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The 2026 MLB rookie crop is deep, offering a little bit of everything for fantasy managers, with several bankable fantasy prospects looking like favorites to break camp with their respective teams.

Even some of those who won’t break camp will offer significant value to fantasy squads in 2026.

Since playing time has a huge impact on our rankings, the rookies appearing on this list are players we believe will have greater opportunities to produce and even end up on the opening-day roster with prominent roles for their respective clubs.

In order of projected fantasy impact, here are this year’s top 15 most impactful rookies:

Top 2026 MLB rookies for fantasy baseball

1. 1B/3B Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds. Stewart made his MLB debut last September, slashing .255/.293/.545 with five home runs in 55 at-bats. This line came after he slugged 20 homers and hit 34 doubles across upper-level affiliates. Stewart, 22, had his breakout season fueled by higher hard-contact rates and a willingness to sit middle-in to slug pitches over the left-field fence without compromising his natural, opposite-field gap approach. He should produce more of the same, likely as the Reds starting first baseman.

2. SS Konnor Griffin, Pittsburgh Pirates. A loud 2025 season, across three levels, propelled the 19-year-old to the top spot on nearly every prospect list this winter. The ninth overall pick from the 2024 draft, Griffin destroyed minor league pitching in his debut, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. Griffin’s hit, power and speed tools should carry him to impactful production in most fantasy formats.

3. RHP Nolan McLean, New York Mets. A former two-way player, McLean, 24, dazzled in his late-season big-league debut in 2025. In 48 innings, McLean went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 57 strikeouts. Not bad for someone who became a full-time pitcher in June 2024. McLean throws a kitchen sink assortment of pitches, relying more on overall stuff and movement than precise command.

4. OF Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies. Crawford, the son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, posted his best season in the minors last season in Class AAA, slashing .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals. The 22-year-old improved his ability to elevate the ball, though he’ll still likely turn in high ground-ball rates. Defense and speed are his carrying tools. With likely a solid average, Crawford’s ability to swipe bases will sustain high fantasy value.

5. 1B/3B Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox. The White Sox signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contact after a successful career in Japan. A slugger by trade, the 26-year-old is known for his pristine plate discipline, his exceptional hard contact rates and his dismal contact rates. Despite struggling with injuries in 2025, Murakami still slugged 22 home runs in 56 games with the Yakult Swallows. A third baseman in Japan, he is slated to be Chicago’s opening-day starter at first.

FANTASY RANKINGS: Where do this year's rookies slot overall?

6. RHP Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates. Like McLean, Chandler is a former two-way player, who committed full time to pitching after the 2022 season. The 23-year-old had an up-and-down season in Triple-A before a late-season promotion to Pittsburgh. He left his struggles with command in the minors and proved his stuff, especially his high-riding fastball, against big-league competition.

7. OF Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians. DeLauter has the tools to be a significant fantasy producer. The 24-year-old has been a fixture on the injured list, dating to before he was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. When he’s on the field, he has dominated. In 138 career minor league games, DeLauter slashed .302/.384/.504 with 20 homers and 40 doubles.

8. 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals. The seventh pick in the 2024 draft, Wetherholt has a tremendously high floor. The 23-year-old is known for his double-plus hit tool, which overshadows the rest of his toolshed. Last year, Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 23 steals, and nearly as many walks as strikeouts (72 BB,73 SO). The sneaky power and sneaky speed should play right away.

9. 3B Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old Okamoto, like Murakami, is not really a prospect, though he’s an MLB rookie, having come over from Japan. With the Yomiuri Giants last year, he slashed .327/.416/.598 with 15 homers in an injury-shortened season. Power production likely doesn’t follow Okamoto to the big leagues, but the hit and on-base tools should play.

10. OF Dylan Beavers, Baltimore Orioles. Beavers enjoyed a breakout 2025, mostly spent at Triple-A before a late-season promotion took him to Baltimore. The 24-year-old slashed .304/.420/.515 with 18 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 94 games. Beavers’ ability to get on base is his calling card but his double-plus speed doesn’t carry exceptional stolen base skills. His average power should play in the big leagues.

