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  • Rob Thomson Set to Return as Phillies Manager in 2026 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    The Phillies announced on Monday that Manager Rob Thomson will be returning for the 2026 season.

    Thomson will be entering the final year of his contract, making 2026 a true make-or-break season for both Thomson and the Phillies.

    Philadelphia Heartbreak

    It’s been five days since the Phillies lost Game 4 of the NLDS in the most heartbreaking fashion you could imagine. The first series in MLB history to end on an error. Of course, it would happen to the Phillies.

    It took me all day Friday to go through the stages of grief following the loss. I was not angry at Kerkering for a miscue throw to—the. In fact, I completely understand the mental state when you first bobble a ball. Even if you knew where you were supposed to go with the ball, the second you bobble it, panic sets in, and that’s exactly what happened. I know Kerkering can be a good reliever, and I hope he bounces back next year with us.

    Different Year, Same Result

    While my sympathy was with Kerkering, my anger was directed towards Rob Thomson, the entire lineup aside from JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos. The big three of Turner, Schwarber, and Harper went 1-14 in the Game 4 elimination game. The third season in a row, the big guns disappeared when it mattered most. That part of it is on the players, and while Rob Thomson makes the lineup, he can’t control what pitches these guys are swinging at.

    Rob Thomson controls the bullpen and who comes in certain situations. This is part of his job; Rob Thomson has been horrible at it in the postseason. In 2023, he brought Craig Kimbrel in against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which eventually led to the Phillies blowing the lead and the series. Since that series, Rob Thomson has poorly managed the bullpen when it matters the most. It’s led to the Phillies blowing leads in multiple playoff games over the last few years, including in this year’s series. Going to Kerkering with runners on was a terrible idea from the start. 8/13 inherited runners have scored on Kerkering since August. Having him in the game in that moment was a terrible decision by Rob Thomson. Even leading up to that, one might question why we walked Ohtani in the 7th inning to load the bases? Duran would walk in a run, tying the game 1-1 after Mookie Betts worked a walk. Thomson made a few questionable decisions, but it’s not solely on him to blame.

    What Went Wrong?

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    I touched on the lack of production from Turner, Schwarber, and Harper before, but it’s important to know how flat-out bad these three were in this series. Aside from the Game 3 outburst, these three underperformed when the lights were the brightest. While I still want the Phillies to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, you have to wonder if he decreased his price tag following his poor October showing. Harper and Turner need to figure out a way to make their $300 million price tags worth it come October. Harper had an incredible postseason in 2023 and 2024, but his last two postseason showings have been lackluster. You aren’t gonna win many baseball games when the highest-paid players don’t show up.

    Harrison Bader was injured with a groin injury, which also hurt the Phillies in terms of their lineup. Bader was such a spark for this team down the stretch, and his absence should not go unnoticed. I’m hoping the Phillies could bring him back, but the question is for how much and where he would play. If Bader did play his last game in a Phillies uniform, he was an incredible addition to this team, and it’s a shame he got injured when he did.

    I tip my cap to Alec Bohm and JT Realmuto, who had really strong showings at the plate in the division series. I would love to have JT back behind the plate next year, as he is set to hit free agency. If JT walks, I expect the Phillies to possibly pursue a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman. Rutschman would be a nice replacement for the Phillies if Realmuto isn’t on the team next year. With that being said, I do hope JT works out a deal and hopefully ends his career as a Phillie.

    Pitching Excellence

    The starting pitching once again showed up when it mattered most, despite not having Zack Wheeler. Christopher Sanchez pitched two great games and further solidified himself as a true ace during this series. Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez all pitched great throughout the series as well. The starting pitching was dominant all year, and they performed well above expectations in this series.

    Ranger Suarez is the only starting arm that is a free agent this upcoming winter. The big question is, do you pay Ranger Suarez knowing you have a replacement in Andrew Painter coming up? Suarez has been one of the best lefties in the game over the last two years, so although it would hurt to lose him, the Phillies might not be able to afford to keep him. It’s going to be very interesting to see where Suarez lands this upcoming offseason.

    Season Conclusion

    That’s officially a wrap on the Phillies’ 2025 season, as well as my first season covering the team. It was a pleasure to bring you weekly storylines and my thoughts on this ball club throughout the year. The season ended like no one could have expected, with a game-losing error. One of the main things I love about baseball is that you can shake off whatever happened in the game before and get right back at it within a day or two. But in this scenario, having to sit with this feeling all offseason is certainly going to sting.

    While some fans (including myself) are still angry with this team and the result, I can already feel the excitement and optimism of opening day 2026 when the Texas Rangers come to town. Only 163 days until The Bank is packed for Opening Day on March 26, 2026!

    One Last Weekly Prediction: The Seattle Mariners are going to be your 2025 World Series Champions.

    Tags: 2025 MLB Postseason Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Arizona Diamondbacks Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Christopher Sanchez Craig Kimbrel Dodgers Harrison Bader Jesus Luzardo Jhoan Duran JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber Los Angeles Dodgers MLB MLB playoffs MLB Postseason NLDS Orion Kerkering Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Playoffs Postseason Ranger Suarez rangers Rob Thomson Texas Rangers Trea Turner

    Categorized: Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Ranger Suárez, Phillies drop D-backs series, but with focus on final postseason prep

    The Phillies dropped two of three in their weekend series to the Diamondbacks down in Arizona, which Sunday’s finale made quickly apparent when they fell into a hole of a 9-2 final.

    Arizona lefty Eduardo Rodriguez tossed six shutout innings on 93 pitches, while Ranger Suárez had a rough day on the mound because of a blow-up second inning that did him and the Phillies in fast. Suárez received the losing decision and dropped to 12-7 after getting tagged for six runs and lasting just four innings.

    It’s hard to get too up in arms about it, though. 

    The Phillies’ postseason ticket is punched. They’ve already won the NL East, and if they can just stay the course at minimum for the last six games coming home, they should outlast even a crazy surge from the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the postseason bracket (which is boosted by having the tiebreaker over L.A., too). 

    They’re October-bound, their roster for it looks mostly set, and they appear on track to getting healthier right before. 

    At 92-64, they’re in good shape. It’s just a matter of putting those finishing touches on to clinch that vital bye into the NLDS, and clear up those last couple of lingering questions. 

    The remaining six games against the Marlins and then the Twins coming home to Citizens Bank Park to close out should be more than enough runway for it. 

    Here are a few beats on how they’re looking coming back to South Philly for the last handful of games in the regular season…

    • Alec Bohm returned on Friday night, and in a big way. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the second, then a two-run single in the ninth for the Phillies’ 8-2 pile on in Game 1. He went 2-for-4 with a fourth-inning solo homer in Saturday night’s Game 2 loss, and went 4-for-4 with a walk in Sunday’s overall whimper of a finale. 

    It’s been a rocky, somewhat injury-plagued season for Bohm, but the Phillies’ best chance in October is with him at third. The same goes for Trea Turner at shortstop and at the top of the order, where he should be able to return from a Grade 1 hamstring strain before it’s playoff time. 

    Having Edmundo Sosa as that ever-versatile and dependable bench bat is a boost, too, but his stint on the 10-day Injured List ahead of the postseason seemed more like a precautionary measure than anything. If anyone needed time to heal up, these last couple of weeks were when to do it.

    • The Phillies are going to be lefty-heavy heading into the postseason with Cristopher Sánchez, Suárez, and Jesús Luzardo as the leading three in their rotation. 

    Suárez ran into trouble on Sunday, but has an overall body of work this season that points to the idea that he won’t have any trouble bouncing back from it.

    But as far as any right-handed depth goes, well, Aaron Nola’s turn was up Saturday. He got through five innings to maintain a 3-2 lead, then the sixth struck, the signs showed, and Blaze Alexander and James McCann hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game before Nola was pulled. The winning run at second for Arizona was surrendered by Tanner Banks two at-bats later, but was still charged to Nola.

    Was it the veteran right-hander’s worst start? No, but it wasn’t anything more encouraging either, because it was another scenario where fans watching were fearfully just waiting for the bottom to fall out. 

    Nola’s 4-10 and his ERA is at 6.46 in what’s just been a brutal year for a longtime face of the club. It’s a tough argument to say he should be trusted with a start in the postseason.

    The other righty option that might be under consideration, though, is interesting. Taijuan Walker started through four decent innings on Friday night, then essentially handed the ball over to Walker Buehler in a long reliever transition. They combined for 7.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing seven hits, a walk, and two earned runs (both from Taijuan in the first). 

    Maybe that hybrid sort of bullpen game is a way to catch opponents off-guard when a series pushes later into a Game 4 or 5 or 6.

    • Arizona taking the series does play into the Wild Card picture. As of Sunday night, the Diamondbacks’ consecutive wins over the Phils are keeping them afloat and just a game out from the third and final spot behind the Reds and Mets. 

    Obviously, there are scars for fans from the 2023 NLCS with Arizona, but there are even fresher ones from last year’s NLDS against New York, along with the longstanding and heated rivalry. 

    Even if the Phillies’ work ahead of their postseason run is about 95 percent done, there’s still some intrigue for fans, rivalry-wise, on that last push coming down the stretch.

    The Mets, by the way, dropped two straight to the basement-dwelling Nationals and are 4-6 in their last 10.

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    Nick Tricome

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  • Minnesota Twins edge Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8; Clemens hits 3 homers




































    WCCO digital update: Afternoon of Sept. 12, 2025



    WCCO digital update: Afternoon of Sept. 12, 2025

    02:56

    Kody Clemens hit his third homer of the game to start a ninth-inning rally, Luke Keaschall ended it with a sacrifice fly and the Minnesota Twins edged the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8 on Friday night.

    After Minnesota scored four runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 lead, Clemens homered off Jake Woodford (0-4) to cut it to one. The son of former major league pitching star Roger Clemens, the 29-year-old Clemens has 19 homers this season.

    Woodford then loaded the bases and was relieved by Andrew Saalfrank, who walked in a run to tie it, then allowed the sacrifice fly to Keaschall that scored Byron Buxton.

    Gabriel Moreno hit a three-run homer in the ninth for Arizona. Geraldo Perdomo had a two-run shot for the Diamondbacks in the seventh. The star shortstop has 19 homers and 95 RBIs.

    Clemens hit a solo shot in the third and gave the Twins a 4-1 lead in the fourth with a two-run shot.

    Cole Sands (4-4) got the victory after blowing a save in the ninth.

    Key moment

    Clemens’ third home run sparked the Twins’ comeback.

    Key stat

    The Twins are tied for the MLB lead with 10th walk-off victories.

    Up next

    Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.48 ERA) was set to oppose RHP Joe Ryan (13-8, 3.32) on Saturday night.

    CBS Minnesota

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  • Top 45 MLB free agents for 2024-25 with contract predictions, team fits: Will Soto get $600M+?

    Top 45 MLB free agents for 2024-25 with contract predictions, team fits: Will Soto get $600M+?

    MLB free agency is almost here so it’s time for my annual ranking of the top free agents with contract predictions and the best team fits for each player. Eligible players technically become free agents the day after the World Series ends but cannot sign with a new team until five days after the final out.

    This year’s free-agent class will be headlined by Juan Soto, whom many in the industry expect to sign a contract in the $550 million to $650 million range. The top of the pool could feature four front-of-the-rotation pitchers, including Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried and perhaps even Roki Sasaki, if the soon-to-be 23-year-old phenom makes it to free agency. In terms of position players, this class will have a pair of prominent power hitters in first baseman Pete Alonso and right fielder Anthony Santander and a couple of impact two-way corner infielders in first baseman Christian Walker and third baseman Alex Bregman.

    This list will change between now and the start of free agency. Some of these players will come off the board if they decide not to opt out of their contracts or their clubs exercise options. Some could decide to retire. In addition, more international players could join the eventual class. (For this ranking, I’ve included any player who could reach free agency this November, even if in some cases that outcome is unlikely.)

    Along with my colleagues at The Athletic, I will be actively covering free agency and the trade season from start to finish, so let’s discuss the current landscape. Here is my ranking of the top 45 free agents for the 2024-25 offseason, with my thoughts on the players as well as information from my conversations with decision-makers across the game. What types of contracts could these players command? These are my initial projections.

    (Note: Players’ ages are as of Oct. 24. WAR is according to Baseball Reference as of Oct. 24.) 

    1. Juan Soto, OF

    Age: 25
    B: L T: L HT: 6-2 WT: 225
    2024 (Yankees): 7.9 WAR
    Career: 36.4 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $31 million

    Has Juan Soto found his permanent home with the Yankees? Can they keep him after a strong platform year? He certainly lived up to expectations in his first year in the Bronx, slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and a league-leading 128 runs scored. He’s expected to finish third in the American League MVP voting behind Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. He’s met the big moments in this postseason and has logged a 1.106 OPS.

    By all indications, he’s poised to become the second-highest-paid player in baseball history, behind only Shohei Ohtani. He’s a generational talent who will hit free agency at only 26 and should be able to land a 15-year deal. Most executives believe he’ll end up somewhere between $550 million and $650 million, which will probably limit his market to both New York teams and possibly the Blue Jays. Other teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers and Nationals also could emerge for Soto.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays
    Salary comps: Ohtani (10 years, $700M); Mike Trout (12 years, $426M); Mookie Betts (12 years, $365M); Judge (9 years, $360M)

    Contract prediction: 15 years, $622 million

    2. Corbin Burnes, RHP

    Age: 29
    HT: 6-3 WT: 245
    2024 (Orioles): 3.4 WAR
    Career: 17.2 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $15.64 million

    This will be the fifth consecutive year that Corbin Burnes finishes in the top eight in Cy Young Award voting. Burnes went 15-9 with 181 strikeouts and 1.096 WHIP in his first season in the American League after the Orioles traded for him in February. He’s pitched more than 190 innings three years in a row and is 60-36 with a 3.19 ERA over 199 games (138 starts) in his career. He will be — and should be — the most sought-after free-agent pitcher this offseason.

    Best team fits: Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles
    Salary comps: Stephen Strasburg (7 years, $245M); Jacob deGrom (5 years, $185M); Aaron Nola (7 years, $172M)

    Contract prediction: 7 years, $247 million

    3. Roki Sasaki, RHP

    Age: 22
    HT: 6-2 WT: 187

    It is unclear if Roki Sasaki’s team in Japan, the Chiba Lotte Marines, will allow him to leave for MLB this offseason, but with the Marines out of the NPB playoffs, we should know soon. If he is coming, he will be the most coveted international free agent as the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and Diamondbacks all committed significant resources to scout him this month, including sending top executives to see him pitch.

    How much teams would be willing to offer Sasaki could depend on his medical reports as he didn’t pitch for two months in the middle of the year because of arm troubles, which limited him to 18 games and 111 innings. (He pitched just 91 innings in 2023 due to an oblique injury and has topped the 100-inning mark only once in his career.)

    However, he dominated down the stretch this season, averaging 100.5 mph with his fastball and reaching 103 mph. Since Sasaki is under 25, he would be subject to international bonus pool restrictions; if he’s posted after this season, he’d only be allowed to sign a minor-league contract, which is what Ohtani did with the Angels in 2017.

    Best team fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Diamondbacks, Red Sox
    Salary comps: None

    Contract prediction: Minor-league contract

    4. Gerrit Cole, RHP

    Age: 34
    HT: 6-4 WT: 220
    2024 (Yankees): 2.0 WAR
    Career: 43.3 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $36 million

    Gerrit Cole will not be a free agent this offseason, but I’ve included him in this list because he has the right to opt out of his contract and could theoretically reach the open market. That won’t happen though, as he’s in line to make $36 million a year with the Yankees through 2028, which he could not match in free agency.

    Cole spent 2 1/2 months on the injured list and is not fully back to his usual level of performance but seems to be getting better the more he pitches. His four-seam fastball was at 97 mph in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ clinching win over Kansas City in the Division Series, with elite spin at the top of the zone. Cole will start Game 1 of the World Series, and although I don’t expect him to dominate, he should pitch well enough to give the Yankees a chance to win.

    Prediction: Cole won’t opt out of his contract


    Max Fried acknowledges the fans at Truist Park. Will he be back with the Braves? (Brett Davis / Imagn Images)

    5. Max Fried, LHP

    Age: 30
    HT: 6-4 WT: 190
    2024 (Braves): 3.5 WAR
    Career: 24.1 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $15 million

    Max Fried has a career record of 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA and 3.29 FIP. He’s made two All-Star teams, won two Gold Glove awards and finished top-five in the Cy Young Award voting twice. He’s made 28 to 30 starts in three of the last four seasons but has dealt with injuries, including left forearm neuritis each of the last two years. Therefore, his medical reports will determine whether he lands a market-rate deal or has to take a lesser contract. The Braves have tried over the last several years to extend Fried to no avail. They’ll keep trying this offseason and wait to see how he fares in the market, but they definitely want him back.

    Best team fits: Braves, Orioles, Mets, Red Sox
    Salary comps: Aaron Nola (7 years, $172M); Carlos Rodón (6 years, $162M); Patrick Corbin (6 years, $140M); Tyler Glasnow (5 years, $136.5M)

    Contract prediction: 6 years, $174 million

    6. Pete Alonso, 1B

    Age: 29
    B: R T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 245
    2024 (Mets): 2.6 WAR
    Career: 19.8 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $20.5 million

    Pete Alonso’s value spiked after he performed this postseason in the biggest moments, including hitting three opposite-field home runs during the Mets’ magical run. He’s beloved in New York and the feeling is mutual. I think a return to the Mets is inevitable, but several contending teams would love to have his 40-homer bat in the middle of their lineups.

    Best team fits: Mets, Mariners, Yankees, Nationals
    Salary comps: Matt Olson (8 years, $168M); Nolan Arenado (8 years, $260M); Kris Bryant (7 years, $182M)

    Contract prediction: 7 years, $204 million

    7. Alex Bregman, 3B

    Age: 30
    B: R T: R HT: 6-0 WT: 190
    2024 (Astros) 4.1 WAR
    Career: 39.6 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $20 million

    Alex Bregman would love to finish his career as an Astro, but will the organization do enough to keep him? Houston has a history in free agency of saying goodbye to its star players, such as Carlos Correa and George Springer, who both departed when the Astros weren’t willing to commit to the long-term contracts they could land elsewhere.

    Bregman is a proven leader with elite skills in not chasing out of the strike zone. He has all the intangibles that winning organizations want. His market range is well-defined — somewhere between what the Giants gave Matt Chapman last month and Nolan Arenado’s contract with the Rockies/Cardinals. Astros general manager Dana Brown has said the team will make Bregman an offer, but will it be close to how the rest of the industry views him?

    Best team fits: Astros, Yankees, Nationals, Mariners, Tigers
    Salary comps: Matt Chapman (6 years, $151M); Nolan Arenado (8 years, $260M); Xander Bogaerts (11 years, $280M)

    Contract prediction: 7 years, $185.5 million

    8. Blake Snell, LHP

    Age: 31
    HT: 6-4 WT: 225
    2024 (Giants): 2.1 WAR
    Career: 23.4 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $32 million

    Snell was looking for a long-term contract last offseason, but most executives were concerned about his track record, which includes making 30 or more starts only twice in a nine-year career and never pitching more than 180 2/3 innings in a season. However, in the two years he did make 30 starts (2018, 2023), he won a Cy Young Award both times.

    This year he dealt with injuries early but performed well after returning in July; he finished with a 3.12 ERA and 2.43 FIP over 20 starts. Snell will pitch at age 32 next year and I think his lack of durability — he’s pitched more than 130 innings in a season only once since 2018 — will again prevent him from getting a long-term contract. However, after opting out of his $30 million player option, he’ll be able to sign a better deal.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Orioles, Mets, Braves, Giants
    Salary comps: Aaron Nola (7 years, $172M); Carlos Rodón (6 years, $162M); Patrick Corbin (6 years, $140M); Tyler Glasnow (5 years, $136.5M); José Berríos (7 years, $131M); Sonny Gray (3 years, $75M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $105 million

    9. Freddy Peralta, RHP

    Age: 28
    HT: 6-0 WT: 202
    2024 (Brewers): 2.6 WAR
    Career: 8.9 WAR
    Agent: Rep 1 Baseball 2024 salary: $5.7 million

    Freddy Peralta will not make it to free agency but I’ll include him in this list until the Brewers exercise their $8 million team option for 2025. Peralta pitched to a 3.68 ERA over 32 starts this season, with 200 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings. Milwaukee also holds an $8 million team option for 2026.

    Prediction: Brewers will exercise $8 million team option for 2025


    Anthony Santander hit 44 homers, finishing behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani on the major-league leaderboard. (Tommy Gilligan / Imagn Images)

    10. Anthony Santander, RF

    Age: 30
    B: B T: R HT: 6-2 WT: 230
    2024 (Orioles): 2.9 WAR
    Career: 11.1 WAR
    Agent: GSE Worldwide 2024 salary: $11.7 million

    A lot of teams are looking for corner outfielders with power and there won’t be a lot of those players available via free agency or trades. This season Santander had 44 home runs, 102 RBIs and 91 runs scored, all of which were career highs. He’s hit 105 homers over the past three seasons and is still only 30.

    Best team fits: Orioles, Nationals, Reds, Blue Jays, Mariners
    Salary comps: Brandon Nimmo (8 years, $162M); George Springer (6 years, $150M)

    Contract prediction: 7 years, $150.5 million

    11. Willy Adames, SS

    Age: 29
    B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 219
    2024 (Brewers): 3.1 WAR
    Career: 21.5
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $12.25 million

    I expected Willy Adames to be traded to the Dodgers after Corey Seager departed as a free agent in 2021, but it never happened because the Brewers remained a contender and never made him available. With Adames now reaching free agency, the Dodgers should be viewed as heavy favorites to land him. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had Adames in his organization for a couple of years when he was GM of the Rays and has always been a big fan of the player. Adames is a perfect fit for the left side of the Dodgers’ infield.

    Best team fits: Dodgers, Brewers, Braves
    Salary comps: Dansby Swanson (7 years, $177M); Javier Báez (6 years, $140M); Trevor Story (6 years, $140M)

    Contract prediction: 6 years, $150 million

    12. Marcell Ozuna, DH

    Age: 33
    B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 225
    2024 (Braves): 4.3 WAR
    Career: 27.7 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $18 million

    Marcell Ozuna was the Braves’ best offensive player this season, slashing .302/.378/.546 with 31 doubles and 39 home runs, and was the league’s second-best designated hitter behind Ohtani. The Braves hold a club option for $16 million for 2025 and they’re expected to exercise it, which will remove Ozuna from my next ranking.

    Prediction: Braves will exercise $16 million club option for 2025

    13. Christian Walker, 1B

    Age: 33
    B: R T: R HT: 6-0 WT: 208
    2024 (Diamondbacks): 2.6
    Career: 15.1 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $10.9 million

    Christian Walker is one of the best first basemen in the sport. Despite his years of production, he’s never made an All-Star team; I thought he was the biggest All-Star snub this summer. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner is in line to win his third after leading NL first basemen in outs above average.

    Despite missing more than a month with an oblique injury, he finished the season with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs in 130 games. It was the third year in a row he’s hit at least 25 bombs and posted an OPS+ over 120. Several teams have early interest in Walker, with the Astros and Mariners being the best early team fits.

    Best team fits: Astros, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Mets
    Salary comps: Paul Goldschmidt (5 years, $130M); Anthony Rizzo (2 years, $40M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $72 million

    14. Cody Bellinger, CF

    Age: 29
    B: L T: L HT: 6-4 WT: 203
    2024 (Cubs): 2.2 WAR
    Career: 24.5 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $30 million

    Cody Bellinger didn’t get the long-term deal he sought last offseason and again will probably have to take a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value if he opts out of his three-year deal. The reason: He’s hit 20 or more home runs only once in five years and his production varies dramatically from year to year.

    Bellinger has won an MVP, a Rookie of the Year, two Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove Award and has been an All-Star twice in his eight-year career. However, his slash line over the past three seasons has been a roller coaster ride, which makes it difficult for teams to assess which version they would be getting in the coming years. Bellinger’s ability to play above-average defense at all three outfield positions and first base improves his market value.

