With Soto shifting to left field, that leaves right field as Benge's spot to potentially win.
Benge has plenty of experience in right field, including 26 games last season. And he was primarily a right fielder during his college career with Oklahoma State.
"We've been consistent throughout the offseason that Carson's gonna come to camp with a chance to make our team -- that remains the same," Stearns said. "He's played a lot of right field during his time in the minor leagues. We're confident with him out there. We also think Brett (Baty) is gonna be able to adjust out there just fine. Tyrone Taylor we're confident is a very quality right fielder. So we feel like we've pretty good options to work through there. MJ Melendez, who may become official here shortly, could potentially be another option."
Benge was tremendous last season across three minor league levels, ending the year with Triple-A Syracuse.
Regarding how the Mets will determine whether Benge makes the team or not, Stearns said the decision will be layered.
"I think evaluations in spring are always a little bit fraught, and we know that," Stearns noted. "We want to see quality at-bats, we want to see him handle the outfield. It's also gonna depend on what some other guys do, right? It's not all going to be dependent on how Carson looks.
"We're not gonna get too preoccupied with surface line results one way or the other, and we'll make the best decision that we can on Opening Day -- recognizing that Opening Day is one day, and rosters can change pretty quickly."
Jul 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) delivers during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer - Imagn Images
Will Mets use a six-man rotation?
As things currently stand, the Mets have six major league starting pitchers -- Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga.
To Stearns, that's a good "problem" to have.
"I think we'll cross that bridge if we get to it," Stearns explained about utilizing a potential six-man rotation. "We've got six healthy guys feeling really good right now. If we have six healthy guys feeling really good on Opening Day, I will gladly work through that challenge at that point.
"And we may decide at times to go with a six-man, or we may not. We'll figure that out. That's a really good problem to have if that's where we are on Opening Day."
New York's other rotation options include Tobias Myers (who is stretching out as a starter), Jonah Tong, and Christian Scott.
A.J. Minter's timeline
The expectation all winter has been that Minter, who is recovering from season-ending lat surgery, will not be ready for Opening Day.
Speaking on Tuesday, Stearns said a "realistic return" date for Minter is early May.
Minter is at camp, and was throwing on the field on Tuesday.
Brooks Raley is the only left-hander viewed as a lock to make the Opening Day bullpen.
The Mets added depth there earlier Tuesday, acquiring left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations.
Hudson, 28, had a 4.80 ERA (5.34 FIP) and 1.86 WHIP in 15.0 innings last season for the Brewers and White Sox.
He was tremendous in 2024 for Milwaukee, during what was his first full big league season. In 62.1 innings over 43 games, Hudson had a 1.73 ERA (3.60 FIP) and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 62.
Standing at 6'8", Hudson gets elite extension from a low-angle delivery (he was in the 99th percentile last season). He featured mainly a four-seam fastball and sweeper in 2025. In 2024, he also relied heavily on a cutter, which he threw 24 percent of the time (Hudson threw the cutter just three percent of the time last season).
Hudson is out of minor league options, which means the Mets cannot send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers.
Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign gets underway in Colombo on Wednesday, facing Ireland at R. Premadasa Stadium for the first of four group-stage matches.
Welcome to Larissa’s Lessons, a weekly takeaways series in which some combination of Karen, True and Dylan will break down the biggest takeaways from the weekend’s games. We love an alliteration and puns around here, so be prepared for some word play.
Because the Tigers are playing a ridiculous number of games in a weekend and most of aren’t televised, this will be a look at more of a big picture of a bunch of games as opposed to a recap of each game. Once the home opener comes around in March, this will likely go in a different direction, but we’ll see!
It was a pure delight to hear the metallic ping of a ball hitting a bat or the sound of a fastball smacking into a catcher’s glove again. Softball is BACK, friends. Enjoy!
Mizzou Loves Liberty
Well, to beat down on Liberty, anyway. For the second year in a row, the Tigers doused the ranked Liberty Flames, this time by a score of 13-2 in six innings. We love to see it. The Tigers took an early lead in this one thanks to the bat of Abby Hay, who hit Mizzou’s first homer of the season. In the 3rd, they tacked on another run as freshman Sidney Forrester doubled, scoring fellow freshie Addy Waits. In the 4th, RBI doubles by Madison Uptegrove and Kayley Lenger made it 4-0, before yet another double, this time by Hay, made it 5-0. In the 6th, Stefania Abruscato’s bases loaded single made it 6-0, before Forrester’s bases-clearing double made it 9-0. Just for funsies, the Tigers tacked on three more after the other Abby (Carr) walked, Lenger was HBP — is Bruiser back?!? — and so was Waits. To top it off, Lenger then scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-0. The Flames would avoid the shutout with a two-run single in the bottom of the 6th, but those Flames were already extinguished. Love a fiery pun, y’all. I could do this all day.
Abby Carr: As Advertised
We knew she was going to be one to watch coming into the season, with all her high school accolades, but you never truly know how a freshman will adjust. Turns out, it was pretty darn well!
It’s been quite some time since Missouri has utilized a true two-way player, and as only a freshman, albeit one of her talent, it will be important to do a bit of load management, just as Shannon Welker has done with fellow freshman Kimarra Echols on the gymnastics mats.
“We’ve talked about her a lot, and we know what her potential is going to be, but I think the biggest challenge is, how do we manage the two-way player?” Anderson said. “How do we get her to so she’s able to get time in the bullpen to put her in game situations that she’s prepared for if she’s in the starting lineup?”
She continued. “But we got to manage her workload. That’s the biggest thing is being able to manage how much training she does and not burn her out mentally as a freshman, trying to be a two-way player.”
It will be hard not to go to her, however, as she’s a solid bat in the lineup and she’s the Tigers’ best pitcher through five games, posting a 1.35 ERA in 10.1 innings.
In the 13-2 Liberty win, Carr threw all six innings and had a no hitter heading into the final inning before allowing two hits and a couple runs.
Against South Alabama, she got in on the hitting AND pitching action, launching her first home run, and then also coming in in relief and pitching 4.1 innings of one-hit ball.
While hitting .200 in 10 at-bats, she’s got a .933 OPS (top 3 on team), a run scored, two hits, a double, the aforementioned home run, two walks, and four RBI. Not too shabby. Good enough that between the hitting and the pitching, the freshman was the lone Missouri Tiger named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team.
