Hurter, and Beau Brieske. That group should hold its own.

While there were some clear upgrades acquired in the pitching department, the same can’t be said about the offense. This is largely the same group that ranked 12th last year with a 103 wRC+, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Detroit had nine guys with above-average offensive performance in 2025 in a minimum of 150 plate appearances: Jahmai Jones (159 wRC+), Riley Greene (121), Spencer Torkelson (118), Kerry Carpenter (115), Zach McKinstry (114), Torres (113), Dillon Dingler (109), and Colt Keith (109).

Of course, they also have the jewel of the crown: shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle, who posted a 182 wRC+ last year in the minors and is at 172 in spring training play. He should be able to break camp with the team and projects as a future star.

The Tigers’ offense is full of steady, above-average guys but lacks one true, difference-making talent. Greene is close, but he is not a superstar. If McGonigle develops as expected, he could fill that void and give Detroit a true star in the position player department.

As things stand right now, the Tigers will fight with the Guardians and Royals for the AL Central and a place in the postseason. If they consider themselves out of it, there is a chance they ultimately flip Skubal for prospects ahead of the deadline, but they should be good enough to make one last run with their ace before he hits free agency.

More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

The final two weeks of camp are way more important than the first two but the heat is on between Dylan Moore and Bryan De La Cruz for the final spot on the 26-man roster.

The 13th position player may not play much at all with how Rob Thomson has the roles aligned. Edmundo Sosa acts as the backup infielder who might platoon with Bryson Stott. Otto Kemp is probably platooning in left field with Brandon Marsh and is the primary fourth outfielder. Rafael Marchán will have the hardest job in baseball, being the backup catcher to JT Realmuto.

So there isn’t much wiggle room for the final position player. The Phillies carried Kody Clemens for the first three weeks of 2025 and appeared in seven games with just six plate appearances. Things could always change injuries occur of course.

A good way to measure a hitter’s performance in spring training is by looking at their average exit velocity and launch angle. The limited sample size against questionable competition doesn’t allow for massive conclusions, but it can at least tell you who’s seeing the ball well. Raw results can also get weird in a sample size this short.

Bryan De La Cruz has crushed the ball in camp with a 97 mph average exit velocity and 15 degree launch angle. He has made consistent hard contact even if there are a few too many strikeouts in there. The results have been there with a .478 slugging and batting average over .300.

Dylan Moore is not getting the same results but has hit the ball hard too with a 93.9 mph exit velocity and optimal launch angle. There have been less strikeouts but he hasn’t seen the ball drop too often.

With both having good springs, it will make for an interesting final two weeks to see who’s still hot.

Roster fit and path to least resistance probably favor Moore here. If the Phillies want Kemp to be the primary platoon partner for Brandon Marsh in left field, it would make more sense to send De La Cruz to AAA. Moore gives them more positional versatility with being able to play seven different positions.

According to Matt Gelb on the podcast Phillies Therapy, Moore has an opt-out five days before spring training and De La Cruz is not until later in the season. If the Phillies want to keep both, Moore would be easier to pick.

After all of this, it might be Garrett Stubbs. Guy is a winner.

Jonathan Bowlan

Bowlan’s performance has been mixed through Grapefruit League games but there are two main takeaways. The first is that the fastball looks really tough to hit. He will throw it at the top of the strike zone but his delivery makes it hard for hitters to pick up while having good velocity.

This was the big reason the Phillies traded for him. In 2025 with the Royals, Bowlan’s four-seam fastball generated a whiff rate of 43.5% in a limited, but not super small sample size.

The other is that the way he pitches might leave for a bit of variance. His fastball is going to often miss high, which might be easier for hitters to take. He also might tend to miss high with his breaking balls which could cause some damage problems. Spencer Jones crushed a hanging slider from him on Tuesday.

It wouldn’t be correct to say he has terrible control because Bowlan can throw strikes but there could be a home run problem going from Kauffman to Citizens Bank Park.

In a recent post by MLB Pipeline, they made predictions for every farm system heading into the 2026 season, and their outlook for the Houston Astros system was fairly bullish.

The Astros enter the 2026 season without a Top 100 prospect on Pipeline’s list for the third time in the last five years, but that doesn’t mean the system lacks talent.

Their bold prediction is that the Astros will have three Top 100 prospects by the end of the 2026 season. The three players they project to make the list are:

Kevin Alvarez – Alvarez was signed by the Houston Astros this past winter for $2 million, one of the largest international bonuses the organization has ever handed out. Just 17 years old, Alvarez was widely regarded as one of the top pure hitters in the 2025 international signing class. A left-handed hitter with an advanced approach at the plate, he projects for above-average power and stands out as a well-rounded athlete with a strong arm and solid defensive instincts. Alvarez backed up the hype in his first professional season, hitting .300 with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 33 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases over 47 games.