    Best team fits: Cubs, Mariners, Giants, Blue Jays, Angels, Astros, Pirates, Phillies, Nationals
    Salary comps: Brandon Nimmo (8 years, $162M); George Springer (5 years, $150M); Paul Goldschmidt (5 years, $130M); Nick Castellanos (5 years, $100M); Kyle Schwarber (4 years, $79M)

    Contract prediction: 4 years, $112 million

    15. Shane Bieber, RHP

    Age: 29
    HT: 6-3 WT: 200
    2024 (Guardians): 0.7 WAR
    Career: 17.7 WAR
    Agent: Rosenhaus Sports Representation 2024 salary: $13.13 million

    Shane Bieber will likely be my pick for best value signing this offseason because of his upside. The AL Cy Young Award winner in 2020, he finished fourth in the voting in 2019 and seventh in 2022. He’s a two-time All-Star and a former Gold Glove winner.

    He made only two starts this year before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which will put him out of service until at least next summer. However, if he comes back healthy, whoever signs him might have a Cy Young-caliber pitcher for the second half of the season.

    Best team fits: Dodgers, Rangers, Guardians, Padres
    Salary comps: N/A. I don’t see a good comp for Bieber in his specific situation.

    Contract prediction: Low base salary with incentives for games started and innings pitched, plus option years


    Sean Manaea boosted his value with a career year. (Brad Penner / Imagn Images)

    16. Sean Manaea, LHP

    Age: 32
    HT: 6-5 WT: 245
    2024 (Mets): 3.0 WAR
    Career: 15.1 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $14.5 million

    I don’t think there’s another player who increased his free-agent value more this year than Sean Manaea, who did so thanks to significant mechanical changes that led to a crossfire-type delivery. Manaea went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings. He had a .185 batting average against and 0.938 WHIP in the second half of the season, then largely pitched well in three of his four postseason outings, including a dominant NLDS start against the Phillies in which he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. He has a $13.5 million player option for 2025 that he will decline.

    Best team fits: Mets, Orioles, Twins
    Salary comps: Hyun Jin Ryu (4 years, $80M); Eduardo Rodriguez (4 years, $80M); Sonny Gray (3 years, $75M); Chris Bassitt (3 years, $63M); Miles Mikolas (3 years, $55.75M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $68 million

    17. Jack Flaherty, RHP

    Age: 29
    HT: 6-4 WT: 225
    2024 (Tigers, Dodgers): 3.1 WAR
    Career: 13.2 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $14 million

    Jack Flaherty was the best starting pitcher traded at the deadline after logging a 2.95 ERA with 133 strikeouts and 19 walks in 18 starts for the Tigers, who dealt him because he was an impending free agent and they didn’t think they were a contender. (What a run they had!)

    The Tigers had a preliminary trade agreement in place with the Yankees, but New York backed out of the deal over concerns about his medical records. Flaherty was then traded to the Dodgers, who had no problem with the medical risk. He delivered for the Dodgers and was their best starter for the rest of the regular season, going 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts.

    He showed his ability to miss bats this season with 194 strikeouts (in 162 innings), his highest total since 2019, when he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He’s only 29. If teams aren’t concerned about the medical risk associated with his back issues, he should land a three-year pact.

    Best team fits: Dodgers, Mets, Twins, Tigers
    Salary comps: Lance McCullers Jr. (5 years, $85M); Mitch Keller (5 years, $77M); Sonny Gray (3 years, $75M); Pablo López (4 years, $73.5M); Kyle Hendricks (4 years, $55.5M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $68 million

    18. Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP

    Age: 35
    HT: 6-1 WT: 198

    Tomoyuki Sugano has gone 136-75 with a 2.45 ERA and 1,596 strikeouts in 12 NPB seasons with the Yomiuri Giants. This year he logged a 1.67 ERA and 0.945 WHIP in 24 starts. He is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award, which in Japan is equivalent to the Cy Young Award. Sugano has a six-pitch mix and he pounds the strike zone with elite command and control.

    Best team fits: Padres, Rangers, Dodgers, Orioles, Guardians, Mets
    Salary comps: N/A

    Contract prediction: None at this time

    19. Michael Wacha, RHP

    Age: 33
    HT: 6-6 WT: 215
    2024 (Royals): 3.5 WAR
    Career: 16.6 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $16 million

    Michael Wacha has been superb and consistent over the past three years, posting ERAs between 3.22 and 3.35 with double-digit wins each season, all while pitching on short-term contracts. His downward plane and changeup (.169 batting average against) are special. He ranked in the 99th percentile in offspeed run value and in the 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate. Wacha has a $16 million player option for 2025 that I expect he’ll decline so he can enter free agency and land a multiyear contract.

    Best team fits: Royals, Pirates, Orioles, Twins, Tigers
    Salary comps: Jameson Taillon (4 years, $68M); Miles Mikolas (3 years, $55.75M); Jon Gray (4 years, $56M); Chris Bassitt (3 years, $63M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $54 million

    20. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP

    Age: 34
    HT: 6-2 WT: 217
    2024 (Rangers): 2.2 WAR
    Career: 21.0 WAR
    Agent: ACES 2024 salary: $16 million ($20 million player option for 2025)

    Nathan Eovaldi had a 3.80 ERA over 29 starts and recorded 12 wins for the second consecutive season with the Rangers. He is expected to opt out of his contract, which was set to pay him $20 million in 2025, and instead will receive a $2 million buyout. I think he’ll get a two-year contract in free agency. Every contending team should be interested in him.

    Best team fits: Rangers, Red Sox, Orioles, Padres
    Salary comps: Sonny Gray (3 years, $75M); Blake Snell (2 years, $62M); Seth Lugo (3 years, $45M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $42 million with a team option


    Teoscar Hernández posted a 137 OPS+, his highest mark in a full season. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)

    21. Teoscar Hernández, LF

    Age: 32
    B: R T: R HT: 6-2 WT: 215
    2024 (Dodgers): 4.3 WAR
    Career: 17.1 WAR
    Agent: Republik Sports 2024 salary: $23.5 million

    Teoscar Hernández made a smart move last offseason in signing with the Dodgers. He accepted a one-year deal with a high AAV and got to join a loaded lineup filled with future Hall of Famers. Hernández then did what he does best — hit home runs, a career-high 33 of them, to go with 99 RBIs. He’s a below-average defender in left field but a strong clubhouse presence with his energy and enthusiasm.

    Best team fit: Dodgers, Nationals, Tigers, Royals
    Salary comps: George Springer (6 years, $150M); Nick Castellanos (5 years, $100M); Starling Marte (4 years, $78M); Jorge Soler (3 years, $42M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $75 million

    22. Walker Buehler, RHP

    Age: 30
    HT: 6-2 WT: 185
    2024 (Dodgers): -1.3 WAR
    Career: 12.2 WAR
    Agent: Excel Sports Management 2024 salary: $8.025 million

    The way Walker Buehler pitched for much of the regular season (1-6, 5.38 ERA), it didn’t appear he would regain his past form after returning from a second Tommy John surgery. But he made a big impression in Game 3 of the NLCS, when he dominated the Mets over four shutout innings. Buehler will probably have to sign a one-year contract with a mutual option, then show he can pitch a full season healthy and rebuild his value.

    Best team fit: Dodgers
    Salary comps: None

    Contract prediction: 1 year, $10 million with incentives

    23. Tanner Scott, LHP

    Age: 30
    HT: 6-0 WT: 235
    2024 (Marlins, Padres): 3.9 WAR
    Career: 8.6 WAR
    Agent: MVP Sports Group 2024 salary: $5.7 million

    Tanner Scott will be the best left-handed high-leverage reliever on the free-agent market. He can be deployed at any time and in any role — closer, set up, match up — to get left- or right-handed hitters out. He had a banner year, registering a 1.75 ERA in 72 appearances with 22 saves. Batters hit .134 against his four-seam fastball and .231 against his wipeout slider.

    Best team fits: Padres, Orioles, Rangers, Tigers, Royals, Nationals, Giants
    Salary comps: Raisel Iglesias (4 years, $58M); Robert Suarez (5 years, $46M)

    Contract prediction: 4 years, $60 million

    24. Jurickson Profar, LF

    Age: 31
    B: B T: R HT: 6-0 WT: 184
    2024 (Padres): 3.7 WAR
    Career: 8.5 WAR
    Agent: MVP Sports Group 2024 salary: $1 million

    Jurickson Profar was one of the best value signings of the 2023-24 offseason. He inked a one-year contract with the Padres for a base salary of $1 million, then had a career year, finishing second in the NL with a .380 on-base percentage. He hit .280 with 24 home runs, 29 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He also made his first All-Star team. A multiyear deal awaits.

    Best team fits: Padres, Twins
    Salary comps: Mitch Haniger (3 years, $43.5M); Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (3 years, $42M); Michael Conforto (2 years, $36M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $44 million

    25. Eugenio Suárez, 3B

    Age: 33
    B: R T: R HT: 5-11 WT: 213
    2024 (Diamondbacks) 3.1 WAR
    Career: 23.6 WAR
    Agent: Octagon 2024 salary: $11.285 million

    The Diamondbacks acquired Eugenio Suárez from Seattle last offseason in hopes of improving their power. Suárez certainly delivered with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. He finished in the 96th percentile in sweet spot percentage and played solid defense at the hot corner, finishing in the 82nd percentile in range (outs above average). The Diamondbacks hold a $15 million option for 2025 ($2 million buyout) that they’ll likely pick up.

    Best team fits: Diamondbacks, Blue Jays
    Salary comps: Matt Chapman (6 years, $151M); Chris Taylor (4 years, $60M); Max Muncy (2 years, $24M)

    Contract prediction: Diamondbacks exercise $15 million team option for 2025

    26. Jordan Montgomery, LHP

    Age: 31
    HT: 6-6 WT: 228
    War: -1.4
    Career: 11.2 WAR
    Agent: Wasserman 2024 salary: $25 million

    Jordan Montgomery ended up being the worst free-agent signing of last year’s class. He turned down a four-year offer from the Red Sox, instead agreeing to a one-year, $25 million deal with the Diamondbacks that included a $22.5 million player option for 2025. He had a disastrous year.

    He went 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA and averaged just 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings, the worst rate of his eight-year career. Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick publicly said he hopes Montgomery doesn’t exercise his player option, but the lefty has little choice as no team would offer him a similar contract in free agency this offseason.

    Best team fits: Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, Nationals
    Salary comps: None

    Prediction: Montgomery exercises 22.5 million player option and then the Diamondbacks try to trade him

    27. Ha-Seong Kim, SS

    Age: 28
    B: R T: R HT: 5-9 WT: 168
    2024 (Padres): 2.6 WAR
    Career: 15.3 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $8 million

    Ha-Seong Kim underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in September to repair a “small tear” in the labrum of his right (throwing) shoulder. He sustained the injury Aug. 18 while diving back to first base on a pick-off play. This season manager Mike Shildt moved Kim from second base, where he won a Gold Glove Award last year, to shortstop, which was a significant defensive upgrade for the Padres. However, Kim hit just .233 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases before going on the injured list. He might have to sign a “pillow contract” to show he’s recovered from the injury, then produce like he did in 2023, when he hit 17 home runs and stole 38 bases.

    Best team fits: Padres, Brewers, Dodgers, Pirates
    Salary comps: J.P. Crawford (5 years, $51M); Jeff McNeil (4 years, $50M); Nico Hoerner (3 years, $35M); Orlando Arcia (3 years, $7.3M)

    Contract prediction: 1 year, $10 million with incentives and award bonuses

    28. Gleyber Torres, 2B

    Age: 27
    B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 205
    2024 (Yankees): 1.8 WAR
    Career: 16.1 WAR
    Agent: Octagon 2024 salary: $14.2 million

    Gleyber Torres has wanted to sign a long-term contract with the Yankees but there have never been serious negotiations to keep him in the Bronx for years to come. He is a below-average defender at second base with limited range. He hit .257 with 15 home runs and a 101 OPS+ on the season but batted over .300 when he was moved to the leadoff spot in September and has performed in October, slashing .297/.400/.432 in the playoffs.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Mariners, Blue Jays, Marlins
    Salary comps: Jeff McNeil (4 years, $50M); Nico Hoerner (3 years, $35M); J.P. Crawford (5 years, $51M)

    Contract prediction: 4 years, $44 million


    Tyler O’Neill is coming off his best season since 2021. (Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)

    29. Tyler O’Neill, OF

    Age: 29
    B: R T: R HT: 5-11 WT: 200
    2024 (Red Sox): 2.7 WAR
    Career: 12.6
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $5.85 million

    Tyler O’Neill is like Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger — when he can stay healthy and play up to his potential, he delivers. This year he slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 home runs in 113 games. However, it was only the second somewhat healthy successful season of his seven-year career — his last one was in 2021 when he hit 34 home runs with the Cardinals, finished eighth in NL MVP voting and won his second Gold Glove Award.

    O’Neill had multiple stints on the injured list this year and has played more than 100 games only twice. Despite coming off a productive season, that lack of availability will force him to sign another short-term contract.

    Best team fit: Red Sox
    Salary comps: Starling Marte (4 years, $78M); Andrew Benintendi (5 years, $75M); Ian Happ (3 years, $61M); Jorge Soler (3 years, 42M); Michael Conforto (2 years, $36M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $32 million

    30. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP

    Age: 33
    HT: 6-0 WT: 210
    2024 (Blue Jays, Astros): 1.4 WAR
    Career: 4.1
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $10 million

    Yusei Kikuchi was 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA over 22 starts with the Blue Jays, who dealt him to Houston at the trade deadline. The Astros quickly changed his pitch sequencing and usage and the results were astounding — he went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 3.07 FIP over 10 starts (60 innings). Kikuchi would be smart to re-sign with the Astros and the feeling should be mutual based on his results and the prospect package they traded to land him.

    Best team fits: Astros, Orioles, Tigers, Twins
    Salary comps: Chris Bassitt (3 years, $63.3 million; Miles Mikolas (3 years $55.75M); Seth Lugo (3 years; $45M); Tyler Anderson (3 years; $39M); Nathan Eovaldi (2 years, $34M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $42 million

    31. Brandon Lowe, 2B

    Age: 30
    B: L T: R HT: 5-10 WT: 185
    2024 (Rays): 2.4 WAR
    Career: 16.0 WAR
    Agent: The Bledsoe Agency 2024 salary: $8.75 million

    Brandon Lowe is another player who just can’t stay off the injured list; he’s played more than 110 games just once in his seven-year career and has averaged 108 games over the last two years. However, his power has been consistent during that span as he hit 21 homers in both years.

    He’s only 30, and if he can stay healthy, his power plays, as it did in 2021 when he hit 39 home runs. He finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting in 2020 and 2021 so there’s no denying his potential.

    Tampa Bay holds a $10.5 million team option for 2025 ($1 million buyout) and an $11.5 million option ($500,000 buyout) for 2026. The Rays could certainly pick up the option, but if they don’t, Lowe could be a smart high-risk, high-reward type signing this winter.

    Best team fits: Rays, Yankees, Mariners, White Sox, Blue Jays
    Salary comps: Jeff McNeil (4 years, $50M); Brandon Drury (2 years, $17M); Jorge Polanco (5 years, $25.75M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $24 million

    32. Nick Martinez, RHP

    Age: 34
    HT: 6-1 WT: 201
    2024 (Reds) War: 4.0 WAR
    Career: 8.7 WAR
    Agent: RMG Baseball 2024 salary: $14 million

    Nick Martinez continues to improve and should land a three-year contract as a free agent this winter. He’s coming off a career-best year after going 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances. Martinez hopes to become a full-time starter with his next team and he deserves that opportunity. He has posted an ERA below 3.50 in each of the past three seasons.

    Best team fits: Reds, Padres, Tigers, Orioles, Twins, Red Sox
    Salary comps: Seth Lugo (3 years, $45M); Tyler Anderson (3 years, $39M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $40 million

    33. Charlie Morton, RHP

    Age: 40
    HT: 6-5 WT: 214
    2024 (Braves): 1.1 WAR
    Career: 17.3 WAR
    Agent: Wasserman 2024 salary: $20 million

    Charlie Morton is Mr. Consistency. In 2024 he reached the 30-starts mark for the sixth straight season. He posted a 4.19 ERA with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s weighed retirement in recent offseasons, will turn 41 in November and despite another solid season, the consensus around the Braves is that he will call it a career. But if he decides to return for his 18th major-league season, a one-year contract with Atlanta similar to his recent deals could work for both sides.

    Best team fit: Braves
    Salary comps: Frankie Montas, (1 year, $16M)

    Contract prediction: 1 year, $20 million

    34. Joc Pederson, OF/DH

    Age: 32
    B: L T: L HT: 6-1 WT: 220
    2024 (Diamondbacks): 2.9 WAR
    Career: 15.1 WAR
    Agent: Excel Sports Management 2024 salary: $12.5 million

    Joc Pederson embraces his platoon role, excelling against right-handed pitching with an impressive .275/.392/.531 slash line and 22 homers in 407 plate appearances this season with the Diamondbacks. He has a $14 million mutual option for 2025 with a $3 million buyout, and I think it makes sense for him to take the buyout and try to sign a two-year deal on the open market.

    Best team fit: Diamondbacks, Reds, Rockies
    Salary comps: Rhys Hoskins (2 years, $34M); Mitch Garver (2 years, $24M); Justin Turner (1 year, $13M); J.D. Martinez (1 year, $12M); Charlie Blackmon (1 year, $13M

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $26 million


    Carlos Estévez (Gregory Fisher / Imagn Images)

    35. Carlos Estévez, RHP

    Age: 31
    HT: 6-6 WT: 275
    2024 (Angels, Phillies): 2.1 WAR
    Career: 4.8 WAR
    Agent: Premier Talent Sports and Entertainment 2024 salary: $6.75 million

    Carlos Estévez had a strong free-agent walk year, posting a 2.38 ERA with the Angels before being traded at the deadline to Philadelphia, where he put up a 2.57 ERA over 20 games. He finished the season with 26 saves and 0.909 WHIP, but also averaged 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest rate of his career.

    Estévez has 82 career saves and will generate plenty of interest from teams looking for high-leverage relievers. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said it’s unlikely the club will bring back both Estévez and Jeff Hoffman, who is ranked 43rd on this list.

    Best team fits: Phillies, Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Pirates
    Salary comps: Kendall Graveman (3 years, $24M); José Alvarado (3 years, $22M); Joe Jiménez (3 years, $26M); Ryan Pressly (2 years, $30M); Taylor Rogers (3 years, $33M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $33 million

    36. Luis Severino, RHP

    Age: 30
    HT: 6-2 WT: 218
    2024 (Mets): 1.6 WAR
    Career: 13.4 WAR
    Agent: Rep 1 Baseball 2024 salary: $13 million

    Luis Severino had a strong comeback season, making more than 30 starts for the first time since 2018. He went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA over 31 starts and struck out 161 in 182 innings. The two-time All-Star also was solid in the postseason (3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings), which can only increase interest in free agency.

    Best team fits: Mets, Tigers, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox
    Salary comps: Chris Bassitt (3 years, $63M); Miles Mikolas (3 years, $55.75M); Seth Lugo (3 years, $45M); Zach Eflin (3 years, $40M); Lucas Gioloto (2 years, $38.5M); Marcus Stroman (2 years, $37M); Nathan Eovaldi (2 years, $34M); Reynaldo López, (3 years, $30M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $32 million

    37. Jose Quintana, LHP

    Age: 35
    HT: 6-1 WT: 220
    2024 (Mets): 2.5 WAR
    Career: 30.5
    Agent: Wasserman 2024 salary: $13 million

    Jose Quintana was brilliant in his first two starts of this postseason, adding, subtracting and hitting his spots; he allowed no earned runs in 11 combined innings against the Brewers and Phillies.

    The soft-tossing lefty pitched to a 3.75 ERA over 31 starts in the regular season, finishing in the 83rd percentile in overall pitching run value and in the 89th percentile in fastball run value. He has good late movement downward that leads to groundballs, ranking in the 79th percentile in ground-ball rate. Over his last 76 starts across three seasons, he has a combined ERA of under 3.50.

    Best team fits: Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Twins
    Salary comps: Tyler Anderson (3 years, $39M); Tyler Mahle (2 years, $22M); Sean Manaea (2 years, $28M); Michael Wacha (2 years, $32M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $28 million

    38. Blake Treinen, RHP

    Age: 36
    HT: 6-0 WT: 224
    2024 (Dodgers): 1.4 WAR
    Career: 12.4 WAR
    Agent: Apex Baseball 2024 salary: $1 million ($4.5M AAV for two-year, $9M deal)

    After missing most of 2022 and all of 2023 because of a torn capsule in his right shoulder that eventually required surgery, Blake Treinen miraculously returned this season as the dominant high-leverage reliever he was in 2021. His sinker is back to the mid-90s with serious drop, and his sweeper is a wipeout pitch that batters hit just .120 against. He posted a 1.93 ERA in 50 appearances.

    Best team fits: Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Cubs
    Salary comps: Emilio Pagán (2 years, $16M); Wandy Peralta, (2 years, $16.5M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $17 million

    39. Alex Verdugo, LF

    Age: 28
    B: L T: L HT: 6-0 WT: 210
    2024 (Yankees): 0.7 WAR
    Career: 11.8
    Agent: MVP Sports Group 2024 salary: $8.7 million

    Alex Verdugo is well-liked and respected by his teammates, brings high energy to the clubhouse, plays with an edge and is a solid defender in left field. Offensively, he had a down season, slashing just .233/.291/.356. His power is pretty consistent as he has provided between 11 and 13 home runs in the last five full seasons. He plays every day, never complains and is the definition of an average major-league player.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Twins, Athletics, Mariners
    Salary comps: Michael Conforto (2 years, $36M); Mark Canha (2 years, $26.5M); Manuel Margot (2 years, $19M); Hunter Renfroe (2 years, $13M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $26 million

    40. Jose Iglesias, 2B

    Age: 34
    B: R T: R HT: 5-11 WT: 195
    2024 (Mets): 3.1 WAR
    Career: 14.8 WAR
    Agent: MVP Sports 2024 salary: $983,871

    I’ll admit it: I love Jose Iglesias’ song “OMG.” And all I can say is OMG when it comes to his season, which put him in the conversation for NL Comeback Player of the Year, though the award will probably go to Chris Sale.

    After not playing in the majors in 2023, Iglesias signed a minor-league contract with the Mets but was their starting second baseman by the end of year, playing in more than half of their games and slashing an amazing .337/.381/.448 (137 OPS+) with 16 doubles. He impressed with his approach at the plate — going the other way and grinding throughout at-bats — and his elite defense in the middle of the infield. Iglesias would be a good pickup for several teams, but a reunion with the Mets just makes too much sense for all parties.

    Best team fit: Mets
    Salary comps: Brandon Drury (2 years, $17M); Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2 years, $15M); Miguel Rojas (2 years, $11M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $12 million


    Paul Goldschmidt (Gregory Fisher / Imagn Images)

    41. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

    Age: 37
    B: R T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 224
    2024 (Cardinals): 1.3 WAR
    Career: 62.8 WAR
    Agent: Excel Sports Management 2024 salary: $26 million

    Nothing in baseball makes me sadder than to watch superstar players significantly decline. Time is undefeated, but they want to keep playing because they can still contribute.

    In his prime, Paul Goldschmidt was the best first baseman in the sport. Just two years ago he was the NL MVP, leading the league with a .981 OPS. The seven-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and five-time Silver Slugger is obviously no longer at the level. His on-base percentage has plummeted over the past three years, from .404 to .363 to .302.

    He still played more than 150 games this season, which he’s done in nine consecutive full seasons, but perhaps it’s time to reduce that number and try to improve production with more rest and more time as a designated hitter. The Cardinals are not expected to re-sign Goldschmidt, and for the first time in his career, he needs to brace himself for a significant pay cut and a one-year deal.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Brewers
    Salary comps: Anthony Rizzo (2 years, $40M); Josh Bell (2 years, $33M)

    Contract prediction: 1 year, $15 million

    42. Rhys Hoskins, 1B/DH

    Age: 31
    B: R T: R HT: 6-4 WT: 240
    2024 (Brewers): -0.2 WAR
    Career: 11.0 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $16 million

    Rhys Hoskins held his own in his first year back from ACL surgery, providing much-needed power in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup. He slashed .214/.303/.419 with a career-low .722 OPS but did hit 26 homers and drive in 82 runs. I expect him to be a lot better next season, with the benefit of an extra year of recovery for his left knee.

    Hoskins signed a two-year, $34 million deal with Milwaukee last winter and can opt out after this season. He’ll need to sign another short-term contract to try to rebuild his value.