11. SS Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers. McGonigle’s hit tool is exceptional, which carries his profile, but don’t sleep on his power, which is plus. In 88 games, McGonigle slashed .372/.462/.648 with 19 home runs, walking 59 times and only striking out 46 times. The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries the last three seasons and has yet to appear in 100 games.

12. OF Carson Benge, New York Mets. The Mets drafted the former two-way player in the first round in 2024. Benge, 23, had a stellar season, showing the ability to work the gaps. In 116 games across three levels, Benge hit .281/.385/.472 with 15 homers and 22 steals.

13. C Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals. Jensen is an offense-first backstop who rode loud contact rates to his big-league debut in 2025. The 22-year-old hit .290/.377/.501 with 20 home runs across upper-level affiliates and continued to show on-base skills and power during his MLB debut. He and Salvador Perez likely split reps between DH and catcher in 2026.

14. C Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles. The 21-year-old Basallo was overmatched during a late-season big-league call-up after bullying minor league pitching. It’s a double-plus power tool, fueled by exceptional bat speed and feel for barrel. Basallo is still figuring out launch angles though. The hit tool fuels batting average with a chance for more.

15. RHP Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays. The unexpected hero of Toronto’s American League championship run, Yesavage, 22, will be splitting innings with one of the deepest rotations in baseball. His split finger is a true double-plus offering, especially when commanding his flat-angled fastball. Even the slider is capable of getting whiffs.

Chris Blessing writes about minor league prospects for Baseball HQ. For more in-depth fantasy baseball stats and analysis subscribe to BaseballHQ.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top 15 rookies for fantasy baseball in 2026

The Brewers are in split-squad action this afternoon against two of the teams alongside the Brewers near the bottom of the Cactus League standings. In one of the games, Milwaukee will send a group to play the Seattle Mariners, who are in last place with a spring record of 7-17, while the other half of the squad will stay at American Family Fields of Phoenix to take on the 12-14 Angels.

Kyle Harrison will make the start in the home game vs. the Angels. Harrison has allowed a bunch of runs this spring — eight of them, seven earned, in seven innings — but he’s also struck out a ton of batters (12 of them in seven innings) and his stuff has generally looked good. Given the injury to Quinn Priester and the slow ramp up for Brandon Woodruff, Harrison has a good shot at sticking in the rotation, so he’ll be looking to build on that. Scheduled to follow Harrison on the mound today are the team’s two lefty swingmen, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall.

In Peoria against the Mariners, Carlos Rodriguez will get the start. It’ll be Rodriguez’s second appearance with the Brewers after returning from duty with Nicaragua’s World Baseball Classic team last week; he threw two innings last time out. Also scheduled to pitch for the Brewers in this game are Easton McGee and Jacob Waguespack.

The stronger lineup is pretty clearly the one at home versus the Angels; all nine players in that lineup should make the Opening Day roster. The Mariners game, which can be seen on Brewers.TV, features another player freshly back from the WBC, Tyler Black, leading off, along with an interesting team of young players including Jett Williams, Brock Wilken, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt, and Marco Dinges.

First pitch in both games is at 3:10 p.m. CT, and as mentioned, the away game against the Mariners can be seen on Brewers.TV. The Angels game, with the varsity squad, can be heard on WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.

Tune into our game vs. the Mariners for FREE on https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm (at SEA)
📻: WTMJ (vs. LAA) #ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/HRivrOVzve

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 18, 2026

On the road to take on Milwaukee 🚌 pic.twitter.com/fh0aScP88o

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 18, 2026

Taking on the Brew Crew in Peoria. #TridentsUppic.twitter.com/4uTpYswbBr

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 18, 2026

With an off day for the Mets in Grapefruit League action today, there are just four days’ worth of games left before Opening Day next week. After spring training concludes, I will post a final poll with all of our candidates’ cumulative spring training stats and KoST point totals and we will determine a winner. In the meantime, let’s see where things stand with our field of KoST candidates as we approach the final stretch in the 2026 KoST contest.

