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The Tigers are the presumptive favorite to win the American League Central in 2026. After an offseason that saw the rest of the division make relatively little noise in free agency, the Tigers landed one of the biggest fish on the market, catapulting themselves atop every predictor’s division favorite, but is there trouble in paradise?

ADDITIONS

Offensively, the Tigers were mostly quiet. Detroit retained Gleyber Torres who accepted his qualifying offer to remain a Tiger, and then they nabbed short side platoon outfielder Austin Slater on a minor league deal.

On the pitching side of things, they were much louder. The Tigers went out and made upgrades to their rotation and bullpen, bringing back 43 year-old Justin Verlander for what seems to be a swan song in a Hall of Fame career. A late Spring injury to Troy Melton has made Verlander more of a necessity than depth. However, their big spending came by way of Framber Valdez, an infamous ghoul in the nightmares of Guardians fans, who inked a three year, 115 million-dollar contract with the Tigers earlier this year.

Detroit re-signed Kyle Finnegan to a two-year deal and also went out and nabbed another potential future Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career in Kenley Jansen to shore up the back of their bullpen. Jansen, 38, is coming off a solid season for the Angels, racking up 29 saves, putting him just 24 away from the all elusive 500 Save Club. Jansen saw diminished stuff in 2025 while posting career worst hard hit rates, strikeout rates, and home run rates.

SUBTRACTIONS

Detroit didn’t lose much at all in the grand scheme of things. Chris Paddack signed with the Marlins after a brutal second half of 2025 with Detroit, Tommy Kahnle signed with Boston, and Paul Sewald went back to Arizona. Suffice to say, Detroit upgraded significantly across the board with their pitching.

STORYLINES

THE SKUBAL SAGA

There are three main questions for the Detroit Tigers in 2026, and they all revolve around one man. Are they willing to pay Tarik Skubal what he wants? If they’re doing what they’re projected to and leading the division by the trade deadline, how aggressive are they in pursuing offensive upgrades? Lastly, what if they underwhelm?

That first question…we seem to have an answer already. The aforementioned upgrades to the pitching staff have a top tier frontline duo with aces Skubal and Valdez leading the charge, but with Detroit willing to pay big money in the short-term for Valdez with the way the contract is laid out, the writing seems to be on the wall for Skubal despite his best intentions of wanting to stay. Valdez will sit at roughly 36.5 million dollar AAV with a 2028 player option and 2029 mutual option, and, per Spotrac, Valdez will be lighter on the books in 2026 at just $22.8M before vaulting up to a price tag north of $40M in 2027, coinciding with the likely departure of Tarik Skubal.

The second question becomes paramount as Detroit’s pitching should lead them through the AL Central with inadequate pushback, so for this answer, we’re operating under the assumption that they do just that. With one of the deeper farm systems in baseball rich with bats, Detroit has a chance to make a big splash for a big bat this coming deadline to vault themselves into serious World Series discussions. That being said, even if they played their hand ultra aggressively, Kevin McGonigle is likely off the table. McGonigle has become a consensus top three prospect in all of baseball with the best bat across the entire minor leagues. He will not only not play a part in any trade talks, but he likely factors into Detroit’s success in 2026 in a big way, most likely at shortstop.

From there, the big trade pieces immediately become centerfielder Max Clark and shortstop Bryce Rainer. Among the very best prospects under 21 in all of baseball, no team in the sport outside of the Dodgers wield chips with that kind of power. Detroit will likely be looking for outfield upgrades, and they boast plenty of other pieces worthy of luring in such as catching prospects Josue Briceño and Thayron Liranzo as well as infielders Jordan Yost, Max Anderson, and Hao-Yu Lee. On top of that, a necessity to be aggressive stems from the extreme likelihood that Skubal doesn’t re-sign, and they’ll want to push all these chips into the middle of the table for one big run.

Lastly, what does this look like if they falter? Skubal’s clock to clock out is only winding down. Should Detroit sit around .500, struggling to grasp a stronghold of the AL Central or worse come the end of July, that ticking clock begins to sound more and more like a time bomb as the trade deadline approaches, and whichever direction they go will define their front office’s tenure.

A Skubal trade, after signing Framber Valdez and bringing Verlander back for One Last Ride™, would signify a waiving of the white flag for 2026 and mark a colossal failure after already failing to capitalize on their success both last offseason and last deadline before their embarrassing collapse cost them the AL Central. Yes, they were a game away from the ALCS, but coming from a Guardians fan, that rebuttal isn’t good enough and never has been.