    Best team fits: Brewers, Mariners, Twins
    Salary comps: Anthony Rizzo (2 years, $40M); Josh Bell (2 years, $33M); Mitch Garver (2 years, $24M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $34 million

    43. Jeff Hoffman, RHP

    Age: 31
    HT: 6-5 WT: 235
    2024 (Phillies): 2.0 WAR
    Career: 3.5 WAR
    Agent: CAA Sports 2024 salary: $2.2 million

    Jeff Hoffman had the best year of his career, making the All-Star team and tallying a 2.17 ERA and 0.965 WHIP in 68 games. He struck out 89 in 66 1/3 innings (12.1 strikeouts per nine). However, he fared poorly in this postseason, allowing six runs in 1 1/3 innings over three games. The Phillies are unlikely to bring back both Hoffman and Carlos Estévez.

    Best team fits: Phillies, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, Royals, Giants
    Salary comps: Taylor Rogers (3 years, $33M); Joe Jiménez (3 years, $26M); Kendall Graveman (3 years, $24M); Emilio Pagán (2 years, $16M); Wandy Peralta (2 years, $16.5M); Matt Strahm (2 years, $15M); Chris Martin (2 years, $13.5M)

    Contract prediction: 3 years, $27 million

    44. Matthew Boyd, LHP

    Age: 33
    HT: 6-3 WT: 230
    2024 (Guardians): 0.7 WAR
    Career: 9.9 WAR
    Agent: Boras Corporation 2024 salary: $10 million

    Matthew Boyd really increased his value in the postseason as he logged a 0.77 ERA over three starts (11 2/3 innings). With a deceptive delivery and an arsenal that includes a fastball, changeup and slider, Boyd commands the strike zone well, adding and subtracting with unique shapes and sizes. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2023 but now looks healthy with a good mindset.

    Best team fits: Guardians, Tigers, Orioles, Padres, Braves, Red Sox
    Salary comps: Lance Lynn (1 year, $11M); Kyle Gibson (1 year, $13M)

    Contract prediction: 1 year, $10 million

    45. Clay Holmes, RHP

    Age: 31
    HT: 6-5 WT: 245
    2024 (Yankees): 0.7 WAR
    Career: 4.2 WAR
    Agent: Wasserman 2024 salary: $6 million

    Clay Holmes appeared in more than 60 games for the third consecutive season, posting 30 saves before losing the closer job in August to Luke Weaver. However, he rebounded near the end of the season and performed well in high-leverage spots in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. He allowed only one run in his final eight appearances of the regular season and finished with a 3.14 ERA.

    Best team fits: Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, Royals, Phillies
    Salary comps: Ryan Pressly (2 years, $30M); Taylor Rogers (3 years, $33M); Wandy Peralta (2 years, $16.5M)

    Contract prediction: 2 years, $18.5 million

    (Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photos: Corbin Burnes: G Fiume / Getty Images; Juan Soto: Mary DeCicco / MLB Photos / Getty Images; Pete Alonso: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos / Getty Images)

    The New York Times

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  • MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next season

    MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next season

    Major League Baseball announced Tuesday it will produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins next year. All three teams had contracts with Diamond Sports Group that expired at the end of the regular season.

    The Texas Rangers, whose deal also expired last month, also announced they will no longer be partnering with Diamond. They are assessing their options for next season.

    The addition of the Guardians, Brewers and Twins means MLB will be handling the production and distribution of at least six teams going into 2025.

    MLB took over broadcasts of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2023 season and the Colorado Rockies this year.

    Rick Schlesinger, the president of business operations for the Brewers, said he expects more teams could be partnering with MLB by the opening of next season.

    “This has been a long process. It’s a very deliberative process,” he said. “We’ve done this through a lot of work, a lot of analysis. I think this is going to be a huge game changer for us, for our content.”

    By taking over the broadcasts, MLB expects to increase the market reach of its teams by at least 2 million households in each market. The Diamondbacks went from being available in 930,000 households on a regional sports network to 5.6 million homes through a combination of being on local cable systems, satellite and direct-to-consumer streaming.

    “With the media landscape continuing to evolve, Major League Baseball is committed to serving our fans by ensuring they can see their favorite clubs, removing blackouts where we can, and ultimately growing the reach of our games,” Noah Garden, MLB deputy commissioner for business and media, said in a statement.

    The Twins took a public relations hit in Minnesota for cutting their 2024 player payroll coming off a division title and their first postseason series win in 22 years, in light of the reduced rights fee coming from Diamond. They will lose the rights fee altogether with this MLB-produced model, but team president Dave St. Peter said this announcement would not have an effect on player spending for the upcoming season.

    “We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time with Major League Baseball trying to better understand this marketplace, trying to better understand what a model like this will ultimately provide to the team. We also have studied closely what’s happened in San Diego, in Arizona and in Colorado. We’ve gotten comfortable in those economics. They are where they are,” St. Peter said.

    “We do expect that there will be a reduction in local revenue coming to the Twins in 2025. I think that’s a fact. That said, over the long haul we have tremendous confidence in our content and believe, while maybe we’ll take a dip for ’25, that over time the viewership and those economics related to that viewership will increase.”

    Cleveland games were available on approximately 1.45 million households on its regional sports network. That reach is expected to increase 235% to 4.86 million households. Minnesota’s will go up 307% from 1.08 million homes to 4.4 million.

    Schlesinger said the Brewers had 800,000 households that could receive games this past season, but he also expects to see significant growth with the new model.

    “From a fan perspective, it’s great because you’re going to have total access and no blackouts,” he said. “There’s a lot of staffing, a lot of infrastructure, a lot of decisions have to be made, a lot of people to be hired, a lot of sponsors to contact. This is the right time to do this. It’s a good jumping point, platform to make sure when the calendar turns to 2025, we’re already fully immersed in this and that we know when the first game starts, that we’re ready to go and the product’s going to be outstanding.”

    MLB could be taking over more teams as Diamond Sports Group continues to go through bankruptcy proceedings. The nation’s largest owner of regional sports networks could be down to doing only Atlanta Braves games in 2025.

    The operator of the Bally Sports regional networks presented its reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston last week. As part of the reorganization, Diamond plans to void the contracts of the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays and to attempt to rework the deals of the five franchises that are partial owners of their regional sports networks — the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

    St. Peter said he expects more teams to sign onto the model in the future.

    “Starting to build that direct-to-consumer foundation, which clearly is the future of the way our games will be distributed — it’s time to get on with that and we’re excited about that,” St. Peters said. “Our ownership understands the consequences of that, but I think over time there’s way more upside than short-term downside.”

    A final hearing on Diamond’s reorganization plan is scheduled for Nov. 14. Diamond also has the rights to 13 NBA and eight NHL teams.

    Diamond Sports Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group bought the regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Co. for nearly $10 billion in 2019. Disney was required by the Department of Justice to sell the networks for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets to be approved.

    ___

    AP sports writers Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this story.

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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  • MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Rays rebound; Checking in on sneaky-good seasons

    MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Rays rebound; Checking in on sneaky-good seasons

    By Grant Brisbee, Kaitlyn McGrath and Stephen J. Nesbitt

    Every week,​ we​ ask a selected group of our baseball​ writers​ — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.

    We’re approaching the business end of the season. With six weeks remaining, the postseason races are coming into focus as are the finalists for the annual awards.

    Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge are each making a strong case for the American League MVP, while Shohei Ohtani is proving that even when he’s held to only hitting, he can be the heavy favorite to win his first National League MVP and third overall. Corbin Burnes and Tarik Skubal are the leading candidates for the AL Cy Young Award, while in the NL, Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler are favored for the honor.

    We can all name plenty of players having standout seasons and getting deserved recognition — but what about those players flying just under the radar? In this week’s power rankings, we set out to identify those players having sneaky good seasons for their respective ball clubs.

    Record: 74-52
    Last Power Ranking: 3

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Gavin Stone

    The Dodgers would be absolutely hosed without Stone. Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler have combined for 17 erratic and ineffective starts this season, and Clayton Kershaw rejoined the team only recently. Tyler Glasnow is on the 15-day IL, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the 60-day IL with shoulder issues and River Ryan needed Tommy John surgery right as he was starting to impress.

    Without Stone and his modestly successful 22 starts (3.63 ERA, 4.04 FIP), there would be a lot more panic surrounding the Dodgers. They probably weren’t expecting an NL West race this close, and they definitely weren’t expecting to need 17 different starting pitchers (and counting) this season. The peripheral stats suggest that Stone won’t be dominant until he returns to missing bats like he did in the minors. The Dodgers needed one of their gaggle of young starters to be sneaky good this season, and they needed it in the worst way. — Grant Brisbee

    Record: 73-52
    Last Power Ranking: 1

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Michael Tonkin

    After the opening month he had, who would have thought the 34-year-old Tonkin would have a 2.73 ERA with the Yankees? After signing a split contract with the Mets and breaking camp with them, the journeyman reliever was DFA’d then traded to the Twins only to be DFA’d by them and picked up again by the Mets, who subsequently DFA’d him once more after which he was claimed by the Yankees — all before the end of April. But after a blown save in his Yankees debut, Tonkin has found a home in the Bronx and earned his way into Aaron Boone’s circle of trust. Upping the usage of his two-seam fastball along with some runway to get comfortable seems to be the recipe Tonkin needed to put together a sneaky good season after a chaotic start. — Kaitlyn McGrath

    Record: 73-51
    Last Power Ranking: 4

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Orion Kerkering

    Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm have been the standouts from the Phillies bullpen — and both received well-earned All-Star nods because of it. But behind them, having a season just as good, though perhaps more under the radar has been rookie Orion Kerkering, who has a 2.51 ERA in 47 appearances with 53 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. He’s succeeded especially by limiting hard contact, holding the opposition to a 31.4 percent hard-hit rate that ranks in the 92nd percentile in the majors. Kerkering shot through the Phillies system last year, and made his MLB debut last September. Expectations were high for Kerkering this season, and he has lived up to them. — McGrath

    Record: 73-53
    Last Power Ranking: 2

    Sneaky-good season: 1B/OF/DH Ryan O’Hearn

    O’Hearn had five unremarkable years with the Kansas City Royals, compiling a .683 OPS, before he was DFA’d and landed with the Orioles in 2023 in a make-or-break year for his career. The first baseman broke out and he’s carried that success into this season, too. The left-handed hitter has a .801 OPS in 107 games and has been particularly effective against right-handed pitching, with an .818 OPS and all 12 of his home runs coming in situations where he has the platoon advantage. On a team with many big hitters, O’Hearn is making the most of his part-time role and for that reason, he’s authoring one of the best sneaky good seasons. — McGrath

    Record: 72-52
    Last Power Ranking: 6

    Sneaky-good season: 3B Joey Ortiz

    The seriously good Brewers have had no shortage of sneaky good seasons — we’ve previously noted Jackson Chourio and Bryan Hudson and Brice Turang — so we’re going with a guy who’s mostly flown under the radar. After going to Milwaukee in the Corbin Burnes trade last offseason, Ortiz has played plus defense at third base and been a steady contributor at the plate: .248/.345/.401, eight homers, seven steals. There’s more power in the bat than he’s shown so far this season, but in the meantime, he’s getting on base and displaying exceptional plate discipline to help lengthen the Brewers lineup. A 3 WAR rookie season won’t win hardware, given the competition, but it’s still sneaky good. — Stephen Nesbitt

    Record: 72-52
    Last Power Ranking: 5

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Hunter Gaddis

    Sorry Cade Smith, but once you get the Ken Rosenthal notebook treatment you’re not sneaking by anyone anymore. So let’s go with the Guardians’ other set-up guy. Gaddis entered this season with a 6.57 ERA in almost 50 innings in the majors. That stinks! So when he started the season with 13 consecutive scoreless relief outings, that was a surprise. Then when he served up six runs across his next three outings, that was not a surprise. And yet, entering this week, Gaddis has allowed only four earned runs since the start of May. That’s an 0.84 ERA in 42 2/3 innings, cutting his season ERA to 1.40. Good luck staying sneaky good at that rate. Just look at this stuff! — Nesbitt

    Record: 71-55
    Last Power Ranking: 8

    Sneaky-good season: C Kyle Higashioka

    Sometimes you have the kind of season where almost nothing goes right. Like, say, most of the seasons in Padres franchise history. But sometimes you have the kind of season where even the backup catcher is contributing. Higashioka’s on-base skills still leave a lot to be desired, but he’s hit 14 home runs in just 189 plate appearances, which is more than anyone in the Yankees’ infield this season.

    The Padres were just looking for a catcher who wouldn’t mess things up, but they stumbled onto an accidental dinger machine, which is just how this team is rolling right now. — Brisbee

    Record: 70-55
    Last Power Ranking: 9

    Sneaky-good season: 1B Carlos Santana

    None of the other first basemen who were free agents last offseason have come close to matching the 38-year-old Santana’s value this season. Not Cody Bellinger. Not Rhys Hoskins. Not Rowdy Tellez or Joey Gallo or Matt Carpenter. The Twins signed Santana for $5 million, and he’s delivered a .241/.330/.432 slash line (112 OPS+) with 18 homers while playing outrageously good defense. He has accrued 13 outs above average, which is No. 1 among first basemen and twice as many as any first baseman not named Christian Walker (11 OAA). Pairing that defense with an excellent eye and solid switch-hitting pop, I don’t see why Santana wouldn’t keep finding one-year deals and play into his 40s. — Nesbitt

    Record: 70-56
    Last Power Ranking: 7

    Sneaky-good season: Justin Martínez

    Martínez has a National League Championship ring from his time with the Diamondbacks last season, but that doesn’t mean that he actually contributed. He walked 11 batters in 10 major-league innings, which was only slightly worse than the 48 batters he walked in 49 1/3 innings in Triple A. It would have been possible to make a list of “The 50 players who are likely to contribute to the 2024 Diamondbacks” without including Martínez.

    Stuff is stuff, though, and Martínez has stuff. He’s one of the only pitchers who averages 100 mph on his fastball, and his Baseball Savant page is dripping with red ink (the good kind). If the Diamondbacks are going to get back to the World Series, they’ll need relievers. Here’s a sneaky good one. — Brisbee

    Record: 68-56
    Last Power Ranking: 11

    Sneaky-good season: C Victor Caratini

    Boy, did Astros fans deserve this one after suffering through three straight miserable offensive seasons from Martín Maldonado. The former Astros catcher had 1,212 plate appearances over the last three seasons, with a .183/.260/.333 slash line. He was under the Mendoza Line in all three. You might be thinking that he made up for all this with his speed, but that’s a common misconception. He actually wasn’t very fast at all.

    The Astros found their primary catcher of the future last season, Yainer Diaz, and he’s having another excellent season. But when it’s time to rest him and keep him fresh, the Astros can turn to Caratini without losing too much offense. That’s the dream for every team. They all want a backup catcher who can hit a little, but that’s incredibly difficult to find. Here’s a fan base that appreciates it even more than others might. — Brisbee

    Record: 70-55
    Last Power Ranking: 10

    Sneaky-good season: The starting rotation

    When The Athletic’s Jim Bowden ranked every starting rotation before the season, the Royals were 23rd. MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince didn’t even give them an honorable mention in his preseason top 10, either. Both writers were dead on about the Mariners and Phillies, who rank first and second, respectively, in rotation ERA this season. But third? That’s the Royals, at 3.56.

    The current rotation stacks up like this:

    Seth Lugo: 3.04 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 159 2/3 IP
    Cole Ragans: 3.18 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 147 1/3 IP
    Brady Singer: 3.18 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 141 2/3 IP
    Michael Wacha: 3.33 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 127 IP
    Michael Lorenzen: 2.87 ERA, 4.76 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 15 2/3 IP

    Ragans-Lugo-Singer isn’t the most intimidating starting three for a wild-card series, but, boy, they’re going to give the Royals a good chance to win. — Nesbitt

    Record: 66-58
    Last Power Ranking: 13

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Jesse Chavez

    We know what you’re thinking. Is Jesse Chavez still pitching? Is he pitching well? For the Atlanta Braves? The answer to those three questions is a resounding yes! The 40-year-old continues to be a reliable arm out of the bullpen for Atlanta, where he’s cultivated a legend status and earned the nickname “coach” in the clubhouse. In his 17th (!) season pitching in the majors — a career that includes stops with nine teams — Chavez has a 2.85 ERA in 39 appearances with 47 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. The veteran has been particularly effective with runners in scoring position, holding the opposition to a .127 batting average in those situations. — McGrath

    Record: 65-59
    Last Power Ranking: 14

    Sneaky-good season: RF Wilyer Abreu

    When former Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom dealt Christian Vázquez to the Astros at the 2022 trade deadline for prospects Enmanuel Valdez and Abreu, there was consternation from the fanbase for moving on from the fan-favorite catcher. Two years later, however, the deal looks like a win for Boston, thanks in part to the play of Abreu. (Although apologies to Bloom will have to be forwarded to St. Louis, where he is now an advisor after being fired by the Red Sox.) The right-fielder had a .836 OPS through 96 games with 14 home runs, including a pair of emotional ones earlier this month. As the Red Sox try to desperately stay in the mix for a wild-card spot this year, Abreu at least looks like he’ll be a part of the solution in Boston for years to come. — McGrath

    Record: 64-62
    Last Power Ranking: 12

    Sneaky-good season: CF Victor Robles

    Quick, how old do you think Robles is? I would have guessed 30, and that he was a Nationals prospect a decade ago, if not more. Heck, he was a prospect for so long, you could have convinced me he was in the Expos’ system.

    He just turned 27. While he’s probably not going to turn into an All-Star, he’s currently one of the only Mariners hitters with any idea how to hit a baseball, which makes him a precious gem. A .345 OBP with 14 steals and strong defense? Break out the rye bread and the salami, grandma, because you’re going to need to eat something while you’re hammering out a 12-year contract extension for the guy. — Brisbee

    Record: 65-60
    Last Power Ranking: 15

    Sneaky-good season: LHP Sean Manaea

    In the crowded NL wild-card race, we don’t know yet whether the Mets can make a late charge for the last spot. But what we do know is that starter Manaea has likely pitched his way into a neat multi-year deal this winter. The left-hander has a 3.46 ERA in 24 starts. According to ERA+, this has been his best season since 2018, when he had a 3.59 ERA in 27 starts for the Oakland Athletics. A free agent in the winter, Manaea has made the most of his platform year, while also helping the Mets at least remain competitive down the stretch. As one of the top left-handed starters available, Manaea’s sneaky good season could pay off big in the offseason. — McGrath

    Record: 62-62
    Last Power Ranking: 19

    Sneaky-good season: LHP Garrett Cleavinger

    This is what the Rays do. They take a relatively unknown pitcher, perhaps a guy who bounced around, and make him into one of the game’s most feared arms out of the bullpen. Enter this year’s example, Cleavinger, who previously pitched for the Phillies and Dodgers before finding a home in Tampa Bay. In 54 appearances, the left-hander has a 2.81 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 48 innings. His 29 percent strikeout rate ranks in the top 20 of qualified AL relievers and his average exit velocity of 86.5 mph ranks in the top 10 percent of the majors, making him one of the toughest relievers to square up. Thanks to advice from fellow Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, Cleavinger has found success splitting his breaking ball into two pitches — his previous slider and a new sweeper that’s held batters to a .275 slugging percentage. Cleavinger is yet another reminder of the Tampa Bay Way. — McGrath

    Record: 64-63
    Last Power Ranking: 16

    Sneaky-good season: LHP Erik Miller

    Miller is a left-handed reliever who’s built like a power forward or tight end and throws 100 mph with occasionally nasty secondary pitches. The Giants got him from the Phillies for Yunior Marte, and it’s looking like a steal so far.

    Don’t blame the Phillies (too much) for giving up on Miller. His stuff was obvious, but his command and control were dreadful, and he had a career 5.8 BB/9 in the minors. Something clicked for him, though, and since the beginning of May, he’s had a 2.90 ERA, with 47 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. The walks still need to come way, way down, but he’s been a large part of a Giants bullpen that’s gotten more reliable as the season has progressed. — Brisbee

    Record: 61-64
    Last Power Ranking: 18

    Sneaky-good season: 1B Michael Busch

    We’ve really rankled Cubs fans lately by not mentioning Busch among the top NL Rookie of the Year candidates. “If he were a Yankee,” one reader wrote, “the clarion call from the Bronx would be deafening.” Consider this your clarion call, Chicago! After arriving in a trade from Los Angeles, Busch started the season white hot and has been remarkably steady all summer. He’s providing standout defense at first base and a blend of on-base and power at the plate. It remains concerning that Busch has struck out in 31.2 percent of his plate appearances in the majors, but odds are that will come down slightly over time. — Nesbitt

    Record: 61-63
    Last Power Ranking: 17

    Sneaky-good season: 1B/DH Alec Burleson

    If you’d have told a Cardinals fan this spring that Burleson in his sophomore season would hit .280 with about 25 dingers and 10 steals, they’d have asked if they could give you a big ol’ hug. That’s a great year! Burleson has some obvious flaws in his profile, but there’s been a lot more good than bad. The biggest knock against Burleson: his atrocious defensive numbers. He played out of position much of the summer, bouncing between left and right field despite having no business being out there. Burleson could wind up being on the large side of a platoon, as he’s struggled mightily against lefties, but with his bat-to-ball skills and barrels he should remain a useful hitter for years to come. — Nesbitt

    Record: 61-64
    Last Power Ranking: 20

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Nick Martinez

    Martinez has been sneaky good since returning in 2022 from a four-year stint in Japan. He had a 3.45 ERA over 216 2/3 innings for the Padres across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and has seen similar success in a bulk role with the Reds this season: 3.25 ERA in 97 innings. Martinez is a soft-contact savant. What’s changed this year, though, is that he’s simply not permitting walks. He’s the only MLB pitcher (minimum 90 innings) averaging less than a walk per nine innings this year; he has not allowed multiple walks in any outing. Cincinnati is a hard place to pitch, and Martinez has a much worse ERA at home (4.42) than away (1.71), but limiting walks and homers is a great recipe anywhere. — Nesbitt

    Record: 61-64
    Last Power Ranking: 23

    Sneaky-good season: CF Parker Meadows

    A sneaky good stretch has saved Meadows’ season. One of the most gifted defensive outfielders in the game, Meadows was optioned to Triple A in May because he was batting .096. He returned to Detroit in July and had four hits in a series sweep of Cincinnati, then suffered a hamstring strain. He recovered, returned and hasn’t stopped hitting. He’s 20-for-57 (.351) with eight extra-base hits in 15 games since being recalled from the minors, and the Tigers are 12-3 in those games. After tallying three hits, including a walk-off single, in the leadoff spot against the Yankees on Sunday night, Meadows saw his season batting average rise above .200 for the first time all season. Considering where Meadows was a few months ago, the Mendoza Line never looked so impressive. — Nesbitt

    Record: 58-66
    Last Power Ranking: T-21

    Sneaky-good season: C Joey Bart

    The Pirates’ inability to identify their catcher of the future is not a new issue. They haven’t drafted one, haven’t signed one. When they added Bart, who’d busted in San Francisco, in a minor trade this spring, few thought they’d found a long-term contributor. But Bart has been one of the Pirates’ best hitters this season, with a .351 OBP, .882 OPS and career-high 12 homers. Bart’s defensive numbers are poor, so perhaps he’s a short-term solution at catcher, but if he hits like this the Pirates will gladly take him as the first baseman of the future. — Nesbitt

    Record: 58-68
    Last Power Ranking: T-21

    Sneaky-good season: RHP David Robertson

    Try to find another candidate for a sneaky good season on the Rangers. Go on, I dare you. The story of their season has been a surfeit of aggressively lousy seasons, nothing sneaky about it. So we’ll go with Robertson, who was in the same draft class with Max Scherzer and Joba Chamberlain, roughly six decades ago. He was teammates with a rehabbing Roger Clemens on the 2007 Trenton Thunder, and Clemens was in the Red Sox organization when Carl Yastrzemski was still playing. You can get from Robertson to Babe Ruth in five steps.