Of her performance, Anderson was effusive in her praise. “It was great for her. I was so glad with her pitching outing out there, [showing] great composure in some really, really tough situations that she battled through and just really stayed true to who she was. She didn’t deviate from that, and then being able to get some offensive numbers out of her.”
What I hadn’t thought of is the creativity having someone like her available. Anderson, of course, noted this.
“What I absolutely love about it is my creativity that I can manage the game. I love being able to have her being in one through nine as the DP and put someone else in the flex position, and being more creative and making some double switches defensively. Then I’m able to have some stronger nine hitters in the lineup, and then being able to flip it to have nine different defensive players out there, it gives me a lot more creativity that I can get more people in the game and maximize how they’re going to contribute.”
Welcome Back, Abby Hay!
It’s great to see a healthy Abby Hay, eh?
There were flashes of it last season at times, but to see it in the season-opening weekend is quite exciting. Hay finished the weekend as Mizzou’s top hitter, leading in about every category. Hay opened Day 2 with the Tigers’ first home run of the season, a solo bomb in the second inning against Liberty. Then she added another one in the second inning of Mizzou’s matchup against BYU. Two home runs, two wins.
“You know, she’s simplified some things, and it’s great, because we obviously need her,” Anderson said.
Aside from the bombs, she also had two big RBI in extras against South Alabama. Obviously it didn’t end the way the Tigers would have liked, but, it wasn’t because of the Rock Bridge alum.
If Hay can stay consistent this season, it’d be HUGE for Missouri. There’s plenty of upside with younger players but Hay is a junior now, she’s only got a couple years left. It’s time for her to start showing why HCLA recruited her so early in high school.
“Being able to make the adjustments not only what pitch you’re looking for, but what pitch you’re trying to eliminate. I think Abby did that extremely well this weekend,” Anderson said.
Start ‘em Young
When HCLA said “The game doesn’t care what grade you’re in” during the preseason press conference. She wasn’t kidding.
It took 0 seconds for freshmen to make their debuts for the Tigers, and guess what? Neither of them were Carr. Yes, we all knew Abby Carr would be starting out of the gates — and she showed why on Day 2 — but I think everybody was pretty surprised when Addy Waits and Sidney Forrester were batting first and third, respectively, out of the gates. They also held these batting spots throughout the entire weekend.
The two players had quite different tales.
Forrester finished the weekend with the Tigers’ third highest batting average and tied for the second most RBI. Extremely impressive from a true freshman. Waits on the other hand has had some major struggles adjusting to collegiate ball. She is 1-for-14 with a lone RBI. The one upside is she has been walked five times so she has some plate discipline. I’d be surprised if HCLA doesn’t test out adjustments but we do know one thing for sure: She doesn’t think the game matters what grade you’re in.
The Donahue Experiment Continues
Maybe I’m being too harsh, y’all, as it is early, but I’m kinda over the Courtney Donahue experiment, sorry. In the season opener loss to Penn State, the former JuCo transfer entered after starter Cierra Harrison went five innings of three-run ball, and proceeded to give up three hits and four runs (two earned) in five innings of work, including the dagger that did ultimately did them in the 10th.
In the team’s final game against South Alabama, she actually got the start, lasting just three innings and allowing four hits, two earned runs, a walk and two wild pitches. After allowing back-to-back singles which plated two runs and allowed the Jaguars to take the lead, she was relieved by Abby Carr in the 4th, who was removed from the DP role and slotted into the circle, who went four innings.
Familiar Issues Remain
Remember when the Tigers were unable to close out games last year? Yeah, well, turns out that’s still a thing. Two times over the course of the team’s first five games, Mizzou went to extras, and two times, they just couldn’t get it done.
Against Penn State, there were four ties and the back-and-forth scoring was enough to give you whiplash. The Tigers struck first in the 2nd, taking a 1-0 lead before Penn State plated two in top of the 3rd. In the home-half, Mizzou tied it up on a bases-loaded Abby Hay walk, but the Nittany Lions regained the lead in the 5th on an RBI double. In the home-half, again Mizzou tied it up with a Madison Uptegrove RBI single. Would it last? NOPE. In extras, Penn State again re-took the lead in the 8th on a sac fly before a Kayley Lenger single tied it up once again 4-4. It wasn’t until the 10th that the Nittany Lions put down the death blow, scoring three runs an RBI double and a two-run shot. The Tigers had no answer for that offense this time.
Against South Alabama, the Tigers nabbed an early 1-0 lead on a homerun by Abby Carr, only to allow two unanswered and go cold until the 6th, when they tied it up. Both teams scored in extras in the 8th to knot it at 3-3, and again in the 10th to make it 4-4, before the Jags got the last laugh, scoring in the home-half of the 11th.
I’d also like to bring up the Oregon game, as even though they were facing AA pitcher Lyndsey Grein, they wasted a what ended up being a really nice complete game outing by Marissa McCann by being unable to get something — anything — going. They managed just two baserunners, both on walks, but that was IT. McCann held the Ducks at bay until the 6th inning, and then started to falter, breaking up the 0-0 tie on a sac fly, before allowing a two-run double in the 7th to seal the 3-0 victory. The team has to learn to take HELP their pitchers.
Talking with Anderson, however, she was happy they didn’t give in, which is a familiar trait of HCLA-coached teams, but definitely had some opportunities for improvement with the team.
“I would have liked to see two things. I would have liked to see us put up double or 12, two or three runs in those innings, rather than just one,” she said. “I don’t want to have to always sacrifice that runner to get to third base to try to get a fly ball.”
She continued. “I wanted to have better quality at bats. So that’s the first thing. And the second, I would like to see our pitchers get some more strikeouts in those situations. You know, we have the pitching staff that can get strikeouts. And if they’re getting the ball in play, like yesterday, for instance, McCann had a lot of balls put in play on the ground. She is not a ground ball pitcher, so if she’s creating ground balls, then the ball is not spinning the right way, so it’s making sure that her pitchers are spinning the ball the right way so she can get some strikeouts in those situations.”
Offensive & Pitching Leaders thru 5 games
Abby Hay: .375 BA | 1.287 OPS | 16 AB | 4 R | 6 H | 1 2B | 2 HR | 6 RBI | .813 SLG% | 3 BB | 5 K
Kayley Lenger: .333 BA | .941 OPS | 15 AB | 3 R | 5 H | 2 2B | 3 RBI | .467 SLG% | 1 BB | 3 HBP | 4 K
Sidney Forrester: .294 BA | .780 OPS | 17 AB | 5 H | 2 2B | 4 RBI | .412 SLG% | 2 BB | 3 K
Overall, the team is batting just .238 with a .753 OPS. They’ve scored 30 runs, had 35 hits, 11 doubles (that seems good!), and 3 homers (2x Hay, 1x Carr). They’re slugging just .374. They’ve walked 27 times but also struck out 41. Their on-base % is .379.