Cristian Pache – .464/.516/.786 in 28 ABs

With just four days’ worth of spring training games left to go before Opening Day, Pache shares the team lead in hits with Carson Benge with 13. One of the hits he amassed since our last update was a home run, his second one this spring.

Cristian Pache – New York Mets (2)* pic.twitter.com/UciVepUMrw

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) March 17, 2026

“He’s an elite defender,” Carlos Mendoza said of Pache, who has impressed on both sides of the ball this spring. “Offensively, we’ve seen him hit the ball hard up the middle and run the bases. There are a lot of tools there. It’s good to see him getting results.”

He is not likely to make the team, but he is definitely a KoST favorite as a guy who perfectly embodies the spirit of the contest: someone who came out of nowhere and turned some heads. He will be useful depth for the Mets to have in Triple-A.

KoST Points: 4
Total KoST Points: 12

MJ Melendez – .364/.364/1.000 in 11 ABs

No updated stats for MJ Melendez, who was optioned to minor league camp yesterday in a flurry of cuts. His sample size is probably not large enough to be a serious KoST contender due in part to his participation in the World Baseball Classic, but he is a worthy mention for having made an impression during his brief time in camp.

KoST Points: 0
Total KoST Points: 4

Austin Barnes – .313/.389/.500 in 16 ABs

Barnes has logged just two at-bats since our last update, but he got a hit in one of them, which improves his already impressive overall Grapefruit League batting line slightly.

KoST Points: 1
Total KoST Points: 4

Mike Tauchman – .280/.419/.520 in 25 ABs

Mike Tauchman continues to be in the starting lineup most days for the Mets in Grapefruit League action and it’s becoming increasingly likely he may make the Opening Day roster even if Carson Benge also earns a spot. Something that is working in his favor is that he holds an opt out for March 25, so if he doesn’t make the roster, the Mets risk losing him altogether.

Could a healthy Francisco Lindor open the door for the Mets to carry five outfielders? Here, I suggest there's room for both Carson Benge and Mike Tauchman (who holds an opt out for March 25, per league sources): https://t.co/elCjU7Vv1j

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) March 16, 2026

Tauchman has been productive this spring and although he has more of a major league track record than some of our other KoST candidates, he deserves a lot of consideration if he forces his way onto the roster with his spring performance—an outcome that was perhaps unexpected at the start of spring training. Of Tauchman’s seven hits in Grapefruit League play, four went for extra bases, including a home run. He also walked four times and drove in six runs.

KoST Points: 3
Total KoST Points: 8

Vidal Bruján – .231/.375/.231 in 26 ABs

Another player who continues to get looks is Vidal Bruján, who has an outside chance of making the team if the Mets decide they need an infielder instead of a fifth outfielder. But as Francisco Lindor continues to progress and remain on track for Opening Day, Bruján’s chances of making the roster decline. Also in decline is his statistical output since our last update when he was first added to the KoST field.

KoST Points: 1
Total KoST Points: 5

Tobias Myers – 1.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 12 Ks in 9 2/3 IP

Myers continues to be excellent overall this spring, even if his most recent outing against the Marlins wasn’t as stellar as his other appearances. His 12 strikeouts are tied with Freddy Peralta for the second-most on the team behind Clay Holmes. The Mets are tinkering with Myers’ arm angle and his repertoire and the results have spoken for themselves so far, particularly when it comes to the induced vertical break on his fastball. Myers is a lock to make the bullpen as the Mets’ long man, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up in the rotation at some point if he continues pitching well.

Myers is prepared for whatever role the Mets have for him. “To be DFA’d three times when you’re still starting your career really opens your eyes and makes you realize you need to go out there and get it,” Myers recently said to the New York Post. “I learned you’ve got to be good when called upon. You’ve got to commit and be available.”