Every team has needs it has to be willing to address, and while GM Jeff Greenberg and President of Baseball Operations sat on their hands and made small, cost-friendly moves to add depth to their pitching staff (Finnegan, Morton, Paddack, Sewald, Montero) last deadline, it was their offense that fell off a cliff after signs of a nose dive were met with blind eyes from their front office. That can’t happen anymore if Detroit has its eyes on bigger prizes with such little time to reach them with their best player. While they have built a strong farm system, nothing is ever a guarantee, so I would expect Detroit to be aggressive at the deadline regardless of their positioning in the standings.

LINEUP

*fWAR projections per FanGraphs

24.8 projected fWAR — 15th in MLB

C: Dillon Dingler (3.0 in 429 PA) // Jake Rogers (1.1 in 192 PA)
— Dingler’s emergence for Detroit was a game changer for them in ‘25. Posting a 109 wRC+ with strong defense, Dingler’s 4.1 fWAR was the best from a Tigers’ backstop in over a decade.
1B: Spencer Torkelson (1.9 fWAR in 637 PA)
— Torkelson put together a mostly complete season in ‘25, but as his power production waned towards the end of the season’s Detroit’s as a team did as well. He’s become good for 30 home runs a season when healthy, and he will continue to project towards that in 2026.
2B: Gleyber Torres (3.1 fWAR in 658 PA)
— Retaining Gleyber Torres was vital to Detroit’s offense. It kept them from having to throw everything at Kevin McGonigle right away while simultaneously allowing them to throw everything at Kevin McGonigle while protecting him. Torres had a rough second half, but the bat is strong enough to hover above 110 wRC+.
SS: Kevin McGonigle (3.3 fWAR in 532 PA) // Javier Báez (0.5 fWAR in 420 PA)
— McGonigle is not guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot, but he will assume the lion’s share of reps at shortstop when he is eventually called up possibly in May (expect some service time shenanigans here). FanGraphs believes his bat will play right out of the chute, and I do as well. He’s as polished of an all-around hitting prospect as there’s been in a little bit and will help lead Detroit to a likely spot in the Postseason.
3B: Colt Keith (2.1 fWAR in 497 PA) // Zach McKinstry (1.1 fWAR in 406 PA)
— Keith likely assumes third base and will need to turn his bat back around after being one of the key cogs to Detroit’s collapse in the second half of ‘25 before finding himself on the IL. McKinstry will likely bounce around the field where needed. Similar to Keith, McKinstry struggled mightily in the second half, watching his OPS drop 180 points. Despite that, he’s made himself a valuable utility piece for the Tigers.
LF: Riley Greene (3.5 fWAR in 651 PA)
— Greene’s All-Star 2025 campaign saw him receive MVP votes for the first time as well as his first Silver Slugger award. He also led the AL in strikeouts while watching his slugging percentage fall from .544 in the first half to .415 in the second half. Greene has to find consistency in the middle of Detroit’s lineup in order for them to be a real AL threat.
CF: Parker Meadows (1.5 fWAR in 420 PA) // Javier Báez
— Center field is a major question mark for the Tigers right now. Meadows put together a good 2024 (110 wRC+) after being called up, and expectations were high rolling into ‘25. Injuries and poor performance saw him go from 2.2 fWAR in 298 PA in ‘24 to 0.2 fWAR in 213 PA in ‘25. Meadows grades out as a good defender in center field, and if his bat can creep back up towards league average, Detroit has a quality center fielder here. Baez will likely see more time here in platoon matchups.
RF: Wenceel Pérez (0.8 fWAR in 371 PA) // Matt Vierling (0.4 fWAR in 280 PA)
— Detroit will continue to roll with their platoon-dependent outfield, and it will continue to be an area of needed improvement.
DH: Kerry Carpenter (1.7 fWAR in 490 PA) // Colt Keith // Jahmai Jones(0.4 fWAR in 133 PA)
— Detroit got a lot out of their Carpenter platoons in 2025 and were a big reason for their success through October. Carpenter will of course see time in the outfield, primarily right field, but his continued struggles in the field lean to more of a DH role. His continued problems against lefties led to a Jahmai Jones resurgence in 2025, and he will look to follow up his fantastic 159 wRC+ as a short-side platoon option in ‘26.