Abby Carr: 1.35 ERA | 1.06 WHIP | 10.1 IP | 5 H | 3 R | 2 ER | 6 BB | 8 K | 1 XBH | .143 Opp BA
Courtney Donahue: 3.50 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 8 IP | 7 H | 6 R | 4 ER | 2 BB | 5 K | 2 XBH | .259 Opp BA
CC Harrison: 3.75 ERA | 1.50 WHIP | 9.1 IP | 12 H | 5 R | 5 ER | 2 BB | 11 K | 5 XBH | .300 Opp BA
Marissa McCann: 3.97 ERA | 1.22 WHIP | 12.1 IP | 13 H | 9 R | 7 ER | 2 BB | 4 XBH | .283 Opp BA
Overall, the team ERA is 3.15 through 5 games and 40 IP. They’ve allowed 37 hits, 23 runs (18 earned), 12 walks, 35 strikeouts, 6 doubles, 3 triples, and 3 home runs. Opponents are batting .250 against them.
What’s to Come
After facing UCF on Wednesday night, the Tigers will head back to St. Pete/Clearwater for the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. Here’s who they’re facing and how their seasons have started:
UCF (Feb 11 at 5pm on ESPN+): 5-1 at Black & Gold Classic (home) | W 13-0 (5 in.) v. Boston U | W 10-0 (5 in.) v. CSU Bakersfield | L 2-5 v. #16 Duke | W 15-7 (5 in.) & W 9-1 (5 in.) v. Maryland | W 12-2 (5 in.) v. Buffalo
In case you’re keeping track, the Knights played six games and run-ruled their opponent in FIVE of them. That’s crazy, crazy.
They’re hitting .360 with a 1.178 OPS. In six games, they’ve scored 61 runs, had 49 hits, 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 homeruns. They’re slugging .684.
Pitching-wise, the staff has a 2.41 ERA in 32 innings, and have allowed 21 hits, just 15 runs (11 earned). They’ve walked 23 batters but struck out 26, and allowed just 5 extra bases (3 home runs). Opponents are batting just .184.
NC State (Feb. 13 at 11:30am on ACCN): 2-3 at Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge | W 7-1 v. Lamar | L 3-11 (5in.) & L 5-7 v. #16/13 LSU | W 9-4 v. Illinois | L 0-1 v. Nevada
The Wolfpack is hitting .281 with a .809 OPS. They’ve scored just 24 runs, had 34 hits, 7 doubles and 3 home runs. They’re slugging just .413. They’ve walked 22 times while striking out 25.
On the pitching side, their team ERA is 4.79 in 30.2 IP. They’ve allowed 32 hits, 24 runs (21 earned), 23 walks with 21 strikeouts, and a lot of extra bases (8x doubles, 3x triples, 2x HR). Opponents are hitting .258 against them.
#7UCLA (Feb. 13 at 5pm on ESPN+): 5-0 at Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament (home) & Mark Campbell Invitational (Irvine) | W 18-1 (5 in.) v. UC-SB | W 10-1 (5 in.) v. Northern Colorado | W 12-4 (5in.) v. Oregon State | W 11-0 (5 in.) v. Utah | W 17-0 (5 in.) v. UC-Riverside
Like the other opponent that starts with UC (UCF, duh), the Bruins won 4 of their 5 games via run-rule. Neat!
As a team they are batting a whopping .487 with a gawdy 1.751 OPS. They scored 68 runes, added 58 hits, 9 doubles, a triple, and TWENTY-THREE HOME RUNS. No, that’s not a typo. They are slugging 1.160%. They’ve also walked 27 times and struck out JUST FIVE. Their OB% is .591…. I’m laughing so I don’t cry, you guys. I know it wasn’t against the best competition, but wow. Just wow. Against UC-Riverside, they had 8 HR from 5 different Bruins.
Oh, and their pitching is really good, too, with an ERA of just 1.68 and 0.92 WHIP in 25 innings. They allowed 16 hits and just 6 runs (all earned). They’ve walked just 7 while striking out 32, and have allowed 7 extra bases (3 HR). Opponents are batting just .182.
Jordan Woolery earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after a team-high 10 hits — she was 10/15 at the plate — with 14 RBI and 5 HR. Read it (and weep) here.
Northwestern(Feb. 14 at 9am on ESPN+): 3-2 at Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, AZ | W 9-1 (5 in.) v. Toledo | L 3-4 & W 7-1 v. Texas State | L 0-8 (6 in.) v. AZ State | W 14-5 (5 in.) v. Memphis
The Wildcats are batting .333 with a 1.069 OPS. They’ve scored 33 runs and added 41 hits, including 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 homers. They’re slugging .659. They don’t walk much — just 12 BB, but do strike out a lot (29), with an OB% of .410.
The NW pitching staff has a sub-3.00 ERA (2.93) in 28.2 IP. They’ve allowed 30 hits and 19 runs (12 earned) to go with a 16 BB : 22 K ratio. They’ve allowed 8 extra bases (4 HR), and opponents are hitting .261.
FAU(Feb. 14 at 2pm on ESPN+): 5-0 at Paradise Classic (home) | W 8-0 v. Indiana | W 10-6 v. Ohio State | W 4-3 v. Wisconsin | W 10-0 v. Stonehill | W 4-2 v. Delaware
As a team, the Owls are batting .382 with a 1.064 OPS, to go with 36 runs scored and 42 hits, including 10 doubles and 5 homers. They’re slugging .609. They’ve walked 16 times to 19 strikeouts, and their OB% is .455.
On the pitching side, their ERA is a miniscule 2.03 in 31 IP. They’ve allowed 25 hits, but only 11 runs (9 earned). Their BB:K ratio is impressive, sitting at 13 : 34, and they’ve allowed just 5 extra base hits (3 HR). Opponents are hitting just .217 so far this season.