Ethan Frey – Frey was selected by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, with the team going over slot to secure his signing. The former LSU Tigers baseball standout broke out during his junior season, batting .331 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, and 50 RBIs over 62 games. Standing 6’6”, Frey combines impressive size with surprising athleticism and speed. He offers above-average raw power and currently has the tools to handle center field. The 21-year-old impressed in his professional debut, hitting .330 with five doubles, three home runs, and 17 RBIs while drawing 20 walks against 25 strikeouts.

Xavier Neyens – Neyens was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $4.12 million, the organization’s largest signing bonus since Alex Bregman received $5.9 million in 2015. A left-handed hitter out of Mount Vernon High School in Washington, Neyens possesses some of the most impressive raw power in the 2025 draft class. Standing 6’4″ and weighing 210 pounds, Neyens projects as a potential middle-of-the-order bat thanks to his powerful swing and advanced hitting ability.

If these three prospects take the steps forward that MLB Pipeline predicts, the Houston Astros farm system could quickly gain more national attention. While the system may lack a current Top 100 prospect, the talent is there for a few players to break out in 2026. A strong season from this group could reshape the perception of the Astros’ pipeline.

Earlier this week, I asked you this question via the SB Nation Reacts survey: How many games will the Cubs win this year?

The overwhelming majority of those who voted in the survey said the Cubs will win at least 90 games:

Eighty-five percent of you said the Cubs will win between 90 and 99 games, with the plurality (47 percent) saying the sweet spot is between 90 and 94.

The Cubs, as you know, won 92 games last year — and that was after a 59-39 start. That’s a winning percentage of .602. If the Cubs had continued to play at that percentage the rest of 2025, they’d have won 98 games. Personally, I think the 2026 Cubs are a better team than last year’s and I was in the “95 to 99” group.

Of course, there are a lot of variables here — injuries, unexpected good or bad years, luck, etc.

But the Cubs, in my view, go into this year as the clear favorites to win the NL Central.

Here are the two national questions asked in this week’s survey:

I think there should be some concern, especially after Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar tested positive for the second time and is facing a suspension for all of 2026. I think it’s in between “not at all” and “it’s a major problem.”

I would agree with this vote. Profar’s first suspension cost him half of last year, now he’s likely going to miss all of this year (he’s appealed, but it’s unclear whether he can do that under MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement with the MLBPA).

Thanks for participating in this week’s survey!

This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

After signing with the club a few days ago, Zack Littell made his first start of the spring last night. His three innings of work gave Nats fans a taste of what they should expect from him. There was some hard contact, but he pounded the zone, was efficient and fired three innings of one run ball.

For a guy who signed just a few days ago, Littell looked sharp. His velocity was down by about a tick, but that is not very surprising to me. He signed late and still needs time to build up. 

Littell is confident that his velocity will be in a good spot by the time the season is under way. He said, “As I continue to get everything in sync, the timing gets better, the body continues to organize itself better, everything should continue to get sharper”. The way he talked about his mechanics and getting his body aligned is very interesting to me. It shows the importance of mechanics and the way a pitcher moves.

From talking to him, it is clear that Littell is very hard on himself. Despite using his splitter effectively last night, he was not happy with his signature pitch. He actually thought the splitter was his worst pitch last night. Littell thought his command of the pitch was solid, but he did not love the movement profile of his splitter.

That splitter is a big part of why Littell transformed from a middling reliever to a solid middle of the rotation starter. The Rays had him bump up the usage of the pitch, and it has become his best offering. He does a great job killing spin and getting that downward tumble. 

For his part, Blake Butera thought Littell “threw the ball well”. Butera loved how much his right hander was pounding the zone and getting ahead of hitters. After all, those are the attributes that make Littell such a solid pitcher. However, Butera knows that Littell’s mind-set, calling him “A perfectionist who expects really good stuff out of himself”.

While Littell may not have been satisfied, I think this was a good first start. He got through three innings and threw 15 more pitches in the bullpen to continue his ramp up. As we get closer to the season, I would also expect his stuff to keep ticking up. It can be tough to sign late, but I think Littell came just in time to have at least a somewhat normal spring.

Honestly, Littell is an optimized version of what the Nats want in their pitchers. He can throw any pitch in any count and has a deep arsenal. Last year, Littell’s two most used pitches were his slider and splitter. That matches well with the Nats new pitching approach.

Littell actually got his two strikeouts on those offerings. He struck out the first batter he faced by freezing him on a slider. There is actually a cool video I found from behind home plate of that pitch.

By the deadline, Littell may be trade bait, but he should stabilize the rotation while he is around. He is a no-nonsense righty who pounds the zone with a variety of different pitches. Littell got through three innings on just 39 pitches, which is something I love. Being efficient and getting deep into games is something he excels at despite being a reliever only a couple years ago. 

Of his 39 pitches, 28 were strikes. He did not walk anybody and only got into one three ball count. Littell may give up some extra base hits, but he will give the Nats length while keeping them in the game. That is exactly what this team needs and why I think he is a great signing for the Nats.