ROTATION

*fWAR projections per FanGraphs

ROTATION: 17.4 projected fWAR — 2nd in MLB
SP1: Tarik Skubal (2.67 ERA, 6.3 fWAR across 200 IP)
SP2: Framber Valdez (3.41 ERA, 3.6 fWAR across 195 IP)
SP3: Jack Flaherty (4.01 ERA, 2.5 fWAR across 160 IP)
SP4: Casey Mize (4.05 ERA, 2.0 fWAR across 145 IP)
SP5: Justin Verlander (4.31 ERA, 1.7 fWAR across 141 IP)
Depth: Drew Anderson (3.95 ERA, 0.7 fWAR across 82 IP)
Injured: Troy Melton (4.03 ERA, 0.3 fWAR across 52 IP)
BULLPEN: 2.7 projected fWAR — 18th in MLB
CP: Kenley Jansen (4.10 ERA, 0.3 fWAR across 60 IP)
Will Vest (3.29 ERA, 1.2 fWAR across 68 IP)
Tyler Holton (3.65 ERA, 0.4 fWAR across 72 IP)
Kyle Finnegan (3.92 ERA, 0.3 fWAR across 64 IP)
Keider Montero (4.40 ERA, 0.2 fWAR across 55 IP)
Brenan Hanifee (3.91 ERA, 0.2 fWAR across 58 IP)
Brant Hurter (3.75 ERA, 0.1 fWAR across 52 IP)
Beau Brieske (4.55 ERA, 0.0 fWAR across 50 IP)
Enmanuel De Jesus (4.33 ERA, 0.0 fWAR across 42 IP)
Bailey Horn (4.40 ERA, 0.0 fWAR across 32 IP)

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland checks out what we learned from the Texas Rangers over the last week as they left Arizona following a pretty smooth spring training.

Zach Crizer writes about some notable things the projection systems believe about the Rangers ahead of the 2026 season.

Evan Grant writes that the Rangers are entering their pitching era and that fledgling venture has been spearheaded by Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom.

McFarland writes that the Rangers and Skip Schumaker still have a few roster choices to make with Surprise in the rearview mirror.

MLB dot com notes the lessons learned from each team’s spring camp with the Rangers seeing an uptick at the plate after moving away from many of the World Series-winning parts in the lineup.

Ahead of Opening Day, the ESPN baseball writers crew takes a look back at notable offseason moves, which included a couple of big trades from the Rangers.

Dayn Perry ranks the top 100 players ahead of the 2026 season with Texas landing four in the top 100, including three in the top 50.

And, after a breakout season in 2025, McFarland lists big right-hander Caden Scarborough as the No. 2 Rangers prospect on the DMN’s top 30 list.

Have a nice day!

Spring training only lasts about six weeks, but it can often feel much longer. The excitement over pitchers and catchers finally reporting in mid-Februrary has already worn off by the time March arrives. The World Baseball Classic gave us all something a little more interesting to watch this year, but nothing compares to seeing your local team on the field in games that actually matter. In just a few of days, we will get that back in our lives.

But before that can happen, let’s take a look back at the spring training that was, and churn up a few takeaways from the work the team did down in Florida.

Injuries are already a problem, of course

The Orioles entered camp with Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday already dinged up. They have since lost Andrew Kittredge to shoulder inflammation. None of them are expected to miss too much time, but who knows.

The Westburg elbow injury will need to be monitored all season long, and it could just be a ticking bomb. He has missed a lot of time due to injury recently, so the Orioles probably shouldn’t have been counting on him anyway, but it’s never fun to miss a former all-star. The alternatives, like Coby Mayo, could end up perfectly fine, but none of them are as sure of a thing as Westburg, who is a decidedly above-average third baseman when healthy.

Holliday is making progress. He is already taking live at-bats and is expected to start a rehab assignment at Triple-A relatively soon after the season begins. What seems to be the bigger concern is how long it takes Holliday to actually bounce back fully. Hamate bones can linger and sap players on their power. Holliday’s modest 17 home runs a season ago tied for the team lead. His replacement, likely Blaze Alexander, is unlikely to provide that kind of thump.

Kittredge may be the most costly injury out of the gate. The Orioles bullpen doesn’t have too many proven arms. The veteran was one of the few, and in the current configuration was probably going to be used in a set-up role for Ryan Helsley. That won’t be possible anymore. But there is good news here. Kittredge believes he will be on the IL for the minimum number of days, so the bullpen shouldn’t be without him for too long.

The front office believes in the pitching staff, at least to begin the season

This applies to both the starters and relievers.

Each of the six main starters are healthy, which is something of a shock. All signs seemed to be pointing to Zach Eflin opening the year on the IL just to give him more time to ramp up from his back surgery. Instead, he tossed 5.1 shutout frames in his last spring outing and is set to be in the rotation. Dean Kremer is the odd man out, for now anyway. The Orioles optioned him to Triple-A over the weekend. Mike Elias indicated that it will be a brief stint, simply taking advantage of off days early in the year to make the roster math work.

Trevor Rogers is getting the Opening Day nod ahead of Kyle Bradish, but those two should form an impressive 1-2 punch throughout the year. Rogers had a 2.51 ERA this spring while Bradish was down at 2.35.