With their strong start, the Owls swept the American Conference weekly awards with Lily Holtjie named Player of the Week and Autumn Courtney as Pitcher of the Week. Holtjie had a .688 OB% this weekend, with 5 hits (4 for extra bases) and 6 walks. Her weekend average was .556. Courtney, the reigning unanimous American conference pitcher of the year, earned two wins in the Owls’ first three games and had a save. She led the team with a 1.40 ERA with a AC-best 16 punchouts. This included a complete game in the IU opener, with 8 strikeouts and just 2 hits.
#19Duke(Feb. 15 at 8am on ACCN): 4-1 at UCF Tournament | L 1-2 v. Boston U | W 5-2 v. UCF | W 3-1 v. Buffalo | W 13-4 (5 in.) & 9-0 (5 in.) v. CSU-B
The Blue Devils are batting .336 with a .943 OPS, to go along with 31 runs scored, 42 hits (16 for extra bases, including 4 HR), and a .552 SLG%. They’ve walked 11 times while striking out just 12, but have a pretty weak .391 OB%.
The pitching staff’s ERA is just 2.12 in 29.2 IP, allowing 21 hit but just 9 earned runs. They’ve allowed 12 walks but also whiffed 22 batters and allowed 7 extra base hits (4x 2B, 3 HR) for a .196 opponent batting average.
Per the Duke SB site: The Blue Devils also welcomed 10 newcomers, including transfers Layla Lamar (Florida), Larissa Jacquez (Incarnate Word), Tyrina Jones (Purdue) and Mallory Wheeler (Louisiana). The senior duo of Cassidy Curd and Aminah Vega were among the 53 players to earn a spot on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Three Dukies earned Preseason All-ACC honors in Kairi Rodriguez, Jennings, and Vega.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Catcher J.T. Realmuto #10 and pitcher Taijuan Walker #99 of the Philadelphia Phillies walk to the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on June 16, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I read a lot of baseball writing, either by book or some online article that happens to catch my eye. Sometimes the writing will say something that makes me perk up a bit, particularly when it involves the Phillies. So when I read this article from The Athletic ($), there was a note here that made me pause.
With respect to the Skubal-and-Valdez Tigers, depth matters. And the Phillies, Dodgers, Red Sox (the depthiest of the rotations, imo), Blue Jays and Reds (yes, the Reds) can all make a claim that their rotations, one through five (or in some cases, six) are the best in the game.
Huh. One through five as the best in the game.
It got me thinking about this rotation and whether that claim can be made any longer.
Of course, we need a full season’s worth of recent statistics to talk about it, but with the season not having started yet, it’s just conjecture. It’s one person’s opinion matched up against another’s. Last season can be used for teams that haven’t had a lot of turnover, but as it stands right now, the Phillies will likely have two, maybe three, different members of their initial five that are new compared to 2025.
So comparing the Phillies’ rotation as is to the others around the game before spring training happens seems foolhardy, but another question pops up when looking at that quote, at least to me.
Do the Phillies even have a deep rotation? That’s something that can be debated.
Right now, were the team to have their druthers, the rotation would look like this on Opening Day:
Cristopher Sanchez
Jesus Luzardo
Aaron Nola
Taijuan Walker
Andrew Painter
The top two that the team will trot out in the first series are as good as it gets around the league. Even with Sanchez’s 2nd place finish in the Cy Young voting, it still feels like he’s underrated around the game. Luzardo finally capitalized on his immense potential to have a great season in 2025 and will be pitching to hit it big in free agency following this season. It’s as good a start as any to filling out a rotation.
After that, things get murkier. We aren’t really sure what Aaron Nola we are going to get this coming season. One could believe in the even year Nola conspiracy theory, but until it is actually shown in action, one has to wonder if the toll of all the innings he has pitched over the years without missing starts has begun to affect Nola and his health. Walker’s role as end of the rotation pitcher/first choice to get bumped to the bullpen is well documented by this point. If he can give the team even league average production in 4 or 5 inning bursts each outing, that’s a win for the team. What Painter gives the team this year is one of its biggest question marks and one of the reasons for concern. What if Painter has a bad spring and shows he’s still not ready for the major league spotlight? That would obviously go against the team’s plans, but there have to be some contingencies in place in case this actually comes to fruition.
Which brings us back to the depth that this team has accrued. Is it actually enough? Wheeler’s injury has laid bare the fact that they have not backfilled as much as maybe they should have. Right now, there is Tucker Davidson and Bryse Wilson on the depth chart behind Painter, maybe even Jean Cabrera is you’re feeling generous. Alan Rangel and Yoniel Curet are technically options, but who are we kidding. Are those the kinds of guys the team is going to want to rely on if something were to befall one of their current rotation members?
A lot of this is of their own volition. There hasn’t been much of an effort to add these kinds of starters to their minor league stable, instead having the focus on making sure that the bullpen was full of viable options in case harmful events befall someone. That will mean a lot of breath holding each time one of those five takes their start this spring, be it in Florida or in the World Baseball Classic.
It’s easy to criticize them for not getting players to join them in free agency, but it’s also easy to forget it take two to tango. Players have to be willing to come to Philadelphia and usually, if a player is going to take a minor league (their likely best offer), they’re going to want to see a clear path to being able to pitch. That path isn’t exactly crystal clear with the Phillies. They have had a pretty remarkable string of being able to keep their starters on the field, which means free agents would probably look elsewhere. It is something of a curse, where the Phillies need starters to bide their time in the minor leagues in case of injury, but a lot of times, those injuries never come. So, convincing someone who has veteran status to join the team, likely on a minor league, is always going to be something of a challenge. If there is something to compare the Phillies to the Dodgers, it’s in this fashion. Both rotations are theoretically blocked with pitchers already that getting someone to join them is tough.
However, it would behoove the team to convince someone, be it a veteran or a pitcher with a checkered history, to take a minor league deal during spring training. They have avenues of doing so, financially speaking. Kolby Allard was given a decent chunk of change to spend his time in Lehigh Valley on a minor league deal before he was eventually called up for a few starts in 2024. Giving someone a larger than normal guaranteed amount of money to spend time in the minors is one way to flex that financial muscle we always hear about.
The top part of the starting rotation is good, something on which we can all agree, but there needs a bit more backfill at the end of it. Dombrowski would seem to agree as he acknowledged the team is still chasing down options to help create that depth. It’ll be something to follow as the team heads down to Florida to begin their preparations.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Austin Slater #29 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things sure have gotten wild in Detroit over the past week. From Framber Valdez, to the Skubal arbitration battle, to adding Tigers legend Justin Verlander back to the roster, we haven’t seen a busier stretch in the Scott Harris era. Right after the Verlander deal was announced, another minor bit of news followed as the Tigers added veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, Austin Slater, on a minor league deal with an invite to camp. He’ll make $2 million should he play in the majors for them this year. There are also incentives attached up to $500,000.