    Robertson is also having a sneaky good season. Again. Not bad for a 39-year-old who had to pitch for the High Point Rockers a couple years ago just to get teams to notice him. — Brisbee

    Record: 58-67
    Last Power Ranking: 24

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Chad Green

    Green survived the Blue Jays’ purge at the trade deadline, and it’s a good thing he did because he has been far and away their best reliever. The veteran right-hander has a 1.82 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. With their regular closer Jordan Romano on the 60-day IL and backup closer Yimi García traded to the Mariners at the deadline, Green stepped into the closer role and has gone a perfect 13-for-13 in save opportunities. There hasn’t been much good to come out of this season for Toronto, but Green’s first full season back after Tommy John surgery has been a bright spot and he’s also signed through next season. — McGrath

    Record: 56-69
    Last Power Ranking: 25

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Jake Irvin

    A year ago, Irvin looked like he might be a guy who could at the very least fill innings for the Nationals which is useful, if not spectacular. But this season, the 27-year-old right-hander has shown more promise and moved in the right direction. In 26 starts, Irvin has a 3.81 ERA and his 151 innings pitched lead all pitchers on the Nationals while his 2.7 bWAR is behind only CJ Abrams for the most on the team. A key to his success has been cutting his walk rate nearly in half, from 10.2 percent last season to 5.7 percent this season. If the Nationals are going to return to relevancy again, they’ll need the likes of Abrams, James Wood and MacKenzie Gore to perform. But after this sneaky good season, Irvin is showing that he too can be a key part of the future. — McGrath

    Record: 54-71
    Last Power Ranking: 27

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Osvaldo Bido

    Sometimes it’s good to be a team without a chance at the postseason. Experimentation is encouraged, if not necessary, and that’s how the A’s can follow a hunch and convert a 28-year-old minor-league free-agent reliever into a starter. Let’s not go overboard with his success in six starts, but the early returns are encouraging. Last year, he struggled with his command in the Pirates organization. This year, he’s allowing some of the weakest contact in the league. He has the lowest hard-hit percentage in the game. Exit velocity data is just as encouraging.

    There will be an adjustment from the rest of the league. Each start will give opponents new ways to attack him. After another month, we’ll have a better idea if Bido is for real. My suspicion is that his command will need to improve for him to be a bonafide starter, but he’s done well so far. — Brisbee

    Record: 53-72
    Last Power Ranking: 26

    Sneaky-good season: SS Zach Neto

    Angels fans probably don’t think that Neto’s season needs an adjective. He’s just been good. He has a .779 OPS, which is 15 percent better than the average hitter, except he’s doing it as an excellent defensive shortstop. It’s less a sneaky good season and more of a sneaky great season.

    We’ll let it qualify for this exercise because we’ll stretch the exercise to allow Neto’s breakout season to feel sneaky good about the Angels franchise as a whole. No, seriously. They drafted Neto 13th overall just two years ago, and he’s already thriving in the majors and looking like a franchise cornerstone. The organization has a long way to go, but developing an excellent shortstop is a heckuva start. Go on. Be a little positive about the Angels. As a treat. — Brisbee

    Record: 46-79
    Last Power Ranking: 29

    Sneaky-good season: 1B/3B Jake Burger

    It didn’t always look like Jake Burger would be on this list. As the Marlins were off to their dreadful start, the 28-year-old infielder had a .635 OPS with only 10 home runs in 73 games during the first half. But Burger has turned it on in the second half. In 28 games since the All-Star break, Burger has hit .321 with a 1.161 OPS. He’s hit 14 home runs in that span — including a stretch of eight games in August where he homered seven times. Thanks to the hot stretch, Burger has his season wRC+ back up to 113 which is in line with the rest of his career. It hasn’t been a memorable season in Miami, but Burger may have found a way to salvage his. — McGrath

    Record: 46-79
    Last Power Ranking: 28

    Sneaky-good season: 1B/OF Michael Toglia

    Toglia is an extremely large, switch-hitting first baseman who was drafted in the first round in 2019, only to get sucked into the COVID-19 maelstrom that cost minor leaguers a full season of proper development. He’s behind schedule compared to the typical first-round first baseman, but it’s not hard to guess why.

    He’s up now, though, and he’s raking in the second half. His strikeouts are down, his walks are up and he’s already hit 20 homers. The most exciting part for the Rockies might be that he’s been even better on the road, which isn’t supposed to happen. The organization’s future is still dull and frustrating, but getting value out of first-round picks, even if it takes a few years, is how they’re going to get out of this mess. — Brisbee

    Record: 30-96
    Last Power Ranking: 30

    Sneaky-good season: RHP Jonathan Cannon

    Do you understand what you’re asking of me? The White Sox don’t have a position player above 0.5 fWAR. Their only pitcher above 1 fWAR is All-Star Garrett Crochet, who was the talk of July and therefore not at all sneaky.

    There really is only one option, other than the under, and that’s Cannon. The former Georgia Bulldog has had a couple starts go sideways, but the overall line — 4.02 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 1.30 WHIP in 80 2/3 innings — is solid enough. Cannon has command but lacks swing-and-miss stuff. We’ll see how that goes. Normally Cannon would just be a bright spot for a bad team. But he has a big job the rest of the way: helping the White Sox try to avoid the most losses in modern history. — Nesbitt

    (Top photo of Brandon Lowe: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)

    The New York Times

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  • The Race for the First-Round Bye – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Race for the First-Round Bye – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Philadelphia Phillies started the 2024 season at an incredible pace. It seemed like Rob Thomson’s team couldn’t lose.

    Phillies fans are wondering what happened to that team because lately, it seems like all Thomson’s team can do is lose.

    The Phillies had a 61-32 record through July 11, including two seven-game win streaks, one six-game win streak, and only seven series losses. They held the title of the best team in baseball for quite some time and had a large lead in the NL East. All was good in Philadelphia.

    Teams are Catching Up to the Phillies

    Then, just before the All-Star break, the Phillies lost a three-game series to the Oakland Athletics at Citizens Bank Park. Not only did they lose the series, but they lost it badly. The Phillies were outscored 29-16 in their home ballpark against one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. Little did the team and the fans know what would come after that.

    The Phillies came out of the All-Star break playing sloppy baseball. They lost five straight series to start the second half of the season, including a six-game losing streak during that stretch. They were able to win the series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and the first game in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. It looked like the Phillies were getting back on track and playing winning baseball again. They fooled us.

    After taking the series opener against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies lost three straight games to lose yet another series. Two of those three games were complete blowouts. The Phillies were looking to start fresh against the last-place Miami Marlins back at home after a long 10-game road trip out west.

    Taijuan Walker took the mound in the series opener against the Marlins after returning from the IL. This was his first major league start since June 21. He let up two runs in the first inning and only made it through four innings, allowing three total runs. The Phillies’ offense couldn’t get anything going, and they lost their fourth straight game.

    The Importance of a First-Round Bye for the Phillies

    The Phillies have 42 more games left in the regular season. Their schedule is favorable from here on out. They have two big series against the Atlanta Braves and an important series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Braves are just six games back in the NL East and are creeping up on the struggling Phillies for the top spot.

    The Brewers are just two games back of the Phillies in the National League standings. The Phillies are 3-0 against the Brewers this season, with three games left to play. If they finish with identical records at the end of the season, the Phillies need to win at least one more game against them to guarantee potential home-field advantage and the better seed in the playoffs.

    As of today, the Dodgers hold the top spot in the NL. The Phillies are 5-1 against them, so the Phillies will have home-field advantage and the better seed if both teams finish with identical records. This is also true with the San Diego Padres, who are two games back of the Phillies in the NL.

    One team to worry about is the Diamondbacks. The Phillies are 3-4 against them this year and don’t have any more games against them. The Diamondbacks are two games back of the Phillies in the NL.

    The top two division winners at the end of the regular season get a first-round bye in the playoffs. If the season ended today, the Phillies would be the No. 2 seed and have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs unless they would end up facing the Dodgers in the NLCS.

    It’s also important to have the best record in the majors come playoff time. Home-field advantage in the World Series is determined by the team with the best regular season record. If both teams finished with identical records, the tiebreaker would go to the head-to-head record. The Phillies are the fifth-best team in the major leagues and are 1 ½ games back from having the best record as of today.

    The Phillies need to figure things out collectively as a team and get back to playing winning baseball. This slump has lasted too long.

    They’ll look to build on their 9-5 victory over the Marlins last night.

    It’s important to have a home-field advantage in the playoffs, especially with the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park.

    PHOTO: ClutchPoints

    Mike Hennelly

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  • MLB midseason awards: MVP and LVP, Cy Young and Cy Yuk, top rookies and more

    MLB midseason awards: MVP and LVP, Cy Young and Cy Yuk, top rookies and more

    We interrupt your mid-July search for your favorite tube of sunscreen for this important announcement: Somehow or other, the All-Star break is going to arrive in like 15 minutes.

    So yes, it’s that time again — time for me to hand out my coveted midseason awards. Best I can tell, this year’s awards ceremony once again will not be hosted by Hugh Grant, Hugh Jackman, Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Juan Samuel, Juan Pierre or Pierre Cardin. So I’ll just have to do this myself. Ready? The envelopes, please!

    AL MVP of the half-year: Aaron Judge, Yankees


    Aaron Judge looks to the dugout after launching another long ball. (John Jones / USA Today)

    Gunnar Henderson is a both-sides-of-the-ball game-changer. But he’s not the American League MVP. Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto can play for my team any time. But they’re not the AL MVP, either.

    No, the AL MVP is one of those rare humans who feels larger than life, larger than the Empire State Building, larger than the sport he plays. Aaron Judge towers over everyone and everything these days. So I appreciate that he made at least one of these awards soooo easy to pick.

    Has it dawned on us yet where Judge is headed over these next few months? And by that I mean: Toward one of the most spectacular offensive seasons of our time, or any time. His current pace is absolutely mind-warping:

    OPS+ HR  AVG OBP SLUG RBI

    202

    55

    .307

    .424

    .672

    143

    (through Wednesday)

    Just so you know, only two other men have ever had that year:

    PLAYER  AVG OBP SLUG  OPS+ HR  RBI

    Babe Ruth, 1921 

    .378

    .512

    .846

    239

    59

    168

    Babe Ruth, 1927 

    .356

    .486

    .772

    225

    60

    165

    Jimmie Foxx, 1932

    .364

    .469

    .749

    207 

    58

    169

    (Source: Baseball Reference / Stathead)

    Mickey Mantle (1961), Barry Bonds (2001), Mark McGwire (1998) and the 2022 version of Judge himself were near-misses. But you get the picture. And I haven’t even mentioned that Judge is also on pace for 92 extra-base hits, a number that only Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Alfonso Soriano have reached in the history of the Yankees.

    But the other reason Aaron Judge is the MVP revolves around what he means to a Yankees lineup that depends on every ounce of superhero magic Judge has in him, especially as his team has unraveled over the past few weeks. Take a look at how Judge’s production compares with what this juggernaut is getting from all other Yankees not named Juan Soto:

    JUDGE  OTHERS

    AVG

    .307  

    .235

    OBP 

    .424  

    .299

    SLUG 

    .672 

    .370

    OPS   

    1.096  

    .669

    With every category, the gap between Judge and his non-Soto-esque teammates gets not just wider, but wilder. A 302-point difference in slugging? A 427-point gap between his OPS and theirs? This isn’t the Oakland A’s lineup we’re talking about. This is the lineup of a $303 million baseball team.

    So with the utmost respect for any other candidate you’d like to make a case for … sorry! Here comes the Judge — again — to collect another prestigious midseason MVP award. Why is anybody throwing this dude a strike?

    MY AL MVP TOP FIVE: Judge, Henderson, Witt, Soto, Steven Kwan.

    NL MVP of the half-year: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers 


    A third MVP award for Shohei Ohtani? He’s on his way. (Jonathan Hui / USA Today)

    Isn’t it funny how Shohei Ohtani MVP debates aren’t like anyone else’s MVP debates? Then again, maybe that’s just how it works on Planet Unicorn. But let’s explain anyway.

    The 2021-23 version of this debate went: If he’s going to pitch and hit, you might as well give him this thing every darned year because nobody can compete with that. Only Aaron Judge, the 2022 62-homer edition, was able to power through that logic.

    But now, here in 2024, it’s all flipped on Shohei: If he’s not going to pitch and he’s not going to play the field and he’s only a DH, how can he possibly win this award? Isn’t that the question? If David Ortiz never did, if Edgar Martinez never did, then maybe no DH ever will — or should — win an MVP trophy. Right?

    Ehhh, wrong. We should never have unshakeable, illogical rules like that — especially when we’re talking about this man. He’s currently rocking along with a 190 OPS+. And is that good? If he keeps that up, it would merely be the best offensive season any DH has ever had.

    The only other DH who even approached that was Edgar, with a 185 OPS+ in 1995. So how’d he fare in that ’95 MVP race? The voters rewarded him with a third-place finish and four first-place votes. And that’s how it seemingly always works for guys who play no position, no matter how prodigiously they’re mashing.

    Not that we have many comparable players or seasons. Even if we drop the bar to a 170 OPS+, it’s an exclusive group — and the MVP voters didn’t seem interested in anybody in it.

    We won’t include the 60-game pandemic season of 2020. And it’s hard to count Ohtani’s 2023 season, because he also had this side gig where he was busy piling up more strikeouts on the mound than Justin Verlander. So that leaves only three true DHs who had a qualifying season with an OPS+ of 170 or better: Ortiz (171) in 2007, Victor Martinez (172) in 2014 and Travis Hafner (181) in 2006.

    Want to guess how many first-place MVP votes they got? Zero would be a fine guess.

    Even Ortiz, who was productive enough to roll up six seasons with a top-six MVP finish, only collected 17 first-place votes in his whole career: 11 in 2005 (when he finished second to Alex Rodriguez), four in 2003 and one each in 2004 and 2016. In fact, over the five seasons from 2003-07, Big Papi had the highest OPS of any hitter in the American League (1.014) while his team was winning two World Series — and got no MVP trophies out of it.

    But is that Shohei Ohtani’s problem? No, it is not. Is that our problem as voters, or awards-column authors? Nope. Not our problem, either.

    As we speak, Ohtani leads his league in home runs, extra-base hits, OPS, slugging and runs scored (among other things). And how many DHs have ever led their league in all of those categories over a full season? None. Naturally.

    But you should know that over the past 70 years, only eight players have done it at any position: Judge (2022), Mickey Mantle (1956), Carl Yastrzemski (1967), Frank Robinson (1966), Albert Pujols (2009), Mike Schmidt (1981), George Foster (1977) and Ryan Braun (2012).

    So as exceptional as Bryce Harper has been in Philly this year, with a bat and glove, it’s still apparently impossible for anyone to compete with the unique greatness of Ohtani — a man unleashing his wrecking ball on everything we ever thought one baseball-playing human was capable of.

    MY NL MVP TOP FIVE: Ohtani, Harper, Mookie Betts, Marcell Ozuna, Elly De La Cruz.

    AL LVP of the half-year: Bo Bichette, Blue Jays 


    What happened to Bo Bichette? (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)

    I can’t believe I’m even typing this. I’ve always thought of Bo Bichette as a star, a natural-born hit machine, a face of his franchise. How he turned into this guy — the Least Valuable Player in the entire American League — is a mystery. Not just to me. To pretty much everyone I asked.

    He has spent the past three months playing like a fellow who would rather be somewhere other than Toronto. And the irony there is, if that’s how he actually feels, probably the worst way to inspire somebody to trade for you is to go out and make yourself the odds-on LVP favorite.

    Before I recite Bichette’s unsightly numbers, I should remind you that this award is not the same thing as saying someone is the worst player in the league. Javy Báez — a guy with an OPS+ of (gasp) 29 — has that distinction locked up in Detroit for the third straight year. But the LVP isn’t an “honor” I automatically bestow on guys like him.

    No, I look at the Blue Jays as the most disappointing team in the whole sport. So Bichette swoops in here because I’m not sure that would be possible without the massive underachievement of their once-charismatic shortstop.

    Check out just a few of Bo Bichette’s inexplicable “achievements” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

    He can’t hit! This is a guy who led the league in hits two years in a row, and was headed for three in a row last year until he got derailed by knee and quad issues. Now he’s spitting out a gruesome .222/.275/.321 slash line, with fewer home runs (four) than Ernie Clement (six). But here’s the biggest shocker. There are 68 AL hitters with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Who has the worst OPS+? Yup. Bo Bichette (at 70).

    He can’t even hit a fastball! Everybody knows you should never, ever throw a first-pitch fastball to Bo. Oh, wait. Check that! Take in the view of his year-by-year average against fastballs (in all counts), according to Statcast:

    2019 — .357
    2020 — .351
    2021 — .310
    2022 — .309
    2023 — .328
    2024 — .226

    One of these years is not like the others.

    He can’t hit left-handers! Bo eats left-handers for breakfast. That’s just a fact … um, I mean that used to be a fact.

    2019-23 — Hit .321 and slugged .537 versus left-handers.

    2024 — Hitting .153 and slugging .196 versus left-handers, with no home runs and only two extra-base hits in three months. Average versus left-handed starters: .106! What the heck.

    In other news … He’s hitting .115 in the first inning this season, with no extra-base hits. … He’s hitting only .209 and slugging .254 after he gets ahead in the count. … And in 35 plate appearances in the late innings of close games, he’s gotten only five hits all season (all five of them singles).

    I feel like I’m writing this in some bizarro universe where everything has turned upside-down. But these are the times I need to remind myself there’s a term to describe when something like this happens: L-V-P!

    MY AL LVP “TOP THREE”: Bichette, Báez, Gleyber Torres.

    NL LVP of the half-year: Tim Anderson, unemployed


    It’s been a steep fall for Tim Anderson, whom the Marlins released on July 5. (Sam Navarro / USA Today)

    It’s not that hard to remember a time when we used to look at Tim Anderson as … what’s that word again? … Oh, right. Good. An actual good, productive baseball player.

    He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2021, a year when he hit a walk-off homer into a corn field. He was a top-seven MVP finisher the year before that. He was a batting champ in 2019. He hit 20 homers and made the stolen base leaderboard in 2018. He was even a productive player for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic as recently as 16 months ago.

    So … who the heck shortstop-napped that guy?

    There was some dude wearing Tim Anderson’s uniform for the Marlins this year — for three months, anyway. But I hope you covered your eyes when you watched him, because it reminded me of, well, this.

    Except in this case, there was nowhere for Tim Anderson to hide. So as the Marlins’ once-hopeful season descended into a flame pit, they just kept running him out there, until they couldn’t convince themselves to do that anymore. So on July 5, they released him, possibly because of unreal stuff like this:

    He was the all-time Zero Hero in June! Have you ever heard of this? A guy who started 21 games in a calendar month and emerged from that month with zero walks and extra-base hits? Yeah, Tim Anderson just had that month. Only one other player in the past 60 years has had a calendar month like that: the legendary Steve Jeltz for the 1988 Phillies (but in a September with 20 fewer plate appearances). So wait. Make that two players!

    He played Beat the Streak! But that stretch didn’t just begin in June. Would you believe this guy somehow went two months, and 38 games in a row, without an extra-base hit? And he went 23 games in a row — we’re talking nearly 100 straight plate appearances — without a walk? That. Happened. The 23 consecutive games he started without a walk or an extra-base hit was the longest streak of dueling goose eggs in more than 30 years, since Darren Lewis went walk-less and XBH-free for 27 games in a row for the 1993 Giants.

    He also had more errors than walks! Nine errors, seven walks. Is that good? Or how about this: More errors than extra-base hits and stolen bases combined (9-7). Holy Mario Mendoza! How’d that happen?

    But let’s also mention … that Anderson “slugged” .226 and had an OPS+ of 30! … and that he hit .164 with runners in scoring position … and that he went 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position and two outs … and that he went 3-for-32 against the Braves and Phillies.

    I’m honestly just scratching the surface of those grisly numbers. Whatever. What I still can’t figure out is what the heck happened.

    “Look at his numbers since The Punch,” said a high-ranking decision-maker on one NL team … so I did!

    Since José Ramírez flattened Anderson in their fabled boxing match at second base, on Aug. 5, 2023, guess what player has the worst slugging percentage (.257) and OPS (.514) in baseball? Did I just hear thousands of you readers shouting, “Tim Anderson”? Heck, yeah, I did. You’re the best LVP students ever.

    MY NL LVP “TOP THREE”: Anderson, Kris Bryant, Jeff McNeil.

    AL Cy Young of the half-year: Tarik Skubal, Tigers


    Tarik Skubal gets the nod over Corbin Burnes, Garrett Crochet and Seth Lugo. (Lon Horwedel / USA Today)

    That sound you hear, off in the distance, is the thumbs of thousands of Orioles fans, reading this and pounding out story comments that go something to the effect of: If you don’t think Corbin Burnes deserves the Cy Young Award, you know less about baseball than my garden hose.

    Well, I’ve never met your garden hose. But I promise I spent more time thinking about this than all the hoses in your neighborhood combined. Now here’s what I think: If this was the Most Pivotal Trade of the Year award, you’d all be right. Because Corbin Burnes has been exactly that.

    He has also been as irreplaceable as any great starter on any contender in baseball. Which, come to think of it, is why the Orioles made that trade. But here’s an important thing to remember before we get any further:

    That’s not what Cy Young debates are made of!

    This is not the Most Valuable Pitcher award. It’s about performance, period. It’s about who has pitched the best, period. And if that’s the question, Tarik Skubal is the answer.

    It seems almost incomprehensible that only three Tigers starters have ever won a Cy Young Award: Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Denny McLain. That means Jim Bunning, Jack Morris, Mickey Lolich, Mark Fidrych, David Price, Frank Tanana and Rick Porcello were among the many Tigers aces who never did. But Tarik Skubal? He’s well on his way.

    I took a lot of time digging in on the excellent cases for Burnes, Garrett Crochet and Seth Lugo. But if this is just about who has pitched the best, I think I picked the right man. Here’s why:

    Skubal versus Burnes: These two guys are so close in ERA (2.43 for Burnes, 2.37 for Skubal), that’s not a factor. But Skubal leads Burnes in WHIP, strikeout rate, opponent OPS, opponent slugging and opponent average. And once Skubal makes his last start before the All-Star break, their workloads will be virtually the same.

    Skubal versus Lugo: Lugo is No. 1 in the league in ERA and batters faced. So he’s been tremendous for a Royals team that signed him, dreaming of this. But Skubal has a hefty lead in strikeout rate, FIP, WHIP and opponent OPS. So if Domination Factor is a useful tiebreaker in Cy Young debates, Skubal runs that table.

    Skubal versus Crochet: Crochet ranks in the top three in the AL in both WHIP and strikeout rate, which always rockets a guy to the top of my list. But wait. So does Skubal. And Skubal’s ERA (2.37) is seventh-tenths of a run lower than Crochet’s (3.08). As fantastic as Crochet has been for the White Sox, I don’t see the argument for placing him ahead of Skubal.

    And I bet you didn’t know that … Skubal has the third-best strikeout rate in the league plus the best walk rate (1.6 per nine innings). So he’s filling up the strike zone and still not getting hit … Speaking of which: Left-handed and right-handed hitters are batting under .200 against him. … And opposing cleanup hitters are hitting .109/.160/.130 against him (with one extra-base hit). That computes to an OPS+ of minus-18!

    Finally, who has a more overpowering pitch mix than Tarik Skubal? This dude throws five pitches — and hitters have a batting average under .200 against four of them. But hold on, because … none of those are even his wipeout pitch, because he also throws a changeup with a 47 percent whiff rate (49 strikeouts, 29 hits against that dastardly invisi-ball).

    So Skubal’s manager, A.J. Hinch, tipped his cap to all the other candidates out there, but made the case for his ace this way:

    “I love the way Tarik has dominated the strike zone. As the attention grew on him, he has continued to throw strikes, miss bats and keep the ball in the ballpark. He’s been the definition of a Cy Young candidate.”

    And as much as I appreciate everything about Burnes, Crochet and Lugo, I agree!

    MY AL CY YOUNG TOP FIVE: Skubal, Burnes, Crochet, Lugo, Logan Gilbert.

    NL Cy Young of the half-year: Chris Sale, Braves


    At age 35, in his 14th MLB season, is this the year Chris Sale wins a Cy Young? (Dale Zanine / USA Today)

    Who’s the best active pitcher who has never won a Cy Young Award? It’s pretty much a dead heat between Zack Wheeler and Chris Sale. Isn’t it? So how perfect is it that that’s almost exactly how I see this NL first-half Cy Young race?

    But first, can I mention that, in retrospect, Wheeler should already own one of those awards? Remember 2021? It now seems so clear that Wheeler deserved to win that year. In fact, this spring, another team’s ace — with no connection to either Wheeler or the NL winner in ’21, Corbin Burnes — went on an unprompted rant about it to me.

    I don’t think that’s true of Sale, but he has a different claim to fame. He once somehow ripped off six straight top-five Cy Young finishes (2012-17) without ever winning once. Want to guess how many other active starters have done that? None. Obviously.