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Team Italy has been the surprise of the World Baseball Classic.

The Italians upset Team USA in pool play, putting the Americans' chance of advancement at risk before Italy's own rout of Mexico helped keep Team USA alive on a tiebreaker.

The Italians are one of the three classic teams remaining unbeaten. That might end, however, against a Puerto Rican team that has the potential to shut them down. 

My Puerto Rico vs. Italy predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets have Puerto Rico advancing to the semis.

Puerto Rico vs Italy prediction

Puerto Rico vs Italy best bet: Puerto Rico -1.5 (+140 at DraftKings)

Italy has not scored fewer than seven runs in its four WBC games. Puerto Rico has allowed a total of six in its four games. Team P.R. has a WBC-low 1.22 ERA so far.

The Puerto Ricans are starting 10-year MLB veteran Seth Lugo, who is 1-0 in the WBC and 1-0 in two pre-WBC spring games with a strikeout per inning. He should help keep a Team Italy order that has hit 12 home runs in check.

Puerto Rico has been to the knockout round of all six WBCs. Italy is making its first trip.

Puerto Rico vs Italy same-game parlay (SGP)

Team Puerto Rico has not had a WBC game with more than seven total runs scored and is averaging a run total of 5.5 in its games. Including two MLB exhibition games against the Twins and Red Sox, Puerto Rico has averaged 6.5 runs per game in six games. 

Team Italy has been tearing it up, but has been slowed somewhat when facing pitchers with MLB experience. They strike out 9.75 times per 9 innings compared to 6.75 and score nearly a full earned run less, with five and a half fewer hits.

Lugo had four innings of three-hit ball in the WBC opener against Colombia. He's not a big strikeout pitcher, but he should be able to hit five against an Italian team making its first appearance in the knockout stage.

Heliot Ramos star player prop

Heliot Ramos best bet: Anytime home run (+550 at DraftKings)

Heliot Ramos has 43 home runs over the last two seasons. He had a 1.836 OPS in six pre-WBC spring games but has struggled in the classic so far.

Facing Italian starter Sam Aldegheri, who allowed 2.0 home runs per nine innings for the Angels last year, should help light a fire. 

Puerto Rico vs Italy opening odds

• Moneyline: Puerto Rico -110 | Italy -115
• Run line: Puerto Rico -1.5 (+140) | Italy +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

How to watch Puerto Rico vs Italy and game info

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Diamondbacks News

Burnes Takes Next Step in Recovery
Arizona’s ace starter made 15 throws in the bullpen yesterday, with results being promising. Burnes could return to the mound for the team around the break. if things continue to go well.

Merrill Kelly Uncertain About Starting Season on Time
It is certainly looking like Merrill Kelly will miss more than just his opening day start.

Gabriel Moreno Scratched, Undergoing Imaging
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was scratched from the lineup on Friday with right forearm tightness, manager Torey Lovullo said before first pitch against the Kansas City Royals in Cactus League. Lovullo added that Moreno would undergo imaging Friday evening. Reports are that Moreno has had discomfort for a few days now and played through it. But things have come to the point where it is time to find out what is wrong.

Other Baseball News

Cactus League Teams Push Back Starts to Avoid Extreme Heat
Forget hydration breaks. Teams are starting to move their start times back in the Cactus League to play in cooler conditions once the sun goes down.

Team USA Defeats Canada to Punch Ticket to WBC Semi-Finals
Team USA held off a late rally to defeat Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinals of the WBC. Next up is the Dominican Republic in the semi-finals on Sunday, with Paul Skenes taking the mound for Team USA.

Dominican Republic Run-Rules Korea to Advance to Semi-Finals
Austin Wells launched a three-run home run in the 10-0 drubbing of Korea in the quarterfinals.

Clayton Kershaw Replaced by Jeff Hoffman for Semis
Retired lefty Clayton Kershaw will not make an appearance for Team USA in this tournament, having been replaced by reliever Jeff Hoffman on the roster. The injured Kershaw will still travel with the team, despite no longer being rostered.

Hiromi Itoh, Teruaki Sato Expected to be Posted for 2027
One of the NPB’s better right-handed starters and a slugging third baseman are both expected to be posted by their clubs in advance of the 2027 season – if there is one.

Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant’s observations include Josh Smith’s hot streak and the fifth starter competition coming down to the wire.

Kennedi Landry writes about Robert Garcia and the lessons learned from his Mexico teammates while pitching in the WBC.

Grant also writes about Garcia and his goals for 2026, mental or otherwise.

Elsewhere the Rangers are putting a few more opening day tickets up for sale, with a catch.

No. 12 on the Rangers prospect countdown, Elian Rosario, can hit ball far.

And former Ranger great Pete Incaviglia is the latest guest on the SportsDay Rangers pod.

That’s all for this morning. Have a great weekend!