Slater is a decent addition to the spring training roster, and provides some competition for both Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones as the club’s other right-handed hitting outfielders. He has a long track record of hitting left-handed pitching, and he’s a solid defender in all three positions.
The now 33-year-old was drafted by the San Francisco Giants back in 2014. He had a few good seasons in a platoon role with them in his late 20’s. The past few seasons have seen him bouncing around the league, most recently as a depth outfielder for the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees both in 2025.
The Stanford grad has that in common with manager A.J. Hinch, as well as a reputation as a savvy veteran player who knows his role. Winning an Opening Day gig will be difficult, but he would make a fine Triple-A stash if they can keep him.
Slater is a career 119 wRC+ hitter against left-handed pitching. He really has never handled right-handed pitching well at all, so any role he carves out for himself will be quite limited. He hasn’t played center field in the major leagues at all since 2024, but he was worth +1 DRS and +1 Outs Above Average in left field last year, and neutral in right field. He only appeared in 65 total games.
He’s unlikely to have much impact on the Tigers, but as we discussed in an article earlier today, the outfield depth was a problem in 2025. While things already looked better headed into this season, adding Slater to compete in spring training is a nice little depth addition for insurance.
Here’s how the Premier League table looks before this match. Manchester United can overtake Aston Villa with a win; they’d be third or fourth depending on the result of Chelsea-Leeds. Meanwhile at the bottom West Ham have the chance to close the gap on Nottingham Forest, one way or another. They’d need an unlikely four-goal win tonight if they’re to overtake Sean Dyche’s strugglers.
What’s that heady aroma of cedarwood, leather, lavender, talcum powder and pomade? Why, you’ve just wandered into the Official Guardian Barbershop! “My Manchester United supporting friend is desperate for a win so that bloke can get a haircut and he can stop hearing about him,” sighs Jakob Mathiszig-Lee.
Aug 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) wears a special players weekend glove during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
According to David Stearns in a pre-spring training media session in Port St. Lucie, Francisco Lindor is seeing a specialist about a stress reaction in the hamate bone on his left hand. Surgery is on the table, which would have an approximately six week recovery time. The Mets believe that, even if surgery is required, Lindor will be ready for Opening Day. He will be evaluated tomorrow.
Much like his teammate Francisco Alvarez, as well as Mets legends Jason Vargas and Tim Tebow, Lindor is the latest to deal with hamate issues, a bone whose name that I imagine that only osteopaths and baseball fans know. Lindor, a switch hitter, throws right-handed, and so this is a fracture on his glove hand. Lingering results from Alvarez’s injury were reported to be part of his ineffectiveness last season, though it is impossible to know to what degree.
Stearns named Vidal Bruján, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, Ronny Mauricio and Christian Arroyo as potential players to get reps at shortstop if Lindor has to begin the season on the Injuted List, but reiterated that the team believes that, even if surgery is needed, Lindor is expected to be ready for Opening Day.
Additionally, Stearns said that he does not know specifically why Lindor was not approved for insurance for the World Baseball Classic and thus could not suit up for Team Puerot Rico, saying that the insurance decision was “not dependent on the clubs.”
On the injury front, Stearns discussed A.J. Minter’s return after undergoing lat surgery last spring. Minter is expected to return in early May.
Stearns also revealed that Juan Soto would be moving to left field for the 2026 season, with Stearns saying that is where Soto “feels most comfortable.” Generally considered an easier defensive position because of the lack of arm strength needed, this should help the Mets’ overall outfield defense and may help Soto stick in the field for a little longer before his eventual migration to designated hitter. Stearns said the decision was made jointly between Soto and the club. “Juan was working out in LF…he felt really comfortable there. It made sense for us from a roster perspective. Not something we had contemplated, but as we’ve had conversations it made sense.” The expectation is that Carson Benge is the front runner for now-open right field, but Stearns mentioned Brett Baty as an option there as well.
As far as the rotation goes, Stearns said that they would discuss a six-man rotation “if they get to that point,” and mentioned that Tobias Myers will be working out as a starter in spring to give them the maximum amount of flexibility with his role.
Finally, Ryan Clifford, one of the prospects the Mets acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, will be starting the year at Triple-A Syracuse. Clifford, who has played first base, the corner outfield spots, and also got at-bats at DH, batted .237/.356/.470 with 29 home runs in 139 games across Double-A and Triple-A last season.
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on May 16, 2021, in Boston. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)
Major League Baseball is making streaming options available for fans to watch in-market games of 20 teams, including the Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres — a significant shift to respond to the fast-changing TV landscape.
The Angels on Tuesday announced its arrangement with the league to make its games more widely available. The club said the option — Angels.TV — would be available for purchase for $99.99 for the full season or $19.99 per month through the MLB app.
“We are excited to partner with Major League Baseball to bring Angels games to their streaming platform,” Angels President John Carpino said in a statement. “Our priority is making it as easy as possible for fans to watch Angels Baseball and MLB’s industry-leading app provides another great option to stay connected to the team.”
The league separately announced the move, which provides options for fans of other teams, through its MLB app. In-market games for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals will be provided through the app.
Games will still be available to traditional pay-TV subscribers.
Spectrum, owned by cable giant Charter Communications, which distributes the Dodgers' SportsNet LA, had previously made available Dodger games as a streaming option through a separate app.
On Tuesday, ESPN announced that it would become the new streaming home of MLB.TV, bringing out-of-market live games to the ESPN App and ESPN.com.
“With MLB.TV now available through ESPN, we’re taking a significant step forward in reinforcing ESPN as the home of the MLB regular season while deepening the value proposition of the ESPN Unlimited plan — giving fans even more flexibility in how and where they watch all season long,” Rosalyn Durant, executive vice president, ESPN Programming & Acquisitions, said in a statement.
The move comes as traditional regional sports networks struggle amid the exodus of pay-TV customers. Regional sports networks once were viewed as cash cows for teams and TV programming companies that owned them, but, in recent years, at least one regional sports network owner has filed for bankruptcy. That prompted the MLB to step in to fill the gap.
The league said it also was taking over the television production of games for 14 teams, including the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Lakers continue to struggle containing quick guards, and that’s a problem against De'Aaron Fox’s downhill game. His usage and shot volume remain consistent, and with a projection of 18.9 points, the Over at plus money is simply priced too low.