KoST Points: 3
Total KoST Points: 7

Robert Stock – 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 6 Ks in 3 IP

Obviously no new updates on Robert Stock, who is dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome. We will always remember his brief, shining KoST campaign.

KoST Points: 0
Total KoST Points: 3

Austin Warren – 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2 Ks in 4 IP

Warren has not made any appearances since last week’s update, but remains in big league camp for now.

KoST Points: 0
Total KoST Points: 3

Matt Turner – 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 6 Ks in 5 IP

Matt Turner was reassigned to minor league camp at the beginning of the month and while he still logged some appearances in Grapefruit League action after that, he hasn’t appeared in any games since our update last week. He ends his KoST campaign with a perfect 0.00 ERA and has an intriguing KoST case if you want to get a little weird with it.

KoST Points: 0
Total KoST Points: 6

On Thursday night, a group of top prospects from the San Francisco Giants organization will square off against a group of top prospects from the Cincinnati Reds organization at Scottsdale Stadium. It’s the oh-so-exciting Spring Breakout game, back for the third year (though it’s just the second time the Giants have played the game, thanks to an untimely rainstorm in Arizona).

Almost two weeks ago, the 30 MLB teams revealed their initial roster. The Giants roster was full of exciting names, albeit not surprisingly: the initial rosters of 40 players are simply the 30 prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list for each team, plus 10 more youngsters of the team’s choosing.

But on Wednesday, on the eve of the game (which will be on MLB’s website and on MLB Network), teams were required to trim the initial roster to a smaller list of talent that will actually be available for the game — 27 players, in the Giants case.

Needless to say, it’s still an exciting list, though it’s not as exciting as it could have been. Notably, the consensus top two prospects in the organization — first baseman Bryce Eldridge and shortstop Josuar González — are absent.

For the former, that’s not surprising. Eldridge is still in Major League camp, and is fighting for a spot on the opening day roster. The organization is never going to send those players (a group that also includes Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt) to an exhibition game, so there was never really a chance of Eldridge playing.

González’s absence is more disappointing, as he would have been the star most worth watching. Unfortunately, he exited a game at Minor League camp a few days ago with a limp … and while it was thankfully diagnosed as a cramp, it has sidelined him for a few days, and will keep him out of the showcase … or so we think. In the write-up announcing the article on MLB’s site, González’s name is not listed, with beat reporter Maria Guardado writing, “is expected to miss Spring Breakout due to an injury.”

But in the announcement from the team’s official social media accounts, González is listed, taking the place of outfielder Bo Davidson to keep the roster at 27. So who knows.

Either way, here’s the (possible) roster.

Presenting our official Spring Breakout roster ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9VggOHlnO3

— SFGProspects (@SFGProspects) March 18, 2026

Right-handed pitcher Keyner Martinez, one of the breakout stars on the farm in 2025, is slated to start the game. He’s one of many must-watch players, including infielders Luis Hernández and Gavin Kilen, and outfielder Dakota Jordan. Middle infielder Jhonny Level is absent from the roster, and I believe that’s due to a minor ailment he’s dealing with.

I was afraid of flying until a pilot with whom I grew up set me straight. A plane wants to stay in the air, he said, comfortingly. A plane’s wing can bend at nearly a 90 degree angle and not snap, he said, less comfortingly. A plane will only crash when a thousand things go wrong or someone’s trying to make it crash, the same way Major League Baseball games will be played minus a few hundred thousand raindrops stop it or a group of owners try to stop it from happening. Which, after the 2026 season, is exactly where we’re headed.