In the bullpen, the Orioles will be relying on quite a few unproven names. Rico Garcia and Dietrich Enns are out of options. Garcia tossed 5.2 scoreless frames in the Grapefruit League, Enns served up eight runs in 6.2 innings. Both are expected to make the team. Grant Wolfram may have been the most impressive reliever in camp. The hard-throwing lefty was on the bubble, but his pristine ERA and 10 strikeouts over six innings likely clinch his spot. Jackson Kowar might make it as well. The 29-year-old was OK this spring (1.50 WRA, 1.50 WHIP), but he is also out of options and could be worth giving an extended tryout.

Helsley looked incredible in his final tune-up against the Nationals on Sunday. Although a bit wild, he was into the triple digits with his fastball, and struck out the side. As long as the Orioles can get him late-game leads with some regularity, they should be in a good spot.

So far, the club has not looked to supplement the arms with any late-spring additions. But they could be waiting to learn more about Keegan Akin. He was stopped from entering a late spring game due to some adductor discomfort. A short IL stint could be coming.

Coby Mayo has earned a long look at third base

The injury to Westburg hurts. We know he is going to miss some regular season time, and even when he returns it is unclear what his level of availability is going to be. That makes Coby Mayo the logical next man up, and boy was he good this spring.

The 24-year-old hit .389 with two home runs and a 1.039 OPS. And while he only worked two walks, he also only struck out four times. That’s a 10% K-rate. He struck out 28.6% of the time last season. It’s only the spring, but that feels like a player that is seeing the ball better than ever before. If he really is rounding into form, that could push the Orioles offense to another level.

It’s not as if Mayo was without competition this spring. Jeremiah Jackson, Bryan Ramos, and Luis Vázquez have all been in camp and having success. None of them have Mayo’s upside, but they could be viewed as safer picks to take Westburg’s innings at third base. Mayo fended them all off for an extended look at the hot corner.

The outfield roles may constantly change

This Orioles roster is full of outfielders. Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill, and Leody Taveras are all expected to make the Opening Day squad. Alexander and Jackson have also played outfield. And Heston Kjerstad had himself a big spring before a hamstring injury put him on the shelf early, so he is likely set for Norfolk.

But nothing is set in stone. The Orioles outfield was a weakness last year, largely due to injuries to Cowser and O’Neill. The front office clearly wanted to fortify that group in 2026, and they have done just that. But it has left the unit feeling a bit…ambiguous.

Cowser should be the everyday center fielder, but he struggled badly in 2025 and has had issues with left-handed pitching. That’s where the right-handed hitting Taveras comes in. He’s not exactly a world-beater against southpaws, but he can play center, run a little bit, and be serviceable at the plate.

The corner spots could be constantly shifting around. Ward is likely to play everyday in left field, but weird things can happen for a player joining a new team. O’Neill and Beavers are likely to share right field and get into the DH mix a bit. But it’s unlikely to be a straight up platoon. O’Neill makes too much money to sit against every right-handed pitcher.

What seems likely to happen most games is that Taveras enters as a defensively replacement in left for Ward and Beavers finishes games in right, whether he started or not. Along with Cowser in center that gives the Orioles a solid defense to wrap up wins.

The value of spring training is not something that can be quantified, mostly because we don’t have the full picture. We see the games and we get reports of what happens on the backfields, but there are a bunch of unknowns. Is a pitcher working on a specific offering? Is a batter tweaking their stance? Is the coaching staff experimenting with a new defensive alignment? We can’t know. And that is why all of the results from the O’s action down in Florida has to be taken with a boulder of salt.

What we can objectively say is that the Orioles are entering the 2026 season on a better foot than they began 2025. That doesn’t guarantee success in a tough AL East, but it’s better than the inverse.

No sooner was he back from the WBC, Denzel Clarke was greeting me in the dugout with a secret handshake only he knew about, grinning at my confusion and then plopping down onto the bench for an interview. Clarke was fresh off of playing for team Canada with cousins Josh and Bo Naylor and was about to turn his attention to being the captain of the A’s outfield…

Nico: I’m kind of doing this chronologically, so I want to go back to your youth, where I understand that you started baseball relatively late. And I’m curious why and how you got into it, and then how you feel that affected your development arc coming to the present day.

Denzel: Yeah so my cousins, Bo and Josh, introduced me to baseball. I was a soccer player at first, I just needed a different sport and they recommended it so I gave it a shot and things kind of kept rolling from there. And coming from Canada we have a closed window amount of time to get some work done with all the cold snow and everything. So yeah, regardless, I’m happy with my development, and I’m just going to keep chipping away.

Nico: So how do you feel like it affected your development as you played with guys who were maybe your age but more experienced coming up? Did you pay a cost for that?