Julian Champagnie continues to benefit from consistent minutes and a clearly defined catch-and-shoot role, especially against defenses that collapse inside. With the Lakers allowing clean perimeter looks and his projection pushing close to double digits, 8.5 feels a step behind his current usage.
Devin Vassell’s scoring floor remains intact thanks to steady shot volume and a usage rate that doesn’t fluctuate much game to game. This is a modest number for a player projected north of 13 points, and in a matchup where points are expected, the Over makes sense before this line creeps higher.
Marcus Smart’s offensive role has expanded, and the projection reflects a noticeable bump in shot volume and production compared to where this line is set. At just 10.5 points, this number doesn’t fully account for his usage or minutes, making the Over playable as long as his role stays intact.
Deandre Ayton continues to benefit from reliable minutes and easy scoring opportunities around the rim, especially against teams that struggle with interior coverage. With a projection north of 12 points, 10.5 feels light for a player whose role doesn’t depend on hot shooting.
LeBron James' 3-point volume has quietly remained steady, and this line doesn’t reflect how often he’s willing to pull from deep when defenses sag off. With the projection landing above two made threes, the Over makes sense at a number that still leaves a margin.
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ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 4: Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks to the dug-out after being pulled by St. Louis Cardinals manages Oli Marmol during a game against the Miami Marlins during the home opener at Busch Stadium on April 4, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think it’s safe to say that many of us have our expectations set low for the upcoming St. Louis Cardinals season based on the newness of the rebuild process that’s underway, but it appears that we’re likely wildly optimistic compared to the new projections just shared by Baseball Prospectus.
The new PECOTA Standings shared by Baseball Prospectus are an eye-opener. Not only do they believe that the St. Louis Cardinals will be cellar dwellers in the National League Central, but they only envision the team with 66 wins and 96 losses. When you dig deeper into their depth chart for the St. Louis Cardinals, you see why. They project the team being outscored 624 to 761. Dang.
The individual player breakdowns are interesting as they see Ivan Herrera being in the lineup as a catcher only 20% of the time with 60% of his appearances coming as a designated hitter. JJ Wetherholt is predicted to be at second base 70% of his appearances with 5% also being at third base and another 5% at shortstop. Pedro Pagés is seen as the St. Louis Cardinals primary catcher behind the plate for 50% of his games. Nolan Gorman is projected as the team’s third baseman only 60% of his games with 10% at first base, 5% at second base and 10% as the Cardinals DH. Anyone else expecting Nolan Gorman to be at first base much? I certainly don’t.
I’m not a gambler, but I’d take the over on what they predict for the St. Louis Cardinals. They have the lowest projection of wins for the team that I’ve seen so far this offseason and I believe that a 66 win campaign is way below what this team will achieve. If the St. Louis Cardinals team were a prospect, I’d say that overall they have a high upside with lots of fundamental work to be done. No, I would not predict 2026 to be a “winning” season when it comes to record, but I believe it will be the first really fruitful season we’ve seen in the past 3 years when it comes to getting the organization pointed back toward their former winning ways. If Baseball Prospectus is right, it will be a painful one to watch.
One other Cardinals news of note today is this. The St. Louis Cardinals today acquired right-handed pitcher George Soriano in a trade with the Washington Nationals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Andre Granillo. I’m doubting that will change the Baseball Prospectus outlook for us much.
Justin Verlander has signed a one year deal with the Detroit Tigers, the team announced today. Reports indicate that the deal is for $13 million, with $10 million of that being deferred payments that begin in 2030.
Verlander is returning to the team that originally selected him second overall in the 2004 Draft, and for whom he has had his best seasons. Verlander won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2006 for the Tigers, as well as winning the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. Sadly for Verlander, his Tigers got knocked out in the ALCS in 2011 by a team whose identity I can’t recall, with Verlander giving up 7 runs in 11.1 IP in two starts in that ALCS series.
While with the Tigers, Verlander also had a pair of second place Cy Young finishes, a third place finish, and a fifth place finish. His 24 wins in 2011 tie him with Randy Johnson in 2002 for the most wins in a single season by a pitcher in the 21st century. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 2017, and ended up finishing fifth in the Cy Young balloting that year, while also winning a ring in the trash can banging World Series. Verlander won another ring with Houston in 2022, won finished second in the Cy Young voting in 2018, and won his second and third CYAs in 2019 and 2022, with the 2022 campaign coming after he missed all of 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.
Verlander joined the New York Mets in 2023, but was traded to the Astros at the deadline. Verlander once again made it to the ALCS that year, only to see the Astros get knocked out in memorable fashion against a team I can’t remember. After putting up a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for Houston in 2024, Verlander joined the San Francisco Giants in 2025, putting up a 3.85 ERA and 3.85 FIP in 152 innings over 29 starts.
Verlander spent too much time with the Astros for me to have warm fuzzies about him, but he’s an inner-circle Hall of Famer, one of the all time greats, and his returning to his original club for what may be his final season is pretty cool.
Most of the U.S. players who competed in the 4 Nations Face-Off will once again don the red, white and blue as they look to capture the country’s first Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
So, who’s suiting up for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Here’s a look at the roster, captains and coaches:
How many Olympic gold, total medals has USA men’s hockey won?
USA men’s hockey owns 11 Olympic medals: two gold, eight silver and one bronze. The Americans’ two Olympic titles were won at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games and 1980 Lake Placid Games.
The U.S. last reached the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games, winning silver.
Most of the U.S. players who competed in the 4 Nations Face-Off will once again don the red, white and blue as they look to capture the country’s first Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
So, who’s suiting up for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Here’s a look at the roster, captains and coaches:
How many Olympic gold, total medals has USA men’s hockey won?
USA men’s hockey owns 11 Olympic medals: two gold, eight silver and one bronze. The Americans’ two Olympic titles were won at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games and 1980 Lake Placid Games.
The U.S. last reached the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games, winning silver.
The New York Knicks (34–19) host the Indiana Pacers (13–40) tonight at Madison Square Garden. While this is a rematch of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, these two teams are trending in opposite directions; the Knicks have won nine of their last ten games, while the injury-depleted Pacers have the league's second-worst record and have lost four straight to begin the month of February.
The Knicks currently tied for second place in the Eastern Conference standings with the Boston Celtics. The Knicks have been nearly unbeatable at home winning 21 of 27 games at the Garden. Meanwhile, Indiana’s injuries have crushed this team’s offense which currently ranks last in the NBA averaging just 109.4 points per game.