    These two guys also rank 1-2 in ERA among all active starters with no Cy Young trophies. So it’s time that changed — for one of them. But it’s hard to figure out which one, because of course it is.

    I decided the best argument for Wheeler is that he’s emerged as baseball’s most consistent front-of-the-rotation dominator for a Phillies team that wouldn’t have the best record in the sport without him. And, as always, he combines brilliance with volume. He has faced 55 more hitters than Sale has. And yeah, that matters.

    But here, I think, is where Sale inches ahead:

    He’s crushed it against the best teams. How about this stat: Against teams that are .500 or better, Sale is 5-0, with a 1.27 ERA — the best ERA in baseball against the best teams. (Wheeler in that same category: 3-2, 3.47.)

    WHIP and strikeout rate don’t lie. When I do my Cy Young analysis, those two metrics are where I start. So when you find a guy who ranks in the top two in his league in both, as Sale does, that’s telling.

    K/9 IP

    Sale — 11.7
    Wheeler — 9.7

    WHIP

    Sale — 0.94
    Wheeler — 0.97

    FIP happens. I’m always wary of delving too deeply into Fielding Independent Pitching in my Cy Young process for one important reason: FIP tells us more about what should have happened (theoretically) than what actually happened. And Cy Youngs are about performance, not projection. But I do look at FIP as a potential tiebreaker when a race is this tight. And there is such an eye-opening difference between Sale’s FIP and Wheeler’s FIP, it’s hard to ignore.

    2024 FIP

    Sale — 2.22
    Wheeler — 3.32

    For once, let’s not ignore “The Win”: Like virtually all voters in this evolving age we live in, I barely look at “wins” anymore. But Sale has 12 of them. And of his three losses, one was a 1-0 game, another was a 2-1 game, and he has a better strikeout rate, plus more innings per start, in the losses than the 12 wins.

    Listen, I have nothing but immense respect for Zack Wheeler and the way he handles the responsibilities of acehood, every minute of every day, from April through Halloween. But remember:

    The Cy Young is not the Most Valuable Pitcher award. It’s about who has pitched best. And I think the answer, as of this moment, is Chris Sale. But I also think this is about as tight as Cy Young races get.

    MY NL CY YOUNG TOP FIVE: Sale, Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Tyler Glasnow, Reynaldo López.

    AL Cy Yuk of the half-year: Kenta Maeda, Tigers


    Kenta Maeda’s gnarly numbers have Cy Yuk written all over them. (David Butler II / USA Today)

    I just wish my friends from STATS Perform could tell me if the same team has ever produced a Cy Young and Cy Yuk in the same season. I’m going to guess no on that. But if things don’t change in the next couple of months, I may have a trip down a Cy Yuk rabbit hole ahead of me.

    So stay tuned for that, because Kenta Maeda has charged to the top of the Cy Yuk leaderboard. In fact, he has charged toward the top of the all-time Cy Yuk leaderboard.

    Welcome to the 7.00 ERA Club! Sixteen starts into his first season as the Tigers’ highest-paid starter (with a $24 million guarantee over this season and next), Maeda is sitting on a 7.26 ERA. Do you think he wants to know that in the live-ball era, only two qualifying starters have ever finished a full season with an ERA that started with a “7?”

    Jack Knott, 1936 Browns —  7.27
    Les Sweetland, 1930 Phillies — 7.71

    So the American League “record” is 7.27 — almost exactly matching Maeda’s mark. And call me an alarmist, but I don’t think this is trending well for Kenta. His ERA over his past five starts: 10.13. His ERA over his last three starts: 13.11.

    Ah, but his manager, A.J. Hinch, may have just rescued him from the pursuit of Jack Knott, by gonging him from the Tigers’ rotation “for the foreseeable future.” So there’s that.

    Central casting! It’s amazing that the Tigers have a winning record against their division, considering they’ve spent the past three months letting Maeda pitch against it. His record in six starts against the Central: 0-2, with an 11.90 ERA!

    That’s not right! Almost 90 percent of the world’s population is right-handed. I’m guessing that’s not Maeda’s favorite factoid about the world’s population, considering he has spent this year essentially turning the entire right-handed portion of the sport into 1936 Joe DiMaggio:

    HITTER(S) OBP  SLUG OPS

    DiMaggio, 1936

    .352

    .576

    .928

    RHHs vs Maeda, 2024

    .359

    .578

    .936

    Don’t tune into this FastCast! Scouts who have seen Maeda talk about his inability to get swings-and-misses on pretty much any pitch. But it all starts with the fastball — and hey, that’s going well.

    According to Baseball Savant’s Pitch Arsenal leaderboard, Maeda’s four-seam fastball is basically the fifth most-pummeled pitch in baseball. It’s transforming all hitters who swing at it into Babe Ruth, 1926.

    HITTER(S) AVG.  SLUG

    Ruth, 1926

    .372

    .737   

    vs. Maeda fastball, 2024

    .375

    .732  

    As always, this sport was filled with many deserving Cy Yuk candidates. But it’s hard to beat a guy turning an entire sport into Babe Ruth!

    MY AL CY YUK “TOP THREE”: Kenta Maeda, Michael Soroka, Reid Detmers.

    NL Cy Yuk of the half-year: Blake Snell, Giants


    Blake Snell, from Cy Young to Cy Yuk. (John Hefti / USA Today)

    Not all Cy Yuk profiles are created equal. And that explains how Blake Snell wound up in this space.

    He’s here, in part, because he’s 0-3, with a 7.85 ERA, after seven starts as a Giant. He has made it through the fifth inning exactly once. He’s averaging more than 20 pitches an inning. And if his miraculous 84 percent rate of stranding base runners last year seemed unsustainable, he’s shown why this year.

    BASE RUNNERS*  SCORED

    2023

    202

    32

    2024 

    47 

    22

    (*hits plus walks plus hit-by-pitches, minus home runs)

    But in truth, that isn’t why he’s here in the Cy Yuk winner’s circle. He’s here because we need to consider the context of how he became a Giant, for the bargain price of $32 million a year, plus a $30 million player option he can exercise for next year.

    Blake Snell is a Giant because the Giants had designs on contending, and assembling a potentially dominant rotation seemed like a good plan to do so.

    But in a related development, Blake Snell is a Giant because Robbie Ray can’t pitch until the second half, because Alex Cobb can’t pitch until the second half and because the Giants couldn’t safely project Jordan Hicks to make it through a whole season as a starter.

    So hey, what a lucky break that the incumbent NL Cy Young Award winner was still looking for work in the third week of March. Unless …

    Unless, of course, he wasn’t ready to pitch after missing virtually all of spring training.

    Unless, of course, he rushed back into the rotation on April 8 without facing a single minor-league hitter on a rehab start. (His choice.)

    Unless, of course, he was so out of whack that he went 0-3, with an 11.57 ERA and 1.97 WHIP, in his first three starts (all blowout losses).

    Unless, of course, he then strained a groin and wound up on the injured list for a month.

    Unless, of course, he then found himself winless with three days left until the All-Star break.

    So perhaps you might be thinking: Look, stuff happens — to everybody. He didn’t have much of a spring training. It’s not fair to be handing out Cy Yuks to well-meaning folks like this.

    All of that is true, except for the fact that missing spring training wasn’t just some happenstance. It was a choice.

    Snell and his agent, Scott Boras, had certain expectations. It wasn’t all their fault that nobody wanted to meet those expectations until the Giants came along. But what has happened since was always a potential consequence of holding out all those weeks.

    So in the end, Blake Snell got the money, and I’m happy for him. But he also got this midseason Cy Yuk award. Life is complicated like that sometimes.

    MY NL CY YUK “TOP THREE”: Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Dakota Hudson.

    Rookies of the Year: Mason Miller, A’s, and Paul Skenes, Pirates

    Is it me, or do these Rookie of the Year categories get harder every year? This sport is bursting with so many electrifying young shooting stars, it’s easier to figure out what to order at the Cheesecake Factory than it is to figure out who to pick for Rookie of the Year.

    So feel free to fire off your arguments for Shota Imanaga, Luis Gil, Jackson Merrill, Michael Busch, Joey Ortiz, Wyatt Langford, Masyn Winn and a dozen more rookies. There are no wrong answers on this quiz.

    I gave up trying to separate them all from one another — and went with my two favorite rocket-launchers.


    Paul Skenes. Take a whiff. (Benny Sieu / USA Today)

    Paul Skenes! I know he arrived in Pittsburgh for his big-league debut only two months ago. But I’m starting to think he’s pretty good.

    Roy Halladay struck out 82 hitters in his entire rookie season (in 149 1/3 innings). Skenes has struck out 89 in two months (in 66 1/3 innings).

    Mariano Rivera, the first unanimous Hall of Famer, gave up 17 runs in the first 15 innings of his career. Skenes has given up 14 runs in two months.

    Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer combined for two starts in their entire Hall-worthy careers with zero hits allowed and 11 strikeouts or more. Paul Skenes now has two of those in the first 11 starts of his career.

    So what we’re seeing here isn’t just a Rookie of the Year. It’s history.


    Mason Miller likes triple digits. (Paul Rutherford / USA Today)

    Mason Miller! There aren’t many reasons to watch the A’s this summer, unless your idea of fun is counting empty seats. But when Mason Miller lopes out of that Oakland bullpen, I highly recommend you stop whatever you’re doing to watch this guy spit lightning bolts.

    He’s already thrown 286 pitches this season at 100 mph or faster. I don’t know how to put that in perspective for you, so how about this: That’s more pitches at 100-plus, in three months, than Gerrit Cole, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Spencer Strider have combined in their whole careers (280). And that’s out of nearly 50,000 total pitches for those four.

    Or maybe this will drive my point home: Miller already has fired up five saves this season with at least three strikeouts and no hits allowed. Remember that Mariano Rivera guy? Would you believe he never had more than three saves like that in any season of his career? Believe it.

    If you read this section and only come away with the impression that Hey, maybe Mariano Rivera wasn’t that good, that wasn’t the idea here at all. We’re just providing perspective on two rookie pitchers who are already headed to their first All-Star Game … because they’re doing stuff even the legends of yesteryear never did.

    MY AL ROOKIE OF THE HALF-YEAR TOP THREE: Miller, Gil, Langford.

    MY NL ROOKIE OF THE HALF-YEAR TOP THREE: Skenes, Imanaga, Merrill.

    Managers of the half-year: Stephen Vogt, Guardians, and Rob Thomson, Phillies


    Stephen Vogt has led the Guardians to the AL’s best record. (David Richard / USA Today)

    Here’s another impossible award to pick. I could easily have talked myself into Alex Cora, Matt Quatraro, Pat Murphy or Mike Shildt as the managers of the year — and then spun an eloquently convincing case for why you should pick them, too. But that’s not what I did. Was it? Instead …

    Stephen Vogt: I’ve said many times that Terry Francona was the greatest manager of his generation. So naturally, he retired and turned the Guardians over to a guy who had never managed … and Stephen Vogt then led that team to a better 90-game start than any team Francona ever managed — in Cleveland, Boston or Philadelphia.

    I haven’t changed my mind about Francona. But I’m blown away by the magic Vogt and his staff have worked with the Guardians. The youngest team in the league. A team we thought might make fewer home run trots than Aaron Judge. A team that has had almost everything about its vaunted rotation go wrong.

    Instead, that team has the best record in the American League. And the manager has his pulse on everything about it. Pretty cool story.

    Rob Thomson: I know this isn’t how us savvy baseball writers usually pick a manager of the year. Usually, we look at the standings, find the team we were most wrong about and conclude: Whoa, what a brilliant job that manager is doing, huh?

    But that doesn’t describe the Phillies’ manager at all. I don’t know how many of us thought the Phillies would have the best record in baseball right now, or would find themselves 9 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta. But we knew this team would be good, possibly great.

    I just think it’s time to recognize the manager’s big part in that success. Rob Thomson waited a lifetime to do this job. And from day one, he was so good at it. He can run a game and juggle a bullpen as if he’d been doing this as long as Tony La Russa. But that’s not his greatest talent.

    The word I keep coming back to is trust. I think about it all the time when I watch him go about his job and listen to him talk. He shows total trust in his players, often without saying a word, and they feel it.

    So, in a season in which the Phillies have lost J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and Taijuan Walker (among others) to injuries, they’ve gotten unforeseen mileage out of Garrett Stubbs, Rafael Marchán, Kody Clemens, David Dahl, Spencer Turnbull and a bunch of guys who were never supposed to be central figures on the best team in baseball.

    The manager makes them all feel like they’re a part of it. He promotes a clubhouse culture where the stars do that. There’s a calm about his team that’s unmistakable. And you can connect every one of those dots to the guy in the manager’s office. Amazing to think he spent three decades working in this sport and almost never got this chance.

    MY AL MANAGER OF THE HALF-YEAR TOP THREE: Vogt, Cora, Quatraro.

    MY NL MANAGER OF THE HALF-YEAR TOP THREE: Thomson, Murphy, Shildt.

    go-deeper

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    Baseball Hall of Fame tiers: Which active players are on course for Cooperstown?

    (Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photos: Aaron Judge: Stacy Revere / Getty Images; Chris Sale: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire / Associated Press)

    The New York Times

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  • The non-all-star All-Stars: Lindor, Gil and other MLB snubs at each position

    The non-all-star All-Stars: Lindor, Gil and other MLB snubs at each position

    Look, I know how these guys feel. Here at The Athletic, a handful of writers were chosen to wax poetic about the superstar players who made this year’s All-Star team. And the rest of us were left out, our rightful place on the roster outrageously overlooked due to some weird, overly complicated selection process.

    We are the snubs. And we’re all in this together.

    Here, then, is our non-all-star All-Star team, the most worthy players at each position who didn’t hear their names called Sunday night and were not — at least, so far — selected for the midsummer classic.

    Note: Starting position players are selected via fan vote, and players vote for eight pitchers plus one backup at each position. The league selects the final few players to round out the rosters, ensuring every team has a representative.

    Catcher

    Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants

    Neither league is carrying a third catcher this season (and it’s pretty easy to argue that each league picked the correct two guys behind the plate), but Bailey would have been a worthy addition (the league instead chose outfielder Heliot Ramos and ace Logan Webb as the Giants’ representatives). Throwing and framing metrics have Bailey as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, and wRC+ puts him basically on par with Salvador Perez offensively. Bailey debuted just last year. He’s going to make an All-Star team at some point.

    GO DEEPER

    Heliot Ramos, Logan Webb selected as the Giants representatives for the 2024 All-Star Game

    First base

    Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks

    A word of advice for anyone trying to make an All-Star team: Try not to play in the same league, at the same position, as Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman. Those two were selected to their eighth All-Star teams this season. Walker has yet to make one. He has the third-most homers in the NL (behind All-Star DHs Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna), and he ranks 10th in the NL in wRC+ (but that’s still behind both Harper and Freeman). Walker could still make the team if Harper’s hamstring strain keeps him out of the All-Star Game, but the Phillies seem to expect Harper to return this week.

    Second base

    Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

    WAR is not a perfect metric, but it’s useful shorthand for a player’s all-around impact. By the Baseball Reference version of WAR, Turang is the fourth-best player in the entire National League. The FanGraphs version isn’t quite so bullish, but it still has him 20th in the NL, which is 30 spots higher — and more than 1.5 WAR better — than the NL’s backup second baseman, Luis Arraez. Turang doesn’t have Arraez’s batting average, but he does have more power, more stolen bases and far superior defensive metrics. The players, though, chose Arraez.

    Shortstop

    Francisco Lindor, New York Mets

    Had Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (who’s missed considerable time with an injury) not been voted in as the NL starter, there might have been room for Lindor, who ranks seventh in the league in fWAR. But the Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz (as a replacement for injured Mookie Betts) was chosen by the players, and the league chose CJ Abrams as the lone representative of the Washington Nationals, which left no room for Lindor or Willy Adames of the Milwaukee Brewers. A total of 40 players have at least 2.5 fWAR so far this season, and nine of them are shortstops (11 if you count multi-positional Willi Castro of the Minnesota Twins and Josh Smith of the Texas Rangers). Shortstop snubs were inevitable, even with seven chosen between the two rosters.

    Third base

    Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

    Five third basemen rank in the top 18 in American League fWAR, and there simply wasn’t room for all of them on the roster. The fans voted for José Ramírez, the players voted for Rafael Devers, and the league chose Isaac Paredes as the Tampa Bay Rays’ representative. That left Westburg as the odd man out. He might have made it had he been listed as a second baseman — he’s played about a third of his games at second — but Westburg, Paredes and Smith have fairly similar numbers, and there just wasn’t room for all of them.

    Outfield

    Willi Castro, Minnesota Twins
    Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles
    Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets

    Castro doesn’t fit neatly onto an All-Star ballot. He’s played at least 20 games at five different positions — second base, third base, shortstop, center field, left field — sometimes getting turns at multiple spots in a single game. Despite all that moving around, he’s produced a 130 wRC+ and the sixth-highest fWAR among all qualified outfielders in either league. Yet, he didn’t make the AL team. Neither did Orioles rookie Cowser (or his teammate, Anthony Santander) or any number of defensive standouts (notably, Daulton Varsho of the Toronto Blue Jays). The NL outfield was a little more wide-open, but Nimmo had at least as good a case as any outfielder on the NL bench.


    Brent Rooker rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Orioles. (D. Ross Cameron / USA Today)

    Designated hitter

    Brent Rooker, Oakland A’s

    David Fry is one of the most surprising standouts of the first half. He’s made double-digit starts at catcher, left field and designated hitter — with a handful of innings at first base, third base and right field — and he’s helped keep the Guardians in first place with the 10th-best wRC+ among players with at least 200 plate appearances. Rooker, though, has similar offensive numbers (155 OPS+ to Fry’s 161) while getting almost 100 more plate appearances and hitting more than twice as many home runs (18 vs. 8).

    Starting pitchers

    Ronel Blanco, Houston Astros
    Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers
    Luis Gil, New York Yankees
    George Kirby, Seattle Mariners
    Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies

    If you last checked in three weeks ago, you might have assumed Gil was a lock for the AL staff. As of mid-June, he had a 2.03 ERA through 14 starts and seemed a worthy replacement for injured Gerrit Cole atop the Yankees’ rotation. But Gil’s past three starts — heading into a Sunday night matchup against the Red Sox — resulted in three straight losses and a 14.90 ERA, which pushed his season ERA down to 3.41, 15th-best in the AL. Four starters with an ERA below 3.00 failed to make either team (Blanco, Sánchez, Brady Singer of the Kansas City Royals and Jake Irvin of the Nationals). Same for the major-league leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio (Kirby) and the leader in xFIP (Flaherty) who also has the third-best strikeout rate and the fourth-best expected ERA. Inevitably, though, a few selected starters will opt out, which means some of the initial snubs will ultimately make it.

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    GO DEEPER

    Phillies exit Atlanta with 7 All-Stars, Schwarber and Harper back soon, and a debut to ponder

    Relief pitcher

    Trevor Megill, Milwaukee Brewers

    The first-place Brewers landed two players in the NL starting lineup, but no one on the bench (three of their infielders deserved consideration) and no one in the bullpen (they have the fourth-best bullpen ERA in the majors). Closer Megill and setup man Bryan Hudson rank fifth and sixth in Win Probability Added, and either one would have been a justifiable addition, but the NL Players’ Ballot selected two non-closers (Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman of the Philadelphia Phillies), forcing the league to use five of its six at-large spots to find lone representatives of the Mets (Pete Alonso), Nationals (Abrams), St. Louis Cardinals (Ryan Helsley), Chicago Cubs (Shota Imanaga) and Miami Marlins (Tanner Scott). The one truly at-large selection in the NL went to Webb.

    (Top photo of Francisco Lindor: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)

    The New York Times

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  • Instant observations: Phillies fall short after Taijuan Walker’s poor outing on Cole Hamels retirement night

    Instant observations: Phillies fall short after Taijuan Walker’s poor outing on Cole Hamels retirement night

    After returning home and nabbing a series victory over the San Diego Padres, the Phillies began a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks on what was Cole Hamels’ retirement night Friday. It was the first time the teams faced off since the Diamondbacks won two straight games on the very same field to win the 2023 National League Championship Series and send the Phillies home. After the Phillies received a shaky start from Taijuan Walker and squandered a few key opportunities, they fell to Arizona, 5-4. Here is what jumped out from the series opener:

    Cole Hamels honored in pregame ceremony

    Phillies icon Cole Hamels finally held his retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park before Friday night’s first pitch. Several former teammates and coaches of his — including Charlie Manuel, Carlos Ruiz, Jamie Moyer, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton — were present for the ceremony. 

    Hamels, who famously threw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in his final start with the Phillies, was given the pitching rubber and lineup card from that game by Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, who briefly teamed with Hamels and started for the Phillies the day after the no-hitter, and Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was on the Cubs at the time.

    Hamels delivered a speech in which he thanked the organization for taking a chance on him and the fans for believing in him. He recalled memories of the team’s glory days, particularly their World Series victory in 2008.

    Before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch — fittingly, the pitch was caught by Ruiz — Hamels turned toward the home team’s dugout on the first base line and said “now, it’s this team’s turn.”

    Taijuan Walker crashes back down to earth

    Walker missed the first month of the season due to an injury, and many were upset when his return to action sent Spencer Turnbull — who had starred in Walker’s absence — to the bullpen on a permanent basis. Walker’s first seven starts of the season only added fuel to that fire, as he posted a 5.73 ERA and allowed opposing hitters to slash .302/.371/.517 while failing to miss bats or induce weak contact.

    In his two most recent starts, though, Walker did show some progress. In the team’s London series against the New York Mets, he only allowed two hits across 5.2 innings, striking out six batters. He was charged with two earned runs, but they were runners who he left on base and reliever Gregory Soto allowed to score. Last week in Baltimore, Walker pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs against an extremely dangerous Orioles lineup. These were not exactly earth-shattering starts, but after looking incompetent for many of his outings in 2024, he at least started to look like a competent No. 5 starter.

    Against the Diamondbacks — the team Walker was upset he was never utilized against in October last year — boos rained down on the Phillies’ right-hander. He struggled mightily with command, and when his pitches were the strike zone, they looked to be right over the heart of the plate. Walker allowed three home runs in the first three innings of the game, and none of them were cheap shots.

    Walker’s final line Friday: 4.0 innings, five hits, four runs (all earned), three strikeouts and three walks on 77 pitches (42 strikes). His season-long ERA is now 5.60.

    Even before this game, Walker’s numbers — while accounting for his progress over his prior two starts — were jarring. His front-facing and underlying metrics told the same story: he entered the game with a 5.33 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, and the frequency with which he allowed hard contact indicated that these numbers were not the product of bad luck.

    Walker’s percentile ranks in various stats on Baseball Savant entering Friday night’s start:

    Stat Walker percentile
    Fastball velocity 10th
    Average exit velocity 1st
    Chase percentage 17th
    Whiff percentage 5th
    Strikeout percentage 29th
    Walk percentage 45th
    Barrel percentage 2nd
    Hard-hit percentage 1st

    These numbers are only going to get worse after Walker’s short but eventful start against the Diamondbacks. Some would argue that the Phillies have banked enough wins that it is tenable for them to put Walker on the mound every fifth day because he is still in just the second season of a four-year, $72 million contract. Others may claim that the time to pull the plug on Walker as a member of an otherwise-dominant starting rotation has already past.

    Trea Turner swats no-doubter for first home run since return from injury

    Turner was activated from the Injured List on Monday after missing nearly six weeks of action due to a hamstring strain. In the third inning on Friday, he obliterated a baseball into the left field seats; his third home run of the season and his first since returning to play.

    Turner’s two-run shot traveled 429 feet, and its exit velocity of 110.6 miles per hour represented his hardest-hit ball of the season — nearly topping his hardest-hit ball as a member of the Phillies (110.8 miles per hour). Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not even move:

    Turner’s on-base skills have been terrific in 2024; he entered Friday’s game with a .340 batting average and .386 on-base percentage. (It is a much smaller sample size than most players have at this point of the season, but Turner’s batting average would easily lead all major-league players if he qualified for league leaderboards and his on-base percentage would be tied for 10th-best among all hitters.) But the Phillies’ lineup would become considerably more dangerous if its two-hole hitter could tap into the power that helps make him unique at the shortstop position and allowed him to have a torrid end to last season.