Denzel: Yeah, I think just a little bit behind starting later, not as much rest. But I mean, everything evens out at the end. And yeah, I’m just excited to keep on working and keep getting better.

Nico: So obviously your defense is your calling card and you play with that reckless abandon. I don’t know if you know the expression, ”The best ability is availability.“ {Clarke nods yes} And now if there’s anything standing between you and success, sometimes it’s just staying on the field. So I’m just wondering how you manage that — you know, a fly ball to the wall, you’re going to want to get to it. And at the same time to help the team, you want to be on the field. So how do you do that?

Denzel: Yeah, for sure. It’s just picking my spots. I think we were playing the Orioles in SAC. I mean, like, that was a big play. Can change the flow of the game. It was a close game, there was runners on, baseball in the gap that would have put them up by, I think, a couple of runs. So it’s just trying to pick my spots when to make plays. And I trust my teammates to get the jobs done the following inning. So, yeah, just being smart, again, picking my spots.

Nico: I just know that in the heat of the moment, it’s so hard for a player to ease up. Maybe it’s 11 to 1, but there’s a ball that you’re used to going all out for. How capable are athletes of actually holding back when they need to?

Denzel: Yeah, I mean I think, again, going back to playing Baltimore, I think I had the awareness of just, like, I can let it (go) if I want to. But again, I was thinking about the situation, thinking about the game, and just, like, this could be a game-changing play. So I ended up going for it. But, I mean, mid-route, I’m going for the ball. I’m just, like, I can do this or I can’t. So I made the decision to do it, and we ended up winning that game, which was huge.

Nico: Right. Going to your hitting and coming up to the big leagues for the first time. So, you know, there’s the way it started, and there’s the way that it was going when you got hurt. I always like to do the more personal angle, so I’m really asking you more as a human being, not so much as an athlete. Those first 20 plate appearances, you struck out 16 times, and we know what it was like as fans, pulling for you, watching and so on. Can you give us an idea of what it was like for the person going through those first 20 PAs and what was going through your mind?

Denzel: Yeah, for sure. Just learned to make adjustments, I think. You know, you always hear, “OK, the big leap (to MLB) is a huge step,” and then those first 20 events proved it for me. At least proved the adjustments I had to make and how much better I needed to get. So yeah, there’s nothing like experience, and failure is the best teacher. So I was really happy with, obviously not happy to fail, but happy with what I learned from that process and how I was able to start pick it up towards the end before I got hurt.

Nico: What were you telling yourself? You know, you walk back from the dugout, okay, now you know maybe I’ve struck out 13 of 16 or 15 of 18, it doesn’t feel good, and yet you know, “Failure’s the best teacher”. But what are you telling yourself at that point?

Denzel: I just, you gotta, I mean, no one is going to go up there and take your bats for you, you gotta go out there and just keep going, keep doing your best, and you’re gonna learn along the way. So it’s good.

Nico: So what changed? What was that adjustment?

Denzel: Experience. Experience and keeping things simple. That’s all it was and all it’s going to be.

Nico: Statistically, when you get in trouble, you’re hitting a lot of balls on the ground. When the ball starts getting in the air, suddenly all the numbers are rising. Do you know what the root cause is? Like what’s going on there mechanically or in terms of approach?

Denzel: Yeah, the biggest thing, I mean, when things get crazy, my body’s got long arms, long legs, and again I just gotta keep things simple. And it’s gonna be something that I’ll work on my whole career. Just keeping things tight, keeping things simple, and looking to get as much success as I can.

Nico: You mentioned the Naylors and fans know both Bo and Josh, as well as Myles a little bit. How young were you when you first saw them play and got to know them as players?

Denzel: I think the first time we played together with Bo was maybe like 15, 14, 15 years old, which is really cool. And then from there, we played against each other, junior national and everything. WBC was my first time playing with Josh. And then I played with Myles last year. I think it was last year of the year before our spring breakout. So I got to play with all of them. It’s been a real treat, real blessing.

Nico: Yeah, can you give a little bit of a snapshot of the WBC experience?

Denzel: Yeah, it was awesome. You know, I hear about Josh play, or see Josh play, but being able to be in the same clubhouse with him was really, really awesome. Me and Bo go way back, so that was really cool, but just to be able to get dinner a couple times and all, you know, just connect, sit down. It was really awesome just being in a clubhouse with him and with all the other guys. Team Canada is a really tight circle, so it’s fun being around a big squad of family.

Nico: Well, and I think you guys did better than expected. You got off to a great start.

Denzel: Yeah, we expected a lot of ourselves. We wish we could have gone farther. But yeah, we can chalk it up as the best we’ve ever done as a country and I look forward to the next times.

Nico: Can you give an idea of how you see yourself just as a person, as a personality, maybe how it affects you as a baseball player, but also just maybe giving people an idea of who you are?