Key Player to Watch: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns has been a force for New York, recording double-doubles in five consecutive games. Often criticized for not mixing it up in the paint, Towns may not face much resistance tonight as he faces a Pacers’ defense that ranks 29th in points allowed in the paint (54.2 per game).
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Pacers at Knicks
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming: FDSN Indiana, MSG
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Pacers at Knicks
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Indiana Pacers (+440), New York Knicks (-600)
Spread: Knicks -12.5
Total: 225.5 points
This game opened Knicks -11.5 with the Total set at 224.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Pacers at Knicks
Indiana Pacers
PG Andrew Nembhard
SG Aaron Nesmith
SF Jarace Walker
PF Pascal Siakam
C Jay Huff
New York Knicks
PG Jalen Brunson
SG Josh Hart
SF Mikal Bridges
PF OG Anunoby
C Karl-Anthony Towns
Injury Report: Pacers at Knicks
Indiana Pacers
T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Aaron Nesmith (hand) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Micah Potter (hip) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Ethan Thompson (thumb) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Obi Toppin (foot) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Ivica Zubac (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) remains sidelined for the Pacers
Johnny Furphy (knee) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
New York Knicks
OG Anunoby (toe) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Miles McBride (core) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Pacers at Knicks
The Pacers are 3-22 on the road this season
The Knicks are 21-6 at home this season
The Knicks are 30-24 ATS this season
The Pacers are 26-27 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 26 of the Knicks’ 54 games this season (26-28)
The OVER has cashed in just 21 of the Pacers’ 53 games this season (21-32)
Pascal Siakam has not grabbed more than 6 rebounds in any of his last 5 games
Aaron Nesmith has grabbed 1 rebound and tallied 1 assist in each of his last 2 games
Jalen Brunson is averaging 7.6 assists in February
Mikal Bridges is averaging 1.5 3-pointers over his last 6 games
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Pacers and Knicks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks -12.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 225.5
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Julian Aguiar checked in at #17 in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings thanks to the most recent round of voting. The big right-hander is poised to reclaim a spot with the big league Reds at some point in 2026, and my best hope is that he does so well enough – and for long enough – that he’s no longer a prospect and instead is a big leaguer.
Now, we take the voting into the final few spots, with #18 next up on the list!
Per usual, you can find the link to the Google Form for voting right here, yet it’s also embedded at the bottom if you want to read through first and not have to embark upon the painstaking process of scrolling all the way back up here. Both link and embed will be removed once voting closes so you can’t stuff the ballot post facto, however, so be advised that this paragraph will make zero sense if you stumble back across it a year from now.
Here’s how the list has materialized so far:
Sal Stewart
Alfredo Duno
Rhett Lowder
Hector Rodriguez
Edwin Arroyo
Cam Collier
Steele Hall
Tyson Lewis
Chase Petty
Arnaldo Lantigua
Jose Franco
Zach Maxwell
Leo Balcazar
Adolfo Sanchez
Carlos Jorge
Aaron Watson
Julian Aguiar
A large list of talented names exists below for spot #18. Have at it with the votes!
Liberts Aponte, SS (18 years old)
2025 at a glance: .247/.368/.461 with 7 HR, 9 SB in 193 PA for DSL Rojos (Dominican Summer League)
Pros: 29/35 K/BB showed greatly improving strike zone awareness; already a plus defender at short where he projects to be excellent both with range and arm long-term
Cons: Still not viewed as a potential plus with the bat, though early returns are already better than original scouting reports; has a long way to go in terms of physically maturing
The Reds doled out $1.9 million to sign Aponte last January, and that marked the single largest contract they doled out in that particular international signing window. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the #18 player overall in that class, noting he was ‘one of the most skilled defenders in his class’ and ‘offers solid wheels’ with ‘magic in his hands’ while doling out a 65 grade on his fielding ability.
The rest, we knew, would take time, as he was just liked at 6’0” and 160 lbs, and that even felt like a slight exaggeration. To his credit, though, he mashed 7 homers as a 17 year old in DSL play while showing more power than anticipated, and if that aspect of his game grows to match what’s already known the Reds have found themselves a gem.
It will be interesting to see if the Reds push him up to Arizona Complex League play at all in 2026 or give him another year in the DSL seeing as he just turned 18 years old in November.
Luke Holman, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: ER, 2 H, 10 K, 4 BB in 9.0 IP with Daytona Tortugas (Class-A Florida State League
Pros: Two plus breaking pitches (slider, curve)
Cons: Not a ton of velocity on his fastball, which sits 91-94 mph
Luke Holman threw 109 pitches for LSU in a 6-2 loss to North Carolina on June 1st, 2024, a game in which he yielded 4 ER in 6.2 IP with 7 H, 11 K, and a lone walk. Since then, he’s thrown just 9.0 IP on a mound, total.
Holman, Cincinnati’s 2nd round pick in 2024, sat out the remainder of 2024 after being drafted, finishing his calendar year with 91.2 IP of 2.75 ERA ball that included a wonderful 0.98 WHIP and 127/33 K/BB. When his 2025 began in Daytona, all signs looked promising in his first pair of starts only for an elbow issue to subsequently sit him down and require Tommy John surgery, and we’ve not seen him since.
He sat 91-94 with his fastball (and touched 96) before, and has a pair of wicked breaking balls that he uses as his out pitches. If he returns to form in 2026 the way he ways before (or even better!), he still profiles as a back-end starter who should move quickly through Cincinnati’s system after dominating SEC play in stints first with Alabama and later with LSU.
Mason Morris, RHP (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: 9.00 ERA, 7/1 K/BB in 4.0 IP with Class-A Daytona Tortugas; 3.29 ERA, 78/31 K/BB in 54.2 IP with University of Mississippi
Pros: Fastball that can touch 100 mph; four-pitch mix
Cons: Lack of experience
Mason Morris landed with Ole Miss in 2023 primarily as a corner infielder, and the now 6’4” 225 lb righty only recently became a full-time pitcher prior to the Reds selecting him with their 3rd round pick in 2025. He’s got projection through the roof, though, with a 100 mph heater, plus cutter, and a pair of other breaking balls that look like they’ve also got the juice.
The question, though, is how Cincinnati plans to use him.