There’s almost certainly going to be a lockout after this year because Rob Manfred and his band of miserable men are sick of what the Dodgers have done to the sport: spent the most money, in the smartest ways, and built the best organization backing it up. They’ve won two World Series in a row, and it hardly matters to baseball as a whole that the second was by the skin of their teeth – what matters is they signed Kyle Tucker after signing Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow and

You get it. You might also intuitively understand that this is good for baseball, the same way it was when the Yankees did it in the late 90s and the Red Sox joined the fun in the early aughts. A rising tide lifts all boats, and the best way to raise the tide is with a hose full of money. (And PEDs, TBH, but that’s an issue largely consigned to the past, at least outside of the Profar household.) But here’s the thing about most baseball owners: they are very stupid and selfish, so they are intent on taking their frustrations out on the sport and its fans by depriving us of good baseball.

Make no mistake: Post-lockout, the sport will be worse for wear. Or the league will be, I should say. Baseball – the sport of baseball, not Major League Baseball – is just fine when done right, and the World Baseball Classic does it right. There’s nothing like it. If the plane that is MLB wants to stay in the air but is forced down, the WBC is its black box. You can’t make the whole plane out of it, but if you could, you would.

Last time around, we were treated to one of the single greatest at-bats to happen in the history of the sport to end the whole shebang, with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate and fellow league MVP Mike Trout on a 3-2 pitch to end it all. This year, in something of a synecdoche (if I’m using that word right, which I mightn’t be), the whole tournament seemed to have been made out of the Ohtani-Trout at-bat, with a breathtakingly close or raucous game happening every day. 

All of that was reaffirmed last night, when Venezuela absorbed a momentous and aesthetically beautiful game-tying homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to rebound on the shoulders of Eugenio Suarez and defeat the country that kidnapped their leader months earlier on its home soil. From a pure baseball perspective, the Ohtani/Trout moment is fairly unstoppable, but internationally and locally, this one was more momentous. Internationally because of said kidnapping. Locally because this tournament and this game was teeming with current and former Red Sox. Roman Anthony – batting directly behind Kyle Schwarber and Alex Bregman – struck out to end it, in a game started by Eduardo Rodriguez, starring Wilyer Abreu, that was lost by Garrett Whitlock. It was dizzying. Plus Aaron Judge choked. What else could you want?

Well, you could do the thing dumbasses do when a plane crashes, and ask why they don’t make the whole thing out of the black box. And again, it’s simply because it’s not necessary. The plane wants to stay in the air. Baseball wants to thrive. The WBC is great because it’s scarce, but the sport shouldn’t suffer in its absence. It’s not suffering in its absence. If it’s suffering, it’s because the people running it want it to suffer. The WBC is a permanent reminder of what we stand to lose.

The Cincinnati Reds are in the middle of making their final roster decisions in the run-up to Opening Day, so it’s little surprise they’ve packed this portion of their spring schedule with as many games as possible.

That includes Tuesday, which will see Cincinnati send Chase Burns & Co. on the road to Tempe to take on the Los Angeles Angels while also playing host to the Colorado Rockies at home in Goodyear. Brady Singer will start for that Goodyear club as many of the team’s veterans got to stay at home for the day, while Burns will be backed by the likes of Will Benson, Noelvi Marte, Sal Stewart, and both JJ Bleday and Rece Hinds – the latter two being locked in a battle for one of the final spots on the roster.

Nate Lowe, who has also continued to impress while looking to fight his way onto the Opening Day roster, is in the lineup with the crew playing at Goodyear.

The good news is that you’ll be able to watch some of this. The bad news is that only the game against the Rockies in Goodyear is televised (via Reds.TV), while the Burns game in Tempe is radio only.

Singer will fire the first pitch in Goodyear at 4:05 PM ET, while Benson will lead off against the Angels with a first pitch set for 4:10 PM ET.

Go Reds, and go Reds!

Productive day for both ends of the Phillies' starting rotation originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Wednesday was a productive day for the elder statesman and the young kid in the Phillies’ starting pitching rotation.

Zack Wheeler took another step in his comeback from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome as he threw the equivalent of two innings against hitters.

“I felt good, my arm felt good,” Wheeler said after the workout. “We’re going in the right direction.”