Denzel: Yeah, I think just for myself, I think for the most part I’m an introvert. I think just being a baseball player comes with a lot of stuff. You’re forced to be around people, which is kind of against my nature. But you’ve got to learn to love, you got to learn to enjoy. And, you know, cameras in my face all the time, getting interviews and stuff. You learn to love, you learn to connect and really, yeah, just be around people in a different sense. So I love just making sure I’m just feeling joyful. You don’t get to be a pro baseball player often, so I’m trying to enjoy it while I can and be joyful for myself and be joyful for others, too.

Nico: As a fellow introvert, I feel your pain. How does that impact you? I know introverts tend to like small groups of people they know and yet on a baseball team, it is kind of that way, and yet guys are coming and going all the time. So I’m just wondering what that is like for you.

Denzel: Yeah, it’s an interesting vibe, but it’s just like, again, my job is just to go out there and play baseball, but just show everyone around me, I’m around to show everyone that’s around me love. I think people are gonna be cool if people remember some baseball stuff, but all I hear is people only remember how you treated them and the person you are, so that’s the biggest thing. That’s the biggest thing is for me, I just try to show people love.

Nico: I think that maybe the most common thread for you throughout your professional career has probably been Lawrence Butler, right? I mean, you guys have been together a fair amount. And I don’t know if that makes a difference that you guys are side by side in the outfield and how that affects the outfield play.

Denzel: Yeah, for sure. Law’s a great personality. Law’s one of my good friends, so it’s just great just being in the big leagues, having someone you know. But even with a lot of the guys I’ve played with, a lot of them throughout the minors at some point or another. So it’s like we have a young team, and it’s really exciting just to be up here connecting with the guys. So it’s pretty special.

Nico: So I try not to ask the questions that everybody asks, but I’m going to ask one because I am curious. What are your more specific goals for the 2026 season? And where you think you can get to or where you want to try to get to?

Denzel: Yeah, no, for sure. I think for me, I made a splash defensively last year, I want to keep improving on that, keep providing consistency. The goal is to be on the field and make sure I can support the team throughout the entire season, including the playoffs. And then the other goal is just improve with base running. Just improve with everything. I want to take steps with hitting, take steps with base running. That’s how I decided to get at this level, just keep taking the steps to get better each and every year. So I’m pretty excited for that.

Hopefully the majestic Denzelope can stay healthy throughout 2026, and hopefully you can stay healthy long enough to enjoy my final interview with A’s OF prospect Henry Bolte on Wednesday…

If you paid attention to Sunday’s Spring Training game (and to be honest, why would you?), you knew this was coming.

Despite the fact that the Braves are relying on him to be useful, Reynaldo Lopez is very much a wild card heading into the 2026 season, which begins in earnest this week. Lopez was a revelation as a starter in 2024. He missed over a month collectively with injury, but when he was on the hill, he threw up a 48/74/85 line that was: A) good; B) not as good as his outputs but still plenty good anyway; and, C) potentially complicated by a deliberate approach of taking it easy in situations like the bases empty, therefore attempting to directly influence stuff like strand rate and things like gaps between inputs, contact quality, and results.

Unfortunately for everyone, Lopez was basically toast for all of 2025, making just one start and otherwise sitting out the campaign with shoulder woes. Come 2026, as noted, the Braves are relying on Lopez being all systems nominal, but, well…

In 2024, Lopez sat around 95 mph with his four-seamer in Spring Training, where he ultimately convinced the Braves to give him a rotation spot. He eventually ramped up to about 96 mph over the course of the season, adding about a tick relative to him getting loose in the Grapefruit League. Whether because he was taking it easy due to the recurring shoulder issues, or because the shoulder was just not in great shape, Lopez sat only 93 mph for 2025 Spring Training; he actually aired it back out to the same fastball velocity in his one regular season start that year, but we know how things went.

Come 2026, Lopez’ Spring Training efforts were at 92, 92, 93, and 92 before Sunday’s game. Then, his velocity plummeted to around 89 mph, but there was no ostensible sign of injury, nor did the Braves cut the outing short. Lopez also looked and pitched out of sorts — it was his first truly horrid start of 2026 Spring Training, and he had pitched pretty well despite an elevated walk rate in his other four outings, even with the lower velocity.

So, the question is — is this just a blip, or an ominous sign of things to come?

On the blip side, you could argue some combination of him just getting his work in and definitely conserving energy ahead of the season actually starting soon, as well as a normal and/or post-injury-recovery dead arm period that often comes up as a valid/get-the-microphone-away-from-me excuse during Spring Training.