    Phillies fall short, lose 5-4

    The Phillies’ best chance to take control of the game came in the seventh inning. Trailing 4-2, they were handed a rally: Arizona reliever Kevin Ginkel walked David Dahl and Rafael Marchán in consecutive plate appearances, so the Diamondbacks brought in left-hander Joe Mantiply, who promptly walked Kyle Schwarber on four pitches — loading the bases for Turner with one out. Turner legged out a run-scoring infield single after the ball was bobbled by Arizona second baseman Blaze Alexander, and the sellout crowd was deafening as Bryce Harper came to the plate.

    On the first pitch of the at-bat, Harper poked a ground ball right back to Mantiply, who seamlessly started an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. Just like that, all of the juice had been sucked out of the stadium.

    Nick Castellanos hit a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, but only after Seranthony Domínguez had allowed the Diamondbacks to score an insurance run on a run-scoring single from shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.

    Ultimately, the Phillies’ offense did not have enough to overcome Walker’s poor start. Dating back to October of 2023, they have lost three consecutive home games to these Diamondbacks.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

    Adam Aaronson

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  • MLB City Connect: All 29 uniforms ranked, from the so-so to the sublime

    MLB City Connect: All 29 uniforms ranked, from the so-so to the sublime

    Editor’s note: This column has been updated to include the Los Angeles Dodgers’ second City Connect entry, which was introduced Monday afternoon.

    When the Minnesota Twins took the field last Friday, they became the 28th team to debut their MLB City Connect uniforms, capping off the first round of Nike’s planned three-year cycle of city-inspired fits. (It will begin again this week as the Dodgers debut their second iteration.) The two teams not participating in this round were the New York Yankees, who don’t mess around with their classic look, and the Oakland Athletics, who are in a complicated situation with the city they are supposed to connect with.

    Eight teams debuted new uniforms this season: the Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers,  New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

    GO DEEPER

    MLB City Connect series: All 20 uniforms ranked, including the newest ones from 2023

    With each new uniform set introduced, many opinions have been espoused online and at the ballpark. All versions seem to have their detractors and defenders, stirring up purists and progressives alike.

    It’s hard to find a consensus for something like this, but our panel — featuring MLB writers C. Trent Rosecrans, Tyler Kepner and Stephen J. Nesbitt and Culture writer Jason Jones — took the baton from last year’s cohort and made a case for its favorites, discussing the good, the bad and the ugly of the complete City Connect slate.

    Our writers ranked each uniform using a scoring system of 1-30 (1 being the best), and those totals then were averaged and ranked. Here are their takes:


    Joe Kelly. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)

    The uniforms, in addition to showing love to the Hispanic community, celebrate Fernando Valenzuela and his outstanding rookie season in 1981, which resulted in a World Series championship.

    On-field debut: Aug. 20, 2021

    C. Trent Rosecrans (29): Just lazy. While I’m not an all-out hater of dark jerseys on dark pants, the switch to white pants from blue pants was an improvement. But the fact they needed to change it tells you all you need to know about how much effort was put into these.

    Tyler Kepner (29): With all of Hollywood to use as a theme, slapping “Los Dodgers” on a blue jersey (over blue pants, no less) was almost aggressively dull.

    Stephen J. Nesbitt (29): Odds are, if you go to a game at Dodger Stadium and sit at least 10 rows back, you’ll forget these are City Connects. It’s hard to miss them when they’re gone if you barely noticed them in the first place.

    Jason Jones (16): I like “Los Dodgers” but as a Los Angeles native, “Los Doyers” would have been better. They’re not terrible, but not great. Kinda in the middle. More black on the jersey might have helped.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Dodgers unveil Fernandomania ‘City Connect’ uniforms

    28. Detroit Tigers (24.75)


    Tarik Skubal. (Junfu Han / USA Today)

    An homage to the Motor City’s ingenuity, these unis feature several car-inspired details, including tire treads, VIN tags and road signs.

    On-field debut: May 10, 2024

    Rosecrans: (26): At least in other hype videos, they pretend to like the new uniforms, but in this one half the people are wearing regular Tigers gear and they rap about the Old English D, which only has a cameo on the uniform’s sleeve patch. The tire tracks look like the people wearing this have been run over, which may be an appropriate metaphor for the last decade or so of Tigers baseball, but it’s hardly inspiring.

    Kepner (27): This predictable “Motor City” theme is begging for the Jaws of Life. It’s yet another dark jersey over dark pants combo, with a cap that looks like a mid-level prize option at a carnival.

    Nesbitt (27): In case the “Motor City” nickname didn’t get the theme across, you’ve got tire tracks down the placket (?), a VIN tag on the cap and helmet (??), and a sleeve patch designed like the M-1 road sign (???). We get it! Cars! It could have been worse, I guess. Shocked that the designers didn’t just slap “SOUTH DETROIT” across the chest while they were at it.

    Jones (19): I’m fine with “Motor City” but it goes overboard with the car references. Who wants a jersey with tire marks?! Might as well have used a license plate for names on the back.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Behind the Tigers’ City Connect jersey design: Paying homage to the Motor City


    Connor Joe. (Charles LeClaire / USA Today)

    Incorporating the colors of black and gold is a Pittsburgh sports thing. Also, notice in the shirt the asteroid, which references the city’s “steelmark” logo.

    On-field debut: June 27, 2023

    Nesbitt (25): These are bright and loud, but not novel. Going with black and yellow in a city where every team wears black and yellow is safe. That’s fine. But this franchise has a rich history of interesting and unusual uniforms from which inspiration could have been drawn.

    Kepner (16): The yellow-over-black works really well; it’s the combo the Pirates wore in their last World Series victory, Game 7 in 1979 World Series. But “PGH” is just so lazy. Give us a new pirate, or go back to that rugged rapscallion from ’79.

    Rosecrans (28): There’s no better example of being so close yet so far away than this thing. It’s much like the Braves in that it’s almost more of a throwback than a City Connect, but at least the Braves’ uniform looks good on its own. This does not.

    Jones (29): I guess it’s illegal for teams from Pittsburgh to not wear black and yellow. The huge “PGH” feels like someone’s initials. These are too basic.

    26. Philadelphia Phillies (23.5)


    Bryson Stott. (Bill Streicher / USA Today)

    Taking its palette from the city’s official flag, the blue-and-yellow kit incorporates some of Philly’s most famous historical iconography.

    On-field debut: April 12, 2024

    Nesbitt (23): These were billed as “unapologetically Philly.” Nothing says Philly like a font pulled from our founding fathers’ documents. Nothing says Philly like a disconcerting blue gradient. Nothing says Philly like a numeral style that makes Trea Turner’s number look like a question mark. So edgy. So historic. So unapologetically Philly.

    Rosecrans (20): This is one where I think it’s important to see the uniform on the field. I defended this when it was announced and we saw the studio pictures. I was wrong. Seeing this on the field, it’s, well, a series of choices. The biggest difference between glamor shots and game action is just how utterly ridiculous the gradient from blue to black looks with the jersey going into the pants. The hat is elite, but it’s not enough to save everything beneath it.

    Kepner (26): The stylish caps can’t save this hot mess. From the jagged wordmark to the bizarre numerals to the ridiculous color scheme, it’s a certified phiasco. According to the official press release, “Philly has always been a place unafraid to revolutionize, start anew and work hard to make change.” Maybe so, but it’s also a place that sees through pandering nonsense like this.

    Jones (25): Nothing about these really makes me think “Philly.” I guess the Liberty Bell on the hat? Keep this uniform on Phillie Phanatic and I’m fine. It looks like a costume for the mascot.


    Brett Wisely. (Sergio Estrada / USA Today)

    The Golden Gate Bridge is on the sleeves of the jersey. There’s also a story with the fog gradient throughout the uniform.

    On-field debut: July 9, 2021

    Kepner (14): There was real potential here with the bridge-and-fog theme. It’s a clean look, but without another color, it seems unfinished. Subtle black accents would have punched it up.

    Rosecrans (19): These have always looked incomplete to me. Still do.

    Nesbitt (28): Devastatingly poor execution. Using fog as a gradient theme is, in theory, an inspired choice. But these come out looking awkward and cheap. The bridges look bad. The fonts of the “SF” and “G” logos clash. It all just looks like a big L.

    Jones (27): Players look like containers of orange sherbet on the field. The bridge had real potential if these were designed knowing the A’s would be leaving Oakland after this season. Welp, it’s a swing and a miss.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    San Francisco Giants’ City Connect uniforms feature Golden Gate Bridge, fog


    Gunnar Henderson. (Tommy Gilligan / USA Today)

    Basic black uniforms connecting with the city’s arts culture courtesy of mosaic designs. “You can’t clip these wings.”

    On-field debut: May 26, 2023

    Rosecrans (11): My initial reaction was that it was a bit generic, as if it should have a UPC sleeve patch, but it’s grown on me. It’s fine.

    Kepner (21): It’s a boring jersey — the kaleidoscope of colors is mostly hidden on the inside collars and sleeves — but the set looks much better now that the team has switched from black pants to white. The “B” on the hat is sharp; they should use this style (rendered in orange), as their alternate insignia instead of “O’s,” with its upside-down apostrophe.

    Nesbitt (26): At least the Reds tried. The Orioles’ all-black unis are readable, but the only interesting elements are the socks and the sleeve piping.

    Jones (28): Yawn. The colorful parts are barely noticeable.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Unveiling the Orioles’ City Connect uniforms: Odd, slightly clever, underwhelming


    Jordan Wicks. (Matt Marton / USA Today)

    In an attempt to unite Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, “Wrigleyville” was born.

    On-field debut: June 12, 2021

    Kepner (19): I like how the “Wrigleyville” lettering mimics the famous marquee outside the ballpark. But those dark pants — ugh! They should ditch them for white pants with a stripe of green Wrigley ivy crawling up the side.

    Rosecrans (23): I lump this one with the White Sox because they both look more like bad souvenir stand jerseys than actual uniforms. The use of the star from the Chicago flag inside the C on the cap is solid, but that can’t make up for the rest.

    Nesbitt (21): For such a storied franchise, in an iconic stadium and a colorful city, this is remarkably unspectacular. If I were a Cubs fan going to a game and they were wearing this boring all-blue (yet not Cubbie blue) uni, I’d be bummed.

    Jones (18): It’s not bad. It’s also not spectacular. I don’t hate it. But it doesn’t do much for me.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Cubs unveil Wrigleyville ‘City Connect’ uniforms

    22. Minnesota Twins (20.0)


    Jorge Alcala. (Matt Krohn / USA Today)

    The blue and yellow color scheme and ripple pattern on the jersey pay tribute to the elements of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

    On-field debut: June 14, 2024

    Kepner (28): There’s so much they could have done to weave in the natural beauty of a Minnesota summer, but by plunging into the deep waters of a “ripple effect,” the whole thing drowns. As for the postal code “MN” wordmark, I’d stamp it: RETURN TO SENDER.

    Rosecrans (21): This has big end-of-the-cycle energy, when all enthusiasm for a project is over and you just want to put something out so it’s done. While not terrible, it’s just … there. Here are a few suggestions I think could help:

    1. White pants.
    2. Remove “10,000 LAKES” from the side of the hat.
    3. Sleeve patch as primary logo.

    Boom. You’re not getting an A if you make those changes, but you don’t have to worry about bringing down your final grade so far that it gets uneasy.

    Nesbitt (16): Forgot how many lakes? It’s on the side of your cap, in 10,000-point font.

    Jones (15): Fan of the details on the jersey, even though these could be mistaken as knock-off Seattle Mariners jerseys at a glance. A top-tier decision would have been to go with purple for Prince.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    ‘They are sick’: Twins ditch traditional colors as City Connect jerseys finally unveiled


    Justin Verlander. (Troy Taormina / USA Today)

    Houston has a respected reputation for its space education. “Space City” has similar font as the NASA logo from the 1970s.

    On-field debut: April 20, 2022

    Kepner (20): Do people in Houston ever say they’re from “Space City”? Wouldn’t that name work better for a self-storage facility? I love the lettering and numerals, which evoke the NASA wordmark. But given the Astros’ history of innovation — like the glorious “Tequila Sunrise” jerseys of the 1970s-80s — they should have used something more whimsical than navy-over-navy.

    Nesbitt (11): Each element of this City Connect uni is, on its own, quite agreeable. The yellow-to-orange gradient is everywhere from the cap to the socks. The NASA “worm” font is fun. The uni number on the pants is a nice throwback touch. But the dark blue background steals from all that goodness. If Nike reprints this as a white jersey, it would soar up these rankings.

    Rosecrans (22): When Ronel Blanco was throwing his no-hitter, I was distracted by the way the placket fell between letters and looked like it said “SPACIE CITY.” I like elements of this one, but it’s just too much blue. Maybe using an orange hat, or at least an orange crown with a blue bill would break up all the blue a little.

    Jones (20): The colors are great. Space City? I could do without that. How about “H-Town” on the front? The “H” on the hat is the best part.

    20. New York Mets (18.0)


    Jose Quintana. (Brad Penner / USA Today)

    An homage to all boroughs, these unis take inspiration from the people, bridges and transit that power the city. 

    On-field debut: April 27, 2024

    Kepner (15): It’s better up close than in action, because the names and numbers are hard to read in the black-over-dark-gray style. I love the bridge on the hats and helmets, but they should have leaned into the purple a little more, especially for the cap emblem.

    Rosecrans (13): They look better on the field — the purple accents are great — but the helmet alone bumps up their ranking. While I don’t like the bridge motif on the hat, I love it on the batting helmet. The best part is the subway map in the lining of the hat. As is the case with too many of the City Connects, the best parts are hidden from view.

    Nesbitt (22): Why go with “NYC” across the chest? “Queens” is right there. It’s only faintly Metsy. And it’s a flop, for me.

    Jones (22): The “NYC” style lettering and colors remind me of a Negro Leagues jersey. Feels like this was a missed opportunity not going with “Queens” and leaning more into the purple accents. More Queensbridge could have led to a great partnership with rap legend Nas.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Behind the Mets’ new City Connect jersey design: Why is it NYC instead of Queens?

    19. Toronto Blue Jays (17.75)


    Tim Mayza. (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)

    These ‘Night Mode’ themed uniforms feature vibrant colors meant to reflect Toronto’s energetic nightlife and illuminated skyline.   

    On-field debut: May 31, 2024

    Kepner (24): White outlines could have accentuated the fun skyline motif, but without them, we’re left with an illegible blur from more than a few feet away. And have I mentioned that black jersey/black pants is a tired act?

    Rosecrans (16): The evolution of my reaction to this one:

    Hat leaks: So good! This could be the best one yet!

    Jersey leaks: So bad! This could be the worst one yet!

    Official release: Oh yeah, not good.

    On-field debut: Better than expected.

    Nesbitt (19): Cool colors. Entirely illegible. Rinse, repeat.

    Jones (12): I really like the design. It probably would have worked better against a white, gray or light blue backdrop, but I still like it. Maybe it is just because I really like Toronto as a city and seeing the skyline makes me happy.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Blue Jays unveil City Connect uniforms


    Jesús Tinoco. (Jim Cowsert / USA Today)

    The uniform is a nod to Texas’ independence day. The jersey also features a peagle, a mythical creature blended from the minor-league logos of the Dallas Eagles and Fort Worth Cats (originally called the Panthers).

    On-field debut: April 21, 2023

    Kepner (12): The hat is a jumbled mess, and the number “0” looks weird, but this set does have an 1800s-Texas kind of vibe; you could picture a cowboy wearing it as he struts through the double doors of a saloon. Also, they created an animal! It’s a panther-eagle mix called a peagle. I’m all in on the peagle.

    Rosecrans (10): I think this uniform is similar to my feelings about the movie “Talladega Nights” — the parts are better than the whole. You can tell a team is onto something when the merchandise associated with the uniform is more successful than the uniform itself. If the peagle hoodie were black instead of navy, I’d already own it.

    Nesbitt (24): When the headliner of your City Connect is the mythical creature you created for a sleeve patch, and the warm-up act is a lid with a hilariously oversized “TX,” you’ve swung and missed.

    Jones (24): Looks like the jersey was meant to be worn with Wrangler jeans and an oversized belt buckle. Don’t get me started on the peagle. It just confuses me.


    Justin Martinez. (Joe Camporeale / USA Today)

    “El Camino de las Serpientes”: The way of the serpent. These uniforms show love to the Sonoran Desert and Arizona’s Hispanic culture.

    On-field debut: June 18, 2021

    Nesbitt (20): The “Serpientes” script is nice. Really nice. But there’s a missed opportunity for a snake logo on the cap, and overall the uniform is overwhelmed by the desert-sand backdrop.

    Rosecrans (18): There are maybe five people on Earth who remember the movie “Megaforce,” but it was some weird early-80s paramilitary fantasy movie that featured some weird desert camouflage and everything was that sand color. This reminds me of what Megaforce’s softball uniforms would look like. That’s not a compliment.

    Kepner (25): I can see what they’re going for with the sand color scheme, but they take it too far when they use it for the pants, too. Credit, at least, for using the Spanish word for “snakes” rather than the lazy “Los _______” format we often see in MLB and the NBA.

    Jones (7): “Serpientes” on the jersey is one of the best things in the City Connect series. Especially with a snake used to spell out the word. It also leans into the Hispanic culture of the region, and the gold jersey is different.

    16. St. Louis Cardinals (16.75)


    Dylan Carlson. (Jeff Curry / USA Today)

    A more traditional and understated take on a City Connect, save for the center-stage homage to St. Louis’ favorite son, Nelly.

    On-field debut: May 25, 2024

    Nesbitt (18): Having studied all 28 designs, I’ve come to appreciate a safe approach. This looks like a Cardinals jersey. It’s not better than what they already have, but not atrocious, either.

    Kepner (18): What a shame they didn’t perch the birds on the Gateway Arch, as designer Cameron Guzzo suggested on Instagram. And while the younger demographic in St. Louis might use the phrase “The Lou,” to everyone else, it means “the bathroom.”

    Rosecrans (27): Milquetoast and uninspired. It’s a spring training jersey and an airport souvenir stand hat.

    Jones (4): Nelly’s music introduced me to St. Louis culture in the early 2000s. He said, “I’m from The Lou and I’m proud!” So just like “The A” for Atlanta, this Cardinals jersey resonates. This isn’t overly creative, and I’m fine with it.

    What can I say? City nicknames on City Connect jerseys work for me — except for Space City.


    William Contreras. (Benny Sieu / USA Today)

    “Brew Crew” always has been a team nickname. MKE is the abbreviation for Milwaukee’s international airport. Look closely and notice the city’s area code within the MKE.

    On-field debut: June 24, 2022

    Nesbitt (12): I like these! The grill is genuinely great. The caps are a bit of a bother. I once came home from Milwaukee with a free Brewers T–shirt that had “MKE” across the chest. No one knew what it meant. Stop trying to make airport codes happen.

    Kepner (13): The MKE/414 mashup and the pointy wordmark don’t do it for me. I’d have preferred an all-out, gut-busting tribute to sausage varieties. Nothing goes better with brew.

    Rosecrans (24): I’ve always hated “Brew Crew” as a nickname, but it’s even worse seeing it here. The airport code/area code hat logo is just too forced and jumbled. This one would jump about five places if the hat used the same grill logo that’s on the sleeve.

    Jones (11): Brew Crew is one of the more fun nicknames in baseball (I know Rosecrans disagrees). The “MKE” on the hat isn’t my favorite, but the colors are vibrant and different enough from the usual Brewers look for me.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Brewers reveal new City Connect uniforms

    14. Cincinnati Reds (14.75)


    Alexis Diaz. (Katie Stratman / USA Today)

    Cincinnati’s uniforms represent a modern-day visual of the city. Looking to the past is the opposite of what they tried to do here.

    On-field debut: May 19, 2023

    Rosecrans (2): Yep, I’m going full-on homer with this one. I was skeptical when I first heard that the Reds’ City Connect was going to be all black, in part because I hate the black drop shadows on the Reds’ regular uniforms … but man, it’s been a breath of fresh air, even for a team that wore 29 uniform combinations in one season.

    Nesbitt (17): The all-black look is fabulous in studio lighting or framed on your wall. But designers need to take pains to make an all-black uniform work in games, and this doesn’t pass that test. The “CINCY” and number font are unreadable.

    Kepner (23): Black hats, black jersey, black pants — lighten up, guys! The new logo is a nifty, modern twist on the classic wishbone-C, but the whole thing is just too dark.

    Jones (17): The cap is cool, but the more I look at it, the more the uniform reminds me of something I’d create in a video game.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Reds’ City Connect uniforms give an often nostalgic team opportunity to look forward

    13. Tampa Bay Rays (14.25)


    Yandy Diaz. (Mady Mertens / USA Today)

    A skateboard-influenced design meant to evoke the counterculture energy of the team’s home.

    On-field debut: May 3, 2024

    Rosecrans (3): I ordered my hat the day it was announced. I absolutely love it. The green accents are fantastic and I think if the numbers were that same color and more visible, this might take the top spot. The hat logo is the best the Rays have ever had and it should exist well beyond the three-year cycle.

    Kepner (22): Using black letters and black numbers on black jerseys makes no sense. Paired predictably with black pants, the whole thing just looks like a black void from a distance, like a Spinal Tap album cover. And yes, I understand that referencing a 40-year-old movie proves the point that these unis are made for a younger generation.

    Nesbitt (9): Stitch for stitch, this is one of the coolest designs yet, with a dope logo, a cap tip to skateboard culture and neon flourishes all over. Worn best when players are decked out in colorful belts, sleeves and high socks. Without those, the look loses much of its sizzle.

    Jones (23): I feel the glow with this one. I don’t mean that in a good way. Reminds me way too much of the New Orleans Pelicans’ fusion of black and neon this season, which I was not too fond of either.

    12. Los Angeles Dodgers II (13.25)


    Freddie Freeman. (Courtesy of Jon SooHoo / Los Angeles Dodgers)

    A second wave of City Connect Dodgers uniforms pays homage to the city and its ties to the organization since moving from Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1958 — including the front workmark and the number typefaces.

    On-field debut date: June 22, 2024

    Rosecrans (25): What do you get when you combine the branding of Disney and Pop Tarts? Well, the new Dodgers Brand Connect! But hey, at least they didn’t make it “The Doyers.”

    Kepner (8): You gotta love the nonsensical “storytelling” that accompanies each of these uniforms. The Dodgers say their front typeface has an “upward trajectory (that) speaks to the city’s pursuit of what’s above and beyond.” Also, that upward trajectory looks exactly like the DirecTV typeface. The uniforms feature a “galaxy of stars,” we’re told, which represent “the brilliance and diversity of Los Angeles.” Also, they look like sprinkles on an ice cream cone. Laughable explanations aside, I actually really like this one, as City Connects go. As a one-off, the name-under-number style on the back is kind of fun, and the Dodgers still look like the Dodgers, which is more than most teams can say.

    Nesbitt (15): For a second effort, it’s not a home run. But the sprinkles look should at least sell well at the team store, and the cap logo, name-on-back positioning and color scheme are all moderately interesting elements.

    Jones (5): This is a much better effort. Love the blend of the old and the new. The blending of the “LA” and “D” is nice. The look feels very Hollywood and futuristic. It’s baseball meets “Star Trek.” The hat is the best part, but I like the overall look.


    Kenley Jansen. (Bob DeChiara / USA Today)

    Going against the grain — no red — Boston pays homage to Patriots’ Day, as well as the Boston Marathon.

    On-field debut: April 17, 2021

    Rosecrans (8): You know the theory about how your first pizza will always be your ideal pizza? This is kind of like that — it was the first City Connect and as such, it’s what I think of when I think of the City Connect. That said, I still actually like it. While it’s a huge departure, it makes sense with so many of the Patriots’ Day touches and the marathon. I like that it’s completely different and is more about the city than the ballclub.

    Kepner (17): Yes, these are the colors of the Boston Marathon. So maybe do it as a one-off on Patriots’ Day. Any more than that, and it’s out of step for a city and ballpark with many more sources of inspiration.

    Nesbitt (14): As a two-time Boston Marathon attendee (not to brag), I think this is a cool idea and unique look. But there’s so much history in Boston — and so much Red Sox uni history — that I think if designers took another crack at this, they’d come up with something more evergreen.

    Jones (13): No red on a Red Sox jersey is bold. I’m sure there’s a UCLA alum somewhere with this cap who doesn’t care that it represents Boston or has anything to do with the Boston Marathon.


    Hunter Renfroe. (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)

    Dark blue meshing with light blue. It’s a tip of the cap to why it’s called the “City of Fountains.”