Morris only got a pair of outings as a pro after being drafted, and it appears the Reds have intentions on seeing if he can develop into a starting pitcher. That’s something he’s never really done before, however, and he’ll turn 23 years old in August of 2026. So, we’ll see how long of a leash the Reds give him with that avenue, since if they want to simply keep him in the bullpen there’s very little reason why he shouldn’t rocket through the minors and give them a legit relief arm at the big league level in short order.
Mason Neville, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .247/.333/.442 with 1 HR, 2 SB in 90 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .290/.429/.724 with 26 HR, 9 SB in 280 PA with University of Oregon
Pros: 60-grade power with potential plus arm and plus speed & baserunning; chance to stick in CF, though still profiles as a solid RF if moved to the corner; led Division I with 26 HR in final season at Oregon
Cons: Lots of swing and miss in his game, at times, including a 34.4% rate in his short sample with Daytona
The Reds clearly love Neville, as they drafted him in the 18th round out of high school 2022 only to watch him initially attend the University of Arkansas. After transferring to Oregon and swatting more dingers than anyone else in 2025, the Reds went back to him in the 4th round of the most recent draft.
Neville is incredibly toolsy, his left-handed swing producing significant power when he makes contact. He’s good at working walks despite his swing-and-miss proclivities, and posesses the kind of athleticism and speed to be a legitimate CF.
His tiny sample with Daytona has some red flags with the Ks, but it’s such a small sample that it’s hard to take it with too much certainty. For instance, he hit .298/.365/.526 through his first 17 games there only to go 2 for 20 with 9 Ks across his final 6 games – that could, and likely is, all small-sample noise.
Big tools, that Neville. He could well be the steal of the 2025 draft.
Sheng-En Lin, RHP (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.06 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 61/15 K/BB in 47.0 IP split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League) and Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .172/.348/.310 with 2 HR in 113 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League)
Pros: Former two-way player has tons of athleticism; fastball that runs to 97 mph with three-pitch mix including curve and change; excellent command
Cons: Still building up innings; dropping hitting to focus on being a pitcher
Lin was signed for $1.2 million during the 2023 international signing period, and the Taiwan native spent the last trio of seasons in Arizona attempting to do both hitting and pitching. The hit tool stalled, though, as his K-rate spiked and power never arrived, and on pitching he’ll now focus after making a late-season cameo with Daytona after being promoted to full-season ball for the first time.
In very, very small samples, his work on the mound has been excellent. He’s the owner of an impressive 4.07 K/BB rate for his short career, and that’s with an impressive 11.7 K/9 that shows just how much of a strikeout pitcher he can be. His secondary pitches both flash plus grades, at times, and more consistency there with a fastball that hits 97 mph already (with perhaps more velocity coming as he focuses solely on the mound) could see him rocket up these rankings in short order…if he hits the ground running in April.
Ricky Cabrera, 3B (21 years old)
2025 at a glance: .187/.276/.240 with 0 HR, 0 SB in 89 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Above-average power, speed, and hit tool, with an arm that’s good enough to play at 3B (if he can find his accuracy)
Cons: An absolutely lost 2025 season that included a season-ending knee injury
The optimist in you sees that Cabrera only just turned 21 years old in October, and in 2024 posted a 110 wRC+ with 11 HR and 19 SB in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Florida State League with Daytona (with said wRC+, along with his OPS, both ranking among that league’s top 10). That same optimist probably would point out that 2025 saw the Venezuela native play in the cold April weather of the Midwest League with Dayton for the first time, and he struggled mightily in those new conditions before a knee injury rendered his 2025 completely lost.
There’s still a lot to like about Cabrera, even though he’s physically matured off shortstop at this juncture and likely profiles as a 3B, or potentially at 2B defensively – with his defense needing just as much improvement as his bat at the moment, too. If the batting cage stuff can begin to translate onto the field again post-injury, there’s still a ton to like about the former $2.7 million signee and Top 5 overall international prospect from the 2022 class.
I’m assuming there is no pessimist in you, for now.
Tyler Callihan, IF/OF (26 years old)
2025 at a glance: .303/.410/.528 with 4 HR, 6 SB in 106 PA with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 1 for 6 with an RBI in 4 G with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Plus bat speed from the left-hand side of the plate; advanced approach at the plate and potentially solid ability to take a walk
Cons: Plays a little bit of everywhere because his defense isn’t great anywhere; injuries have persisted with him just about every single year since being drafted back in 2019
Callihan had barely made his big league debut (and picked up his first career big league hit) in 2025 before he went crashing into the wall in foul territory chasing a Matt Olson liner and shattered pretty much every bone in his arm. That ended his season, obviously, something that Callihan has had to hear told to him just about every year since being drafted – he’s even had Tommy John surgery despite obviously not being a pitcher.
If and when he can stay healthy, there’s always been a bit to like about his offensive potential, however. Drafted as a bat-first guy out of high school in 2019, he signed an over-slot bonus to turn pro because people knew then he could hit, and that’s still the case despite him always having the look of being rusty off a long layoff.
He’s got a bit of speed, a bit of pop, a bit of just about everything, and he also now has experience at 2B, LF, 1B, and even some 3B back in the day, all while swinging from the left side. That has him firmly in the mix for the final roster spot on the Reds come Opening Day, as none of their other litany of utility infield options has both a) big league experience and b) bats from the left side.
Hansel Jimenez, SS/3B (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: .269/.374/.445 with 5 HR, 12 SB in 147 PA for DSL Reds (Dominican Summer League); .229/.345/.364 with 4 HR, 3 SB in 142 PA for Sydney Blue Sox (Australian Baseball League)
Pros: 70 grade raw power (per FanGraphs) with potential to be a plus runner, fielder, and have a plus arm
Cons: Potential swing and miss issues (25.9% K-rate in the DSL, 64% contact rate); may end up at 3B long term
Signed for an undisclosed amount during the 2024 international signing period, Jimenez has immediately hit the ground running in prospect circles with his mix of potentially elite athleticism and batted-ball metrics that jump right off the page.
After dabbling in DSL play in 2024 at age 17 (6 for 14 with a double and 4 steals in 5 G), he repeated that level in 2025 and more than held his own with an .820 OPS. Those solid surface stats hide his pretty monumental 45% hard-hit rate, 106 mph EV90, and maximum exit velocity of 113 mph – all numbers posted by an 18 year old. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs has him ranked 12th (right behind Tyson Lewis) and notes the multiple similarities between the two, though Jimenez is a full year younger.
Spurs
Lakers