On the portentous side, you have the fact that Lopez did in fact miss nearly all of 2025 after missing a chunk of 2024, was already not throwing as hard this Spring Training compared to prior years, and the anecdotal-ish idea that sometimes shoulder issues in pitchers can sometimes present as loss of oomph without a blatant twinge or source of discomfort that would generally lead to an exam and a shutdown of pitching (a la what happens with elbows).

You can read the fact that the Braves didn’t remove Lopez and let him struggle with diminished stuff for inning after inning as support for the former, though we’ve seen enough weird pitcher injury (non-)management stuff from the team in recent years, too, to make this less of a slam dunk reading.

Anyway, put all that together, and the question is: how far into the season do you think Lopez makes it before hitting the shelf? It was one start last year, it was much of the season in 2024, though it ultimately happened anyway. To be clear, I’m not asking for an innings total or a start total, or whether he gets moved to the bullpen. I’m just asking: when do you expect him to hit the Injured List for the first time in 2026?

The Yankees followed up their first World Series appearance in 15 years with a season that fell far short of expectations.

Sure, injuries marred what would have been an incredible starting rotation featuring Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, but that same rotation crumbled in the postseason, and the Yanks could not even make it back to the ALCS, falling to the eventual American League winners, the Toronto Blue Jays. 

It's a tough pill to swallow for GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the organization, especially after Aaron Judge put together his second consecutive MVP season -- and his 2025 was arguably the best season he's ever had. 

But many saw the flaws in the 2025 Yanks before the ousting, disregarding key injuries to Cole and the departure of Juan Soto in free agency. To Cashman's credit, he addressed those issues at the trade deadline, and the Yankees were healthy and near-complete headed into the postseason. But they could not get it done.

Entering 2026, Cashman and the brass saw that the team that lost to Toronto in four games and essentially decided to run it back.

Whether you agree or not, this is what the Yankees are starting the season with. Don't forget, this is the team that finished tied with the Blue Jays for the most wins in the AL (94) and were 18-8 in September -- the second-best record in baseball. 

Will the "run-it-back" Yanks get over the hump this time?

With the Yankees starting the season on the road in San Francisco to take on the Giants, here are five big storylines to watch...

Returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon

The Yankees made it through 2025 without their ace throwing a pitch in the regular season. A big part of that was Fried's dominance and Rodon having his best season in pinstripes -- along with the emergence of some young hurlers. 

While Cole is still weeks away from returning, his recovery from Tommy John surgery is, by all accounts, going swimmingly. Cole pitched in a Grapefruit League game and was effective, showing he still has a high-90s fastball, which is very encouraging. But baseball fans know returning from TJS is always tricky.

How much can the Yanks depend on Cole, and how do they plan to limit his workload? 

Luckily for the Yankees, they have more than enough starters to perhaps even use a six-man rotation. With days off, it will be a four-man rotation to start, with Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers. The Yankees also have Luis Gil, Ryan Yarbrough and even Paul Blackburn. 

On a similar note, Rodon will also start the season on the IL.

The southpaw has an expected return date sometime in April.

Rodon had a bone spur shaved down and loose bodies removed from his throwing arm, so it's not as intensive as Cole's recovery, but getting Rodon back and seeing if he can return to his 2025 form will be something to look out for. Don't forget, Rodon had a 3.09 ERA across a career-high 33 starts. 

Anthony Volpe's future

Volpe is another starter who will begin the season on the IL, but this is a different situation from Cole and Rodon. Those two have their spots in the rotation ready for them when they return. The same can't be said for Volpe.

Sure, the Yanks will likely give Volpe back the starting shortstop job -- barring insane production from Jose Caballero -- but that leash won't be as long as it was last season.

Volpe regressed both offensively and defensively in 2025, and although the youngster played through a shoulder injury that likely affected his play on both sides of the ball, he'll need to show something when he returns. With his shoulder fixed, Volpe will need to hit the ground running, or at least show that his Gold Glove-level defense has returned. 

A season ago, Volpe committed a career-high 19 errors, and the play of Paul Goldschmidt at first base certainly kept that number from eclipsing 20. 

In addition to Caballero, the Yankees have George Lombard Jr. lurking in the minors. The Yankees' top prospect has shown this spring that his defense is major league ready, and if he can do some damage offensively in Triple-A, his timeline could be pushed up. There's also the trade market to solve the team's shortstop problem if Volpe proves he can't be reliable as an everyday starter.

A CJ Abrams deal with the Nationals could be possible. Abrams batted .257 with an OPS of .748 to go along with 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 31 stolen bases last season. While not a perfect player, Abrams would give the Yanks lineup a lift, especially at their left-hander-friendly stadium.

Perhaps a deal for an established shortstop like Abrams or someone else at the deadline could spell the end of Volpe's tenure.