    On-field debut: April 30, 2022

    Kepner (10): A rare conservative offering with the KC emblem patterned on the city flag and rendered like a fountain. And this has my favorite unseen element: “HEY HEY HEY HEY” on the inside collar, in tribute to the Beatles’ Little Richard cover that plays after every home win.

    Nesbitt (13): This one doesn’t demand deep analysis. The fountain-inspired logo is neat, but the overall look doesn’t sing. It’s all right, but tame for an alternate. Nothing grabs your attention.

    Rosecrans (17): Nez is right.

    Jones (10): I’m a big fan of the color scheme. Give me all shades of blue.

    9. Cleveland Guardians (12.25)


    José Ramírez. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)

    The classic color scheme, textured pattern and Art Deco influences are a nod to Cleveland’s famous Guardians of Traffic.

    On-field debut: May 17, 2024

    Kepner (1): I’ve felt all along that the Guardians should do more with the actual “guardians” — the bridge statue figures near the ballpark — to help folks embrace the 2021 rebrand. It’s hard to rally around a “flying G” insignia, after all, and this set includes a new logo that should become permanent. As for the uniform itself, the racing stripes are a welcome callback to the “Major League” era, the art deco font is classy, and I love how they weave little home plates into the CLE lettering.

    Rosecrans (14): One of the things I’ve liked about the City Connects is trying to get away from the tired red, white and blue color scheme that is too prominent in baseball. Cleveland had a chance to do something new when they renamed themselves but just did the same old, same old.

    Nesbitt (8): The more I see this one in action, the better it is. Each element is distinct and in agreement with the rest of the design. No one’s asking for the organization to lean harder into the “Guardians of Traffic” bridge pillars, but I’m digging the Art Deco font and the 1990s vibes.

    Jones (26): I imagine it’s not easy figuring out what to do with the Guardians’ name because there isn’t much history with it yet. They tried, but ultimately these feel like the pants from the movie “Major League” and a jersey that’s still in the works.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Behind Guardians’ City Connect design: A nod to an iconic Cleveland landmark

    8. Chicago White Sox (8.75)


    Jared Shuster. (Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)

    Dark gray, white pinstripes and gothic font prove to be a winner. Notice the “Chi” — also in gothic lettering — where “Sox” normally is on the cap.

    On-field debut: June 5, 2021

    Kepner (9): The White Sox claimed black-and-white as their color scheme in late 1990, and they’ve owned that look ever since, setting a trend that far too many teams have clumsily tried to imitate. I’ll make one exception for dark-jersey-over-dark-pants, and this is it.

    Nesbitt (10): It’s very White Sox. If you like that, great. If you don’t, you still probably find this design inoffensive.

    Rosecrans (15): I get why they did it and why some people like it, but it looks like a knock-off White Sox jersey you’d find on a clearance rack. And the hat? Huge downgrade, even if it’s just the three letters. It seemed cool when they did it, but it hasn’t aged well.

    Jones (1): The black White Sox jerseys have long been a favorite. My affinity goes back to Snoop Dogg wearing a team jacket in the “Deep Cover” video in 1992, followed by Dr. Dre wearing the cap in the “Nuthin But A G Thang” video. I’m not from Southside Chicago, but if I was, I’d proudly wear this jersey to the ballpark.


    Kevin Pillar. (Kiyoshi Mio / USA Today)

    There’s a California beach theme within these uniforms. The left sleeve has asymmetrical stripes that remind some of retro surfboards.

    On-field debut: June 11, 2022

    Kepner (3): This feels straight out of SoCal in the ’60s, when the Angels arrived on the scene. The swirly, bubbly letters, the beach-blanket sleeve stripes — it looks like something you’d see on “Gidget.” Fun, fun, fun.

    Nesbitt (4): Just delightful. It’s simple yet sharp, winking at the surf and skate culture while not completely throwing out the classic Angels look.

    Rosecrans (6): You could’ve told me this was the team’s new everyday uniform and I’d just think they upgraded. It doesn’t feel City Connect-y enough but it’s hard to knock it for being just a good, solid baseball uniform. And hey, it’s better than the Dodgers, and how often can you say that about the Angels?

    Jones (21): Feels very old-school in a way that doesn’t work for me. Could it be my Dodgers bias? Probably. I don’t like the Angels claiming Los Angeles from Orange County. Lean into Anaheim and the OC next time.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Angels unveil City Connect jerseys on a beach

    6. Seattle Mariners (7.5)


    Luis Castillo. (Stephen Brashear / USA Today)

    This uniform honors the city’s original MLB team, the Pilots, and it features Mount Rainier on the sleeve and a trident on the cap.

    On-field debut: May 5, 2023

    Nesbitt (1): There’s this line from a radio program I listened to as a kid: If you’re going to borrow, borrow from the best. That’s what the Mariners have done, bringing the Seattle Pilots back to life. For all the wildness, weirdness and wackiness of Seattle baseball, the Pilots got the look right. The trident logo. The chest font. The piping. Chef’s kiss.

    Kepner (6): The jersey and hat are so sharp that the black pants (while horrible) don’t ruin it for me. The 1969 Pilots and the early Mariners teams didn’t win very much, but I’m always in favor of honoring a city’s baseball history. And I’m a sucker for the trident.

    Rosecrans (9): I love the Pilots-inspired wordmark, but I don’t like the black, especially on the bill of the cap. There are very few caps I like where the bill is a different color than the crown and going from the blue to the black is jarring. There is just way too much black and blue together for me.

    Jones (14): The cap is top-notch. It’s my favorite part of the uniform. The colors and font on the chest are all nice touches. And it’s a bit of a throwback. That’s big for someone who loves throwback jerseys and still wears them when relaxing.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    ‘My Oh My’: Mariners’ City Connect uniforms capture essence of future nostalgia


    Ha-Seong Kim. (Denis Poroy / USA Today)

    A binational fan base is celebrated with these uniforms. Many of the team’s fans hail from San Diego, Tijuana, Mexico and Baja California.

    On-field debut: July 8, 2022

    Nesbitt (5): Wonderfully whimsical color scheme. Bravo. Pink and mint dominate the design. There’s yellow trim and name-on-back lettering, and most accessories seem to be yellow. It’s a lot. But it all works on the white uni. Different sleeve colors — who woulda thought!

    Rosecrans (7): I’m not sure this would work anywhere else, but in San Diego it’s fantastic.

    Kepner (11): Before they finally switched back to brown, the Padres’ uniforms had gotten so maddeningly boring that I can’t complain about their wacky City Connects. These uniforms are pretty silly, but they’re also lively and fun. Nothing wrong with that.

    Jones (6): This is perfectly San Diego. That’s the best way to summarize this look.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Padres release City Connect uniforms


    Lane Thomas. (Geoff Burke / USA Today)

    “Back in bloom”: The Nationals use a well-known signature of the city in their alternate uniforms.

    On-field debut: April 9, 2022

    Rosecrans (4): Pink is underutilized in sports uniforms. Gray has been overutilized, especially in the last decade. These two work in harmony on this gorgeous set. While I’m not a fan of airport codes (or what looks like airport codes) on uniforms, the rest is enough to make up for it. (If they’d just used “DC” on the breast, it’d be an easy No. 1 for me.)

    Kepner (7): The cherry blossoms work perfectly here — distinctively D.C. and a new element to a baseball uniform. The pink-and-gray combo is a welcome contrast to Nike’s default dark, tough-guy costumes. Don’t love “WSH” though.

    Nesbitt (7): Heartbreaking that this set is going away after the 2024 season. It’s a beauty.

    Jones (8): I’m usually meh with gray uniforms. For some reason, I like the pink and gray combo. It’s a great combination for a suit-and-tie for church and works surprisingly well for the uniform.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Nationals reveal new City Connect jerseys

    3. Atlanta Braves (5.5)


    Matt Olson. (Mady Mertens / USA Today)

    Hank Aaron chasing his 715th home run in 1974 reminds many of this uniform. “The A” offers a look of nostalgia for older fans. 

    On-field debut: April 8, 2023

    Kepner (5): You’ve gotta appreciate a uniform that honors Hank Aaron breaking the home run record in 1974. I’ve never cared for the lowercase “a” from those caps, so I love that they replace it here with the current “A.” Extremely well done.

    Nesbitt (2): Most City Connects feel as if the design process began with outlawing anything remotely signature about the team’s current look. Not here. Crisp white unis with blue and red accents and hidden tributes to Hammerin’ Hank? Looks sublime. That’s all I care about here.

    Rosecrans (12): So close to being good — the ’70s Braves uniforms are gorgeous. But there’s something about the unoriginality that makes me dislike it. But what I really dislike is the “The A.” I think there’s a difference between City Connects, throwbacks and alternates. This one is more throwback than City Connect.

    Jones (3): Adding “The” next to the “A” puts this one over the top and makes it one of the best of the bunch. Almost all my friends say they are going to “The A” and not Atlanta. I know this is a tribute to Hank Aaron, but “The A” gives it just the right amount of modern flavor.


    Josh Bell. (Rhona Wise / USA Today)

    The uniform is a slightly modified tribute to the Cuban Sugar Kings, a Triple-A team that won a championship in 1959.

    On-field debut: May 21, 2021

    Rosecrans (1): Wonderful. No notes. Better than what they normally wear and anything they’ve worn before. The story makes it even better.

    Kepner (4): It’s the only red jersey I can think of with white pinstripes, so it pulls off the rare trick of being unique yet uncluttered. Love the crown on the cap.

    Nesbitt (6): The crown logos are a nod to the Havana Sugar Kings, a Cuban team that was the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A affiliate from 1954 to 1960. It’s bold and it works. Miami, baby!

    Jones (9): I’m a sucker for jerseys with heavy historical connections. The nod to the Havana Sugar Kings is a winner here. The colors are bold, as they should be when representing Miami.


    Ryan Feltner. (Rhona Wise / USA Today)

    The Rocky Mountains, a predominantly green appearance and the letter font have these uniforms looking similar to the state of Colorado’s license plate.

    On-field debut: June 4, 2022

    Kepner (2): It doesn’t try to do too much: it’s the Colorado license plate, with matching wordmark and mountain range — not Rockies colors, but richly evocative of the state. Bonus points for the clever flourish of a double-black diamond ski patch on the sleeve.

    Nesbitt (3): I don’t want an alternate uniform that feels like it was drawn up by a dozen creatives in a conference room. I want one that feels like it came from the days when everyone sent in designs to the local newspaper, and a sixth grader would win with something garish and unreasonable and … perfect. That’s what this is. A beer-league softball uniform in the big leagues.

    Rosecrans (5): The hat looks like it was made by Patagonia and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I liked them better with the green pants, which is probably an unpopular opinion. Green is underused in baseball, so it’s nice to see it.

    Jones (2): This is nothing like the traditional Rockies uniform. No black, gray or purple and that’s what makes this edition stand out. It’s distinctly Colorado from the cap on down. No complaints here.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Rockies unveil City Connect alt uniform

    (Illustration by Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos by Megan Briggs and Scott Kane / Getty Images, and Nic Antaya / MLB Photos)

    The New York Times

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  • From Dairy Daddies to Trash Pandas: How branding creates fans for lower-league baseball teams

    From Dairy Daddies to Trash Pandas: How branding creates fans for lower-league baseball teams

    Maybe you’ve seen him.

    Perhaps his sideways glance and piercing blue eyes have crossed your timeline. His smirk might be all over your TikTok. If you follow baseball or if your algorithm has decided you like livestock, you may have encountered McCreamy, the muscular mascot of the Danville Dairy Daddies.

    The brawny bull with a bright pink nose dons blue jeans and a “DD” belt buckle but no shirt, propping one hoof on his hip while the other rests against a bat standing by his feet. His unveiling went viral, providing a level of exposure not usually seen for a collegiate summer baseball team from an unincorporated Virginia city of 42,000 people in the regional Old North State League.

    But this was no accident. The Danville Dairy Daddies knew exactly what they were doing.

    There’s a story behind their name, a thought process behind their color palette and an award-winning designer behind their logo. Such is the case for many of the eccentric team names filling the minor leagues and collegiate summer leagues in recent years. The magic lies in the quirks that tie the clubs to their communities. The fun comes from the winks, nods and Easter eggs that teams incorporate in their branding to tell locals, “Hey, we know what makes this town special, and we’re leaning into it.”

    That’s partially how a topless bull came to represent a team in Pittsylvania County, which boasts three of the five largest dairy farms in Virginia. The Dairy Daddies moniker was initially suggested to general manager Austin Scher as a potential name for Danville’s first collegiate summer team, the Otterbots, in 2021. Over the next three years, the alliteration stuck in Scher’s brain, and when he learned of the local connection, there was no denying the divining of the Dairy Daddies and their main man McCreamy.

    “While it is quirky and silly and somewhat tongue in cheek, there is a very real community connection,” Scher said. “The blue and pink are designed to elicit feelings of newness, of birth, of rebirth. You see those two colors together and you might think of a gender reveal party or a nursery. Then you look at this muscle-bound cow, and you’re thinking, ‘Well, that’s not a baby. That’s very much full-grown.’ Danville and all of southern Virginia are in the middle of this massive resurgence.”

    Each component of McCreamy conveys a characteristic of his community. Paul Caputo, host of the “Baseball by Design” podcast, which explores the origin stories for minor-league nicknames, sees that same quality in team names across the country.

    “You can tell the story of America by understanding why minor-league baseball teams have the names that they have,” he said.

    The Dairy Daddies are just the latest in a long line of lower-league baseball teams that shirk traditional names in favor of more eye-catching identities. Pinpointing the origins of the trend is difficult — you could trace it all the way back to the late 1800s, when a team called the Dudes existed in Pensacola, Fla. — but the recent surge of silliness stems in part from Major League Baseball’s downsizing of the affiliated minor leagues from 163 teams to 120. Forty-three franchises lost their affiliation in 2020. Many of those teams played under the same names as their former MLB parent clubs and had to rebrand. Former rookie-league teams like the Burlington (N.C.) Royals and Pulaski  (Va.) Yankees re-emerged as the Sock Puppets and River Turtles to play collegiate summer ball in the Appalachian League.

    Teams that maintained their MLB affiliations have also jumped on the funky name train with hopes of invigorating their brands. Pick nearly any league, at any level, and there’s a nickname or logo that will make you stop and gawk. The Carolina Disco Turkeys. The Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits (formerly the Orlando Rays). The Minot (N.D.) Hot Tots. The Rocket City (Ala.) Trash Pandas (formerly the Mobile BayBears). The Wichita Chili Buns (an alternate identity of the Wichita Wind Surge).

    Without the constant media coverage and cash flow MLB organizations enjoy, lower-league teams have to get creative to stir up engagement, increase exposure and keep their franchises afloat.

    “I see pictures of people visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal and they’re wearing Trash Pandas shirts when they do it,” Rocket City’s director of marketing Ricky Fernandez said. “It blows my mind that someone’s like, ‘We’re going to the Eiffel Tower today! I better get my finest raccoon astronaut T-shirt on so I can snap a selfie!’”

    Even with a local connection, an unusual name can take time to accept. Take the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate played as the Suns from 1990 to 2016, when new ownership took over. Though the new team name has a tie-in to the local shrimping industry, the public wasn’t immediately sold. Noel Blaha, Jacksonville’s vice president of marketing and media, said the antipathy was expected and they planned the reveal accordingly.

    “We very purposefully had some elementary school kids in the front row of the press conference because if things turned sideways and people were throwing tomatoes, they weren’t gonna go after the kids,” he said.

    Still, someone started an online petition to change the name back to the Suns. Five thousand people signed within two hours.

    “We got angry Facebook posts. We got some very offensive emails,” Blaha said. “People were pissed, point blank.”

    But slowly, the tide turned.

    “What it resulted in was incredible merchandise sales in the months leading up to the start of the season, and then the season started and we set an attendance record that weekend,” he said.

    The DubSea (Wash.) Fish Sticks (previously the Highline Bears) experienced the same rejection-turned-resurgence after their new identity won an online poll pitting Fish Sticks against Seal Slingers as the two options for the team name.

    “I had zero people get angry about the name the Highline Bears. I also had zero people get excited about it,” team president Justin Moser said. “Before we rebranded, I don’t think we ever sold anything online. Maybe one or two t-shirts as the Highline Bears.”

    Despite social media comments calling the new name stupid and “a disgrace to the area,” the Fish Sticks have since shipped orders to all 50 states and nine countries. They recorded five sellouts last summer and announced that their June 1 season opener sold out on April 23.


    Fin Crispy Jr. is the mascot for the DubSea Fish Sticks, a summer collegiate baseball team in Washington. (Photo: Blake Dahlin / courtesy of the DubSea Fish Sticks)

    These days, teams that aren’t getting creative with branding can seem a bit stale, said Caputo.

    “Being named for a local animal just feels very 1990s,” he added. “It feels old.”

    That’s where sports branding companies come in. In the minor-league baseball space, there are two heavy hitters responsible for most of the new, splashy nicknames: Brandiose and Studio Simon. Team staffers work with designers to brainstorm an identity linked to the local history, industries, cuisine, natural landmarks or traditions.

    “Every community has a story waiting to be told, and the goal is that when you visit a sports experience, particularly in minor-league baseball, we want you to step into a whole other world,” Brandiose co-founder Jason Klein said. “We want you to step into a story, a nine-inning vacation as we call it. But that story is the story of your hometown.”

    Anchoring each team’s story is its logo, the main character of the narrative. Amarillo Sod Poodles GM Tony Ensor knew that nailing his Texas League team’s logo would be key to winning over naysayers, so he went to Brandiose with detailed instructions.

    “I want the mouth to be John Wayne,” he said of the animated black-tailed prairie dog, “and the eyes to be Clint Eastwood.”


    The Amarillo Sod Poodles are the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Photo: John E. Moore III / Getty Images)

    Scher, the Dairy Daddies GM, had similarly specific requests for Studio Simon creative director Dan Simon when molding McCreamy. Simon envisioned the bull as having a dad bod. The response was a swift “no.”

    “They wanted him built but not Arnold Schwarzenegger-built. He’s fine-tuned,” Simon said. “This cow was going to be kind of a ladies’ man. Or, in this case, a male cow is a bull. So he’s a cow’s man.”

    Partially inspired by McDreamy, the surgeon Patrick Dempsey portrays in “Grey’s Anatomy,” McCreamy also embodies the spirit of another beloved TV character. Simon sees the bull as boasting the charisma of Joey Tribbiani from “Friends” with a facial expression that seems to ask, “How you doin’?”

    These flirty, wacky, happy characters do get some blowback for deviating from traditional logos, or for being kitschy tactics intended to sell T-shirts. But Simon, Klein and the teams that proudly play as Sock Puppets, Trash Pandas and Sod Poodles shrug off that notion.

    “The sports fans are going to go to the games anyway,” Simon said. “These identities are drawing people who wouldn’t otherwise come, and hopefully when they do come, they go, ‘Hey, this was fun! I’m going to come again!’ It’s not like you drew them in under false pretenses. It’s not that at all. Minor-league and collegiate summer league baseball, it’s fun! It’s fun to go to those games, so you bring in new fans and you’ve made new fans who hopefully come back.”

    The players, whether they’re college athletes trying to get on scouts’ radars or minor leaguers assigned to the clubs by their MLB organizations, also benefit from the increased exposure and engaged crowds.

    “I’ve heard from several players that it’s like a little taste of the majors before you actually make it to the show,” Fernandez of the Trash Pandas said. “The old team we had before they moved, we were getting like 200, 300 people a game. It was kinda sad to be at a game because there’d be so many empty seats. Here we’ve led the league in attendance every single season. We average 5,000 people a night.”

    Los Angeles Angels starting shortstop Zach Neto, who played 37 games for Rocket City (based in Madison, Ala.) on his path to the majors, had a pair of custom Trash Panda cleats made and said he still rocks the team’s merch.

    “We got to play there in an awesome atmosphere every night,” he said. “Even to this day, I still see myself as a Trash Panda.”

    The college kids feel it, too. East Carolina catcher Ryan McCrystal, who spent the last two summers as a Burlington Sock Puppet, said the North Carolina community embraced all the players but admitted it can take a bit of effort to convince friends and family you’re playing for a real team.

    “They think it’s a joke, but I think it’s really cool because it’s easier to rally around a team with that kind of name. It’s easier to build up a community around a team name that is something that brings people together,” he said.

    “It’s the only sport that you can really do it where it makes sense. It’s something small but beautiful about the game.”

    (Illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic; top photos courtesy of Rocket City Trash Pandas, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp) 

    The New York Times

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  • Get $5 home games at Chase Field with D-backs Ballpark Summer Pass

    Get $5 home games at Chase Field with D-backs Ballpark Summer Pass

    The dog days of summer are the perfect time to hang out at the ballpark. And this summer, the Arizona Diamondbacks are making it affordable to head down to Chase Field…

    Jennifer Goldberg

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  • Giants manager, 3rd base coach ejected in team’s 5-3 loss to Diamondbacks

    Giants manager, 3rd base coach ejected in team’s 5-3 loss to Diamondbacks

    Right-hander Slade Cecconi held the San Francisco Giants to two runs in six innings in his 2024 debut, and Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run, go-ahead single in the sixth inning to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 victory Sunday.

    Cecconi (1-0) started in place of an injured Merrill Kelly to help the Diamondbacks earn a split of the four-game series. He was recalled from Triple-A Reno to make his fifth career start to replace Kelly, who was scratched with a shoulder injury.

    Most Diamondbacks came to the park unaware they would not be playing behind Kelly, the team’s No. 2 starter. Cecconi flew in from Reno on Saturday night and was not told he was starting until a few hours before the game. Manager Torey Lovullo said that made Cecconi’s performance, and the team’s reaction to the injury news, more impressive.

    “It was not an easy day,” Lovullo said. “You wake up and get the news on Merrill. It takes a toll on the team. And then what Slade did just kind of gave us a chance to catch our breath, and we won a big game.”

    The Giants did not have a hit against Cecconi until Thairo Estrada had an infield single with two outs in the fifth. Mike Yastrzemski then homered over the right-field wall to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. It was his first homer of the season.

    Moreno hit his go-ahead single in the sixth off left-hander Erik Miller (0-1) to give Arizona a 3-2 lead.

    Arizona scored twice in the ninth to extend its lead to 5-2, during which Giants manager Bob Melvin and third base coach Matt Williams were ejected for yelling at plate umpire Stu Scheurwater over a foul-tip call.

    Melvin’s ejection was his second this season. Replays showed Kevin Newman appeared to swing over Nick Avila’s two-strike pitch. Scheurwater ruled the ball hit Newman’s bat. The ejections came after Newman, his at-bat extended, hit an RBI double.

    “It’s an out right there, instead of a hit and a run,” Melvin said. “It looked to me like it was fairly clear.”

    Kevin Ginkel allowed Estrada’s RBI double with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Yastrzemski for his fourth save of the season.

    Giants starter Jordan Hicks allowed one run and one hit in five innings. He kept the Giants in the game despite walking four and hitting two batters. Hicks did not have a strikeout and allowed a run on Jake McCarthy’s sacrifice fly in the second inning.

    Kelly developed shoulder discomfort throwing between starts. He had an MRI that revealed a mild strain, but he likely will get another MRI in Phoenix.

    Kelly began the season 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in four starts. He pitched effectively during the 2023 postseason, contributing one win each in the National League Division Series against the Dodgers, the NL Championship Series against the Phillies and the World Series against the eventual-champion Rangers.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Diamondbacks shortstop Blaze Alexander left the game in the fifth inning with a hamstring cramp. Alexander said he did not believe it was serious.

    UP NEXT

    The Giants, behind RHP Keaton Winn (1-3, 4.09 ERA), open a three-game home series against the Mets and RHP Jose Quintana (1-1, 3.05) on Monday.

    The Diamondbacks continue their 10-game trip in St. Louis on Monday, with RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 5.32) facing RHP Lance Lynn (1-0, 2.18).

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

    CBS San Francisco

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  • It’s Opening Day for the Arizona Diamondbacks: Here’s what’s new at Chase Field

    It’s Opening Day for the Arizona Diamondbacks: Here’s what’s new at Chase Field

    Another exciting Cactus League spring training season is in the books, and now it’s time to get serious. Thursday is the official Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and the Arizona Diamondbacks are kicking off a highly anticipated season with a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies…

    Jennifer Goldberg

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  • One area where Rockies could be elite this season? In the field: “We have a shot of being the best of the best”

    One area where Rockies could be elite this season? In the field: “We have a shot of being the best of the best”

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chances are the Rockies’ record won’t glitter this season, but their defense should be golden.