It’s not clear whether Wheeler will throw to hitters in a controlled setting one more time or pitch in a minor-league game next week, but he’s getting closer to ramping up the intensity of his buildup.

The Phillies have been careful not to speak of a timetable for when Wheeler will be ready to pitch in regular-season action. Pitchers generally need a month of exhibition game action to build their pitch count before the season. If Wheeler is indeed close to pitching in a minor-league game, he could be ready in a month or maybe a little more – provided there are no setbacks. One thing is certain: The Phillies will not rush him.

While the 35-year-old Wheeler was clearing another hurdle in Clearwater, 22-year-old rookie Andrew Painter was in North Port firing four shutout innings against an Atlanta Braves lineup that included regulars Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris III.

“Against a regular lineup, he commanded the baseball better than he has all spring,” manager Rob Thomson said. “The split was really good. The slider was really good. The velocity (average 96.2 mph) was really good. He looked poised and ready to go. So, I’m happy with it.”

Painter allowed just a hit and a walk and struck out three in what was his final Grapefruit League start. He drove up his pitch count with some extra work in the bullpen after coming out of the game. 

Painter pitched well in four starts in the Grapefruit League. He allowed seven hits and three runs in 11 2/3 innings. He walked two, struck out eight, held opposing hitters to a .171 batting average and had a 0.77 WHIP. His next start will come during the first homestand of the season. He will pitch a simulated game at Citizens Bank Park in the days leading up to that start.

After his path to Philadelphia was slowed by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, it’s almost showtime for Painter.

“I’m just trying to stay in the present and look forward to each and every start,” said Painter, who will turn 23 on April 10. “I think it’ll hit me when the time comes, and the next start is a big-league start. I think that’s kind of when the realization will hit.

“I think I’m in a good spot.”

The Phillies lost the game to Atlanta, 3-2. Dylan Moore, a strong candidate to win the final spot on the bench, had two hits, a walk and two RBIs. Moore left the game after fouling a ball off his foot in the late innings, but Thomson said it was precautionary.

Thomson intends to use his bullpen for Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay. Presumed opening day starter Cristopher Sanchez will start Friday. Saturday’s starter is TBD. Aaron Nola will pitch Sunday and Jesus Luzardo will close out the spring Monday.

Wednesday notes…

• FORMER CUBS IN D-BACKS CAMP: Michael Soroka. That’s it.
• CUBS SPRING LEADERS (minimum 20 PA): BA: Carson Kelly, .387. OBP: Dylan Carlson, .477. SLG: Kelly, .774. OPS: Kelly, 1.198. 2B: Michael Busch, BJ Murray, Jefferson Rojas, 4. HR: Kelly, 3. SB: Matt Shaw, 6.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Our afternoon at the Diamondbacks: pic.twitter.com/9xVnkfoP3r

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 18, 2026

Diamondbacks lineup:

Kickin' it with Kelly. pic.twitter.com/Ll2cYODPMq

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 18, 2026

Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Ben Brown, Gavin Hollowell and Corbin Martin.

Merrill Kelly will start for the Diamondbacks. Other D-backs pitchers scheduled today: Joe Ross, Taylor Clarke, Juan Morillo, Paul Sewald and Jonathan Loaisiga.

There will be a TV broadcast today via the D-backs channel AZ Video. No radio today.

MLB.com Gameday

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Diamondbacks site AZ Snakepit. If you do go there to interact with D-backs fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 3:05 p.m. CT and 4:40 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

In nine days, the Royals will begin the regular season against the Braves in Atlanta. We have a fairly good idea which players will be in Matt Quatraro’s starting lineup, barring injury. Familiar names like Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Vinnie Pasquantino will lead an offense that looks to improve on last year’s performance. But how exactly will they lineup?

Who should lead off for this team? Isaac Collins has battled injuries, Jonathan India is coming off a down year, and some feel Bobby Witt Jr.’s bat is too valuable to hit in the top spot. How would assemble the middle of this lineup? How do you fill out the bottom?

Give me your starting nine to start the year!