Aaron Judge MV3?

There have only been two players in MLB history to win three consecutive MVP awards, the most recent being Shohei Ohtani (2023-25). Barry Bonds (2001-04) was the first, but Judge could add his name to that illustrious list this season. 

Why not? 

Judge followed up a crazy 2024 campaign, where he launched 58 homers and drove in 144 runs, with a 2025 season that was arguably better. A year ago, Judge batted .331, winning the AL batting title, smashing 53 homers and driving in 114 runs. The captain has not shown any sign of slowing down, and with his closest peers (Ohtani, Soto, etc.) being in the National League, who could pry the MVP away from him?

Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals is an intriguing option. He was runner-up to Judge in 2024 and the young infielder could see his production increase with Kansas City bringing in its outfield walls. The Royals could also return to the postseason after missing out in 2025, and Witt would be a big reason why. And then we had Cal Raleigh in 2025. The Mariners catcher gave Judge his best shot, breaking all sorts of MLB records while hitting 60 homers as a catcher and helping Seattle capture the AL West title. 

Barring any injuries to Judge, if a record-setting performance from Raleigh couldn't knock Judge off his perch, it might take something truly special -- or voter fatigue -- to unseat him. 

Follow-ups to justify the run-back

One key factor to the "run-it-back" mantra is that a lot of young and surprise players stepped up in 2025. However, if they want to get back to the World Series, they'll need a follow-up that matches or exceeds what they did prior.

First and foremost, the rotation to start will have youngsters the club will need to keep the ship afloat until Cole and Rodon return. A lot is expected of Warren, Schlittler, and Gil, and those expectations are warranted.

Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year before injuries nearly wiped out his entire 2025. The right-hander will need to find his groove again, as spring training was not kind. Taking his last spring start out, Gil pitched to a 6.28 ERA.

Warren was the opposite of Gil, pitching the entire 2025 season without injury -- to varying degrees of success -- and the second-year starter has had a magnificent spring. Heading into his final spring start, Warren has allowed just four earned runs while striking out 16 batters across 20.1 innings.

And then we have Schlittler, the hero of the Wild Card round last year.

The electric right-hander had a setback early in spring, but since his return, he's just as advertised. He's allowed just one run and struck out 11 batters across 9.2 IP (three starts).

On the offensive side, Ben Rice will be given the reins at first base. The left-handed slugger had a great second half last year, and continues to show his plate discipline and power this spring, all while showing more comfortability playing the position. 

Austin Wells is entering his third year and took a step back in his sophomore season. While his defense behind the plate is still very good, the Yankees hope to get more out of him -- he has 20-homer power -- to lengthen the lineup. Wells showed that potential playing for Team DR in this year's WBC, hitting .267 and smashing two home runs, including a walk-off. 

And while Trent Grisham isn't a youngster, the Yanks will see if they'll get similar production out of the 29-year-old. Now, it's unreasonable to expect the 34 home runs and 74 RBI out of the leadoff spot they got from Grisham a year ago, but the Yankees hope their $22 million man can produce. If not, it'll be interesting to see how patient the team will be before Jasson Dominguez or even Spencer Jones gets a shot. 

Reclaiming the AL East

The Blue Jays were a bad matchup for the 2025 Yankees, it was as simple as that. However, if the Yanks won the division and had home-field advantage, then perhaps the series could have been different.

While we can talk hypotheticals all day, the road back to the World Series is easier as a division winner and preferably as the top seed. New York used that advantage in 2024 and they should do whatever it takes for that again.

Now, the AL East is going to be more difficult than a year ago -- at least on paper. 

The Red Sox will have another year of experience for their youngsters, while they acquired Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to build a rotation on par with the Yankees. The Blue Jays have a similar team to a year ago, but did add Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto, who could be in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

The Orioles signed Pete Alonso, are healthier and still have some of the most talented youngsters (Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday) in the league. And the Rays will also be a pest and somehow always find a way to be in the mix. 

It'll be tough, but it's imperative that the Yankees win the division. Scoreboard watching will be a daily routine this season.

Now that the roster is (unofficially) set, here is what we can find.

There are a lot of moves here that are unsurprising. Much of this team has been set for a while now, but there are still at least maybe a few eyebrow raisers here. Among them

• Dylan Moore getting to keep his 26th man spot, giving the team really only three true outfielders
• Tim Mayza getting the nod over Rule 5 pick Zack McCambley as the last member of the bullpen to be added before either Orion Kerkering or Max Lazar come off the injured list
• Rob Thomson coming to his senses and not keeping Garrett Stubbs over Rafael Marchan

I’m sure there are thoughts about this roster, so let’s share them. What thoughts do you have about this Opening Day roster right now?