    With Gold Glove winners in center field and at second base, Gold Glove finalists at shortstop and third, and potential sprinkled all around the field, Colorado should have one of the best defenses in the majors.

    “I think we have a good shot at being the best of the best,” said second baseman Brendan Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove in 2022.

    Manager Bud Black agrees.

    “If you love the complete game of baseball, and defense is a big part of that, you’ll like watching us,” he said. “Every night, there is a chance to see a legit great play from talented defenders.”

    The Rockies open their 2024 season Thursday night against the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (8:10 p.m. MDT).

    Coming off a 103-loss season and having undergone only minor roster reconstruction during the offseason, the rebuilding Rockies are predicted by most pundits to have a sixth consecutive losing season and finish last in the National League West for a third straight year. Although the pitching might falter again, and offensive production remains a huge question mark, Colorado’s glovework could be “elite.”

    “We have guys who know how to pick it and throw it and ultimately play elite all-around defense,” said left-hander Kyle Freeland, who’ll start the season-opener.

    The Rockies’ words are not idle chatter around the batting cage.

    Center fielder Brenton Doyle, Colorado’s human highlight film, won a Gold Glove as a rookie last season. He finished with 19 defensive runs saved, the sixth-most among all position players and the most of any center fielder in the majors.

    Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who signed a seven-year, $65.3 million contract extension on Tuesday, was a Gold Glove finalist as a rookie last season. Third baseman Ryan McMahon has been a finalist for three years running, and his 17 defensive runs saved last season were the second-most among third basemen.

    Left fielder Nolan Jones, playing his first full season as an outfielder, led the majors and set a franchise record with 19 outfield assists, surpassing Dante Bichette’s mark of 17 in 1999. Jones finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

    Patrick Saunders

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  • 2024 MLB ‘Wild-Card Era’ Franchise Rankings: Rangers break into top 10, Cubs fall out

    2024 MLB ‘Wild-Card Era’ Franchise Rankings: Rangers break into top 10, Cubs fall out

    As Jonah Heim squeezed the final strike of the 2023 postseason and Josh Sborz spiked his mitt on the mound to celebrate the Texas Rangers’ first World Series title, a thought crossed my mind: How will this change the franchise rankings?

    See, the Wild-Card Era (1995 to present) franchise rankings are not a creation of my fallible mind. They are borne from a tested, trusted, completely objective, never-been-questioned, all-math, no-bias formula borrowed from football writer Bob Sturm and tweaked to fit baseball’s postseason structure.

    Winning the World Series (WS): 9 points
    Losing in the World Series (WSL): 6 points
    Losing in the Championship Series (CS): 3 points
    Losing in Division Series (DS): 2 points
    Losing in Wild Card (WC): 1 point

    As of last year, the scoring system also incentivizes division titles (+1 point) and penalizes prolonged losing cycles, docking teams (-1 point) each time they lose at least 90 games in consecutive seasons.

    Tally the point totals for the past 29 seasons, from 1995 to 2023, and the result is the franchise rankings as listed below — along with each team’s point totals from the past decade, and average points per season. Tiebreakers are World Series wins, then World Series losses, then Championship Series appearances, then Division Series appearances, then division titles.

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    The Pirates’ 76-86 season in 2023 didn’t dig their hole deeper, but it didn’t get them out of it, either. Since winning the 1979 World Series, they have reached the postseason six times — three-year runs from 1990-92 and 2013-15. The team is hoping its next core will author another such run. After signing Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller to extensions, the Pirates need continued progression from young big leaguers — Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinki, Henry Davis — and top prospects Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Termarr Johnson.

    Total playoff years: 13DS, 14WC, 15WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    8

    Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

    Average: -.14 points per season

    The Royals bottomed out at 106 losses last season, tying the 2005 Royals for most losses in franchise history, and fell to 29th in this year’s franchise ranking as they were vaulted by the Orioles. After seven consecutive losing seasons, the Royals clearly are trying to turn a corner now. This winter, they guaranteed Bobby Witt Jr. $288.7 million, filled out their bench and pitching staff with free agents, and unveiled plans for a proposed downtown Kansas City ballpark. This fall marks a decade since the Royals ended their 29-year playoff drought and reached the World Series — then won it a year later. It remains the case that no team has made the playoffs fewer times in the Wild-Card Era than the Royals.

    Total playoff years: 14WSL, 15WS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    9

    Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

    Average: .24 points per season

    With the Detroit Lions defeating the Los Angeles Rams in January for their first playoff win since 1992, the Reds now own the longest active streak of not advancing in the playoffs among the four major US men’s sports leagues. Cincinnati swept the Dodgers in the 1995 NLDS, then were swept by the Braves in the NLCS, and they haven’t advanced in any of their four playoff seasons since. The current Reds core has a chance to remove themselves from that trivia answer. The lineup has several potential stars and only one projected starter over the age of 28.

    Total playoff years: 95CS, 10DS, 12DS, 13WC, 20WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: -2 points (MLB rank: 30th)

    The Orioles jumped two spots in this ranking by winning 101 games and the AL East last year, even if their playoff run fizzled fast. Adley Rutschman was AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2022, Gunnar Henderson won the award in 2023, and now top prospect Jackson Holliday is one of the favorites to win in 2024. The Orioles still have the best farm system in baseball, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, even after trading top-100 prospect Joey Ortiz and former top-100 prospect DL Hall to Milwaukee for former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.

    Total playoff years: 96CS, 97CS, 12DS, 14CS, 16WC, 23DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    8

    Last decade: 7 points (MLB rank: t-19th)

    The Blue Jays are one of a few teams toward the bottom of this list that would fare better if this exercise included the entire 1990s instead of starting in 1995. Toronto won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, but didn’t return to the playoffs for another 21 years. Though the Blue Jays have been a playoff team five times in the past nine seasons, including 2023, they’ve been swept in the Wild-Card Series in their last three tries. Even after failing to land a premier free agent this offseason, the Blue Jays have the bats, gloves and arms to be a division winner in 2024 — but so do three other teams in the AL East.

    Total playoff years: 15CS, 16CS, 20WC, 22WC, 23WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade: 10 points (MLB rank: 15th)

    The Rockies stayed in the same spot in the franchise rankings but were deducted a point for having back-to-back 90-loss seasons. They chased 94 losses in 2022 with 103 in 2023 — their first triple-digit loss total in franchise history. Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer, bringing back memories of the Rockies’ magical run to the 2007 World Series. The other bit of good news is that Nolan Jones could be a certified star in Colorado. But this doesn’t look like it’ll be the Rockies’ year to win their first division title. FanGraphs has their current playoff odds at 0.1 percent; their odds of winning the NL West, however, are 0.0 percent.

    Total playoff years: 95DS, 07WSL, 09DS, 17WC, 18DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

    The Brewers won their division last season yet still have the same points total. What gives? Well, time for a mea culpa. In auditing and updating the franchise rankings spreadsheet last month, I discovered an error. From 2001 to 2004, the Brewers lost 94, 106, 94 and 94 games, respectively, so they should have been deducted three points. I had only deducted one. To Brewers fans: I regret the error, just as the Brewers surely regret that era. As The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner wrote recently, Milwaukee has not finished last in their division since 2004. The Brewers have never won a World Series and have only one pennant (1982), but they’re reliably solid in a small market. They are now without Corbin Burnes, but they still have plenty of talent on the roster, plus Law’s No. 2 farm system.

    Total playoff years: 08DS, 11CS, 18CS, 19WC, 20WC, 21DS, 23WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: 11 points (MLB rank: 14th)

    The Mariners had the pieces to be a playoff team again last season, having already exorcized demons in 2023 to end a two-decade postseason drought. But after getting hot in the second half Seattle stumbled in September and was eliminated from the playoffs with one game left in the season. On paper, they have one of the league’s best pitching staffs for 2024. The lineup still features Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford, but it has been overhauled with the additions of a new Mitch (Garver), an old Mitch (Haniger), Luke Raley and Jorge Polanco in hopes of getting more runs and fewer whiffs.

    Total playoff years: 95CS, 97DS, 00CS, 01CS, 22DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    2

    Last decade: 2 points (MLB rank: t-25th)

    Never let it be said that this franchise-ranking formula doesn’t punish teams that subject their fans to prolonged down cycles (see also: Brewers blurb). The Nats/Expos lost five points for consecutive 90-loss seasons in the 1990s and 2000s, which they more than made up for with five playoff seasons (and a World Series title) in the 2010s. But their current rebuild has cost them another two points. There were some positive signs last year, like Lane Thomas’ 20-20 season, CJ Abrams’ second half and the law firm of (Josiah) Gray and (MacKenzie) Gore figuring some things out. Next, we await the arrival of top prospects Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House.

    Total playoff years: 12DS, 14DS, 16DS, 17DS, 19WS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    7

    Last decade: 16 points (MLB rank: 8th)

    I ended last year’s blurb this way: Unless Luis Arraez bats .400, offense will likely be an issue again in 2023. He flirted with .400 until July! Offense was indeed an issue, one the Marlins addressed by adding Josh Bell and Jake Burger at the trade deadline. Losing Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara to Tommy John surgery was a massive blow softened by the performances of Jesús Luzardo, Eury Pérez and Braxton Garrett as the Marlins secured a wild-card spot. The Marlins have never won their division, and odds are against that changing in 2024, but they have enough intriguing talent to stay on the fringe of the playoff picture.

    Total playoff years: 97WS, 03WS, 20DS, 23WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    5

    Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

    Believers in positive regression will find no finer team to back than the 2024 Padres. The club’s late owner, Peter Seidler, spent big in his final years to bring a World Series to San Diego, and so cutting payroll was a priority this offseason. The team is now without one of the best hitters (Juan Soto), starters (Blake Snell) and closers (Josh Hader) in the game. The amount of talent they’ve lost is staggering, underscoring how strange it was to see them come up short in 2023. The lineup still has Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts locked in long-term and Ha-Seong Kim in the fold for another season. The rotation has Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, depth replenished in the Soto trade and now, after A.J. Preller’s Wednesday night blockbuster, another ace-caliber starter: Dylan Cease.

    Total playoff years: 96DS, 98WSL, 05DS, 06DS, 20DS, 22CS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    4

    Last decade: 2 points (MLB rank: t-24th)

    The Tigers took a surprising second place in the AL Central last season, their best finish since 2016, though few confused them for a contender. They saw encouraging signs in 2023 from Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene (when healthy), Kerry Carpenter and several pitchers, especially Tarik Skubal. They’ve added a handful of veterans this offseason — Mark Canha, Gio Urshela, Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin — and have a couple top prospects approaching the majors. Better days should be ahead for an organization that hasn’t gained a franchise-ranking point (and, in fact, has lost two) since 2014.

    Total playoff years: 06WSL, 11CS, 12WSL, 13CS, 14DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    7

    Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

    We begin the way we always do, with an updated win/loss record since the 2007 name change.

    Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 645-972 (.399)

    Tampa Bay Rays: 1,366-1,125 (.548)

    The 2023 Rays raced out to a record-setting start and still managed to win 99 games despite being without star shortstop Wander Franco and losing starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs to elbow surgeries. They’ve continued team-building their way this winter — prioritizing young regulars and undervalued platoon players and relievers — and will, in all likelihood, be a handful for the rest of the AL East in 2024.

    Total playoff years: 08WSL, 10DS, 11DS, 13DS, 19DS, 20WSL, 21DS, 22WC, 23WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    9

    Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

    When writing a year ago “it’s hard to argue the White Sox are better than they were in 2022, and their farm system is one of the weakest in baseball,” I somehow still fell woefully short of predicting their 2023 season. The White Sox self-destructed. They fired Ken Williams and Rick Hahn, lost 101 games and moved seven veterans at the trade deadline. The positive outcome is that the farm system no longer stinks. Law ranked them 10th and noted, “This is about as good as their system has ever looked.” The same cannot be said of their major-league roster. The White Sox have had consecutive 90-loss seasons only once since 1995; they’re projected to add a second this season. They are playing for the future, as evidenced by the Dylan Cease trade Wednesday night.

    Total playoff years: 00DS, 05WS, 08DS, 20WC, 21DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    1

    Last decade: 3 points (MLB rank: t-22nd)

    The Mets haven’t advanced in the playoffs since their pennant-winning 2015 season. After the Mets won 101 games in 2022, the 2023 season saw Edwin Díaz injured, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer traded, and the Mets missing the playoffs by nine games. They still have the highest payroll in the game, but expectations are lower this season. Spring training started with a sour note as Kodai Senga was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain. FanGraphs gives the Braves a 98.6 percent chance of making the playoffs, the Phillies at 59 percent and the Marlins and Mets tied at 29.5 percent.

    Total playoff years: 99CS, 00WSL, 06CS, 15WSL, 16WC, 22WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    1

    Last decade: 9 points (MLB rank: 16th)

    The Twins blew some long-standing narratives to smithereens last fall by ending their 18-game postseason losing streak and sweeping the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series. Then they lost Sonny Gray to free agency, traded Jorge Polanco and cut payroll. They remain the favorite in the AL Central — a division they’ve won three of the past five years — but may be leaving the door open. The Pablo López-led rotation has upside; Jhoan Duran and the bullpen are nasty; and a lineup that starts with Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Max Kepler is likely to do some serious damage.

    Total playoff years: 02CS, 03DS, 04DS, 06DS, 09DS, 10DS, 17WC, 19DS, 20WC, 23DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    6

    Last decade: 8 points (MLB rank: t-17th)

    Before 2022, the A’s hadn’t endured a 100-loss season since 1979. Now they’ve done it two years in a row for the first time since 1964-65. They lost a rankings point for that, dropped one spot in the rankings and will surely continue in that downward direction. Law ranked their farm system last. In 2023, Brent Rooker had an early breakout, Ryan Noda and Zack Gelof emerged and Esteury Ruiz led the AL with 67 steals. But overshadowing all of that in Oakland is the team’s desire to flee to Las Vegas and fans’ attempts to make their objections heard.

    Total playoff years: 00DS, 01DS, 02DS, 03DS, 06CS, 12DS, 13DS, 14WC, 18WC, 19WC, 20DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    2

    Last decade: 4 points (MLB rank: 21st)

    Let’s break down the Wild-Card Era Angels by decade.

    1995-99: 387-405 (.489)

    2000s: 900-720 (.556)

    2010s: 822-798 (.507)

    2020s: 176-208 (.458)

    Just as I suspected. The Angels are feeling rather fourth place-ish. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015 (their last “of Anaheim” season), haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, and haven’t won a playoff game since 2009. A 2023 recap: Arte Moreno didn’t sell the team, and GM Perry Minasian didn’t trade Shohei Ohtani before the season, didn’t trade him after the season, made a big bet as a trade deadline buyer and lost. Now the Angels trudge toward whatever is next. They have Mike Trout and Law’s 29th-ranked farm system, and no Ohtani.

    Total playoff years: 02WS, 04DS, 05CS, 07DS, 08DS, 09CS, 14DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade: 3 points (MLB rank: t-22nd)

    The Cubs hold the third tiebreaker (Championship Series appearances) over the Angels but were knocked out of the top 10 this year after being jumped by the Diamondbacks and Rangers. The Cubs ended the 2023 season one game back of a wild-card spot. The Chicago roster, though, hasn’t changed substantially since. They lost Marcus Stroman, brought back Cody Bellinger, traded for Michael Busch and signed Shota Imanaga and Héctor Neris. They also have the No. 5 farm system, per Law. The NL Central race should be compelling; FanGraphs projects all five teams between 77 and 84 wins.

    Total playoff years: 98DS, 03CS, 07DS, 08DS, 15CS, 16WS, 17CS, 18WC, 20WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: 20 points (MLB rank: 4th)

    Snakes alive. They climbed three spots in this year’s ranking. They also didn’t exist at the start of the Wild-Card Era, so if we look at their average points per season they rank 10th, ahead of the Phillies by 0.01. Indeed, here come the D-Backs. They may not have won the offseason like the division-rival Dodgers, but they have Corbin Carroll and Zac Gallen and enough talent surrounding them to make noise again in 2024. As for the new arrivals: Eduardo Rodríguez fortifies a rotation that could have used one more starter last fall, Eugenio Suárez gives Arizona more thump at third base, and Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk are mix-and-match platoon options at DH and in the outfield.

    Total playoff years: 99DS, 01WS, 02DS, 07CS, 11DS, 17DS, 23WSL

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    1

    Last decade: 8 points (MLB rank: t-17th)

    The Phillies in the past two years have played in a World Series and come one win short of appearing in another. After flailing for most of the 2010s, they’ve built a formidable core and so far have spent to keep it mostly intact. They let Rhys Hoskins walk in free agency this winter but brought back Aaron Nola and extended Zack Wheeler. This is more or less a run-it-back year for Philadelphia. They have the horses, and they have them healthy for now. But they’ll need to click from the jump if the Phillies are going to win their first division title since 2011.

    Total playoff years: 07DS, 08WS, 09WSL, 10CS, 11DS, 22WSL, 23CS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: 7 points (MLB rank: t-19th)

    A World Series title doesn’t guarantee you a top-10 spot in the franchise rankings, but the nine points the Rangers bagged for winning their first ring last fall got them there. It was far from an ideal season for Texas. Jacob deGrom made only six starts before suffering an elbow injury. Nathan Eovaldi and Corey Seager both missed significant time in the regular season. The team fell out of first place and nearly lost their wild-card spot. But Seager, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Evan Carter led the Rangers lineup in October, and the pitching arms of Eovaldi, Jordan Montgomery, José Leclerc and Josh Sborz did the rest. There are reasons to doubt the Rangers in 2024, but they’re about as good as they were last spring.

    Total playoff years: 96DS, 98DS, 99DS, 10WSL, 11WSL, 12WC, 15DS, 16DS, 23WS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    2

    Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

    The Guardians couldn’t give Tito Francona a storybook finish to his likely Hall of Fame career. They played .500 ball in the first half, were 10 games worse than that in the second half and finished third (or lower) in the AL Central for the first time since 2015. Their overall position on this list is incredibly respectable, especially since they’re the only one of the top 13 teams without a World Series title juicing their numbers. The Guardians have made the playoffs 13 times in the 29 years of the Wild-Card Era, won the division 11 times and captured three pennants. With José Ramírez, a young cast of hitters and a strong pitching staff, the Guardians have a shot at the AL Central crown this season.

    Total playoff years: 95WSL, 96DS, 97WSL, 98CS, 99DS, 01DS, 07CS, 13WC, 16WSL, 17DS, 18DS, 20WC, 22DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    1

    Last decade: 17 points (MLB rank: t-6th)

    Three World Series titles will take you a long way, so the Giants are still sitting pretty here at No. 7 despite not seeing much playoff success since 2014. They backslid from 107 wins in 2021 to 81 in 2022 to 79 in 2023, leading to manager Gabe Kapler’s ouster. This offseason they signed Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler and Jung Hoo Lee, traded for former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and waited out the market to land free agent Matt Chapman on a remarkably palatable three-year contract with two opt-outs. The Giants, however, still seem undermanned as they face an uphill climb in a division led by the Dodgers and the defending NL champs in Arizona.

    Total playoff years: 97DS, 00DS, 02WSL, 03DS, 10WS, 12WS, 14WS, 16DS, 21DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    1

    Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

    Houston has reached the ALCS in seven consecutive seasons, played in four World Series and twice — including 2023 — fallen one win short. They are tied with the Dodgers for most points in the past decade; Houston holds the tiebreaker. They’d be in the top five in this year’s franchise rankings if not for the three points deducted for 90-loss seasons in the early 2010s. For now, they’re well clear of the Giants and Guardians and nipping at the heels of the Red Sox. In 2024, the Astros return almost the same lineup as last season, but with an offensive upgrade at catcher in Yainer Díaz. They’ll have Justin Verlander back in the rotation, once healthy. And they have two top-end closers in Josh Hader and Ryan Pressly.

    Total playoff years: 97DS, 98DS, 99DS, 01DS, 04CS, 05WSL, 15DS, 17WS, 18CS, 19WSL, 20CS, 21WSL, 22WS, 23CS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    3

    Last decade: 46 points (MLB rank: t-1st)

    The long-term organizational momentum the Red Sox built with four World Series titles in the past 20 years has stalled. They’ve finished last in the AL East the past two seasons, with identical 78-84 records, and now they have a new chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, but not a significantly upgraded roster. The Red Sox have strong left-handed hitters but could use some thunder from the right side at Fenway Park. With free-agent add Lucas Giolito out for the season, Boston needs another starter or two to lead the pitching staff alongside Brayan Bello. There’s still time to start spending, but the Red Sox so far have shown no urgency.

    Total playoff years: 95DS, 98DS, 99CS, 03CS, 04WS, 05DS, 07WS, 08CS, 09DS, 13WS, 16DS, 17DS, 18WS, 21CS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade: 19 points (MLB rank: 5th)

    This wasn’t necessarily the top headline of the Dodgers’ offseason, but they finally ran down the Red Sox and stole fourth place in the franchise rankings. They are a Death Star. The Dodgers have an 11-year playoff streak going, with 10 division titles in that stretch. If the franchise rankings covered only the past decade, the Dodgers would be tied with the Astros at No. 1. They’ve operated at a 102-win clip in manager Dave Roberts’ eight years in Los Angeles, and all of that was before they added [huge breath] Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Teoscar Hernández, and re-signed Clayton Kershaw, Jason Heyward and Kiké Hernández. Probably a team to watch in 2024.

    Total playoff years: 95DS, 96DS, 04DS, 06DS, 08CS, 09CS, 13CS, 14DS, 15DS, 16CS, 17WSL, 18WSL, 19DS, 20WS, 21CS, 22DS, 23DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade: 46 points (MLB rank: t-1st)

    No movement in our top three for 2024, but a couple teams are in striking distance of the Cardinals this season. After three consecutive wild-card exits, St. Louis had a deeply disappointing 2023, finishing 71-91. It was their first losing season since 2007, and their first 90-loss season since 1990. The Cardinals overhauled their pitching staff this winter, bringing in veterans Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge. The talent in their lineup is still eye-popping, so with halfway decent pitching and positive regression from a few hitters the Cardinals could be back in 2024.

    Total playoff years: 96CS, 00CS, 01DS, 02CS, 04WSL, 05CS, 06WS, 09DS, 11WS, 12CS, 13WSL, 14CS, 15DS, 19CS, 20WC, 21WC, 22WC

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade: 15 points (MLB rank: 9th)

    The only one of our top three teams to reach the postseason in 2023, the Braves won the NL East for the sixth consecutive season before bowing out again in the NLDS. They’ve already won a World Series in this competitive window, but it feels like they’ve left a lot on the table. The good news for Braves fans, and bad for most others, is the team’s current core isn’t going anywhere. The Braves have built a behemoth without a top-five payroll, as reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all have agreed to long-term extensions.

    Total playoff years: 95WS, 96WSL, 97CS, 98CS, 99WSL, 00DS, 01CS, 02DS, 03DS, 04DS, 05DS, 10DS, 12WC, 13DS, 18DS, 19DS, 20CS, 21WS, 22DS, 23DS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    2

    Last decade: 24 points (MLB rank: 3rd)

    The Yankees are still the class of the Wild-Card Era, though they certainly haven’t been baseball’s top franchise recently. The overall body of work is immensely impressive: In the 29 seasons included in this exercise, the Yankees have 24 playoff berths, 15 division titles, seven AL pennants and five World Series titles. (Only one title and pennant, however, in the past two decades.) In 2023, the Yankees narrowly avoided their first losing season since 1992, but their 80 losses still were their most of the Wild-Card Era. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Rodón all missed significant time with injury. Gerrit Cole was the AL Cy Young and also the Yankees’ only reliable starter last season, but now there’s uncertainty regarding his health for 2024. The Yankees will have Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo across the outfield. They added Marcus Stroman to the rotation. We’ll see if that’s enough.

    Total playoff years: 95DS, 96WS, 97DS, 98WS, 99WS, 00WS, 01WSL, 02DS, 03WSL, 04CS, 05DS, 06DS, 07DS, 09WS, 10CS, 11DS, 12CS, 15WC, 17CS, 18DS, 19CS, 20DS, 21WC, 22CS

    Consecutive 90-loss seasons

    0

    Last decade (since 2014): 17 points (MLB rank: t-6th)

    Rank

      

    Team

      

    Total

      

    Average

      

    Decade

      

    1

    110

    3.79

    17

    2

    81

    2.79

    24

    3

    72

    2.48

    15

    4

    68

    2.34

    46

    5

    66

    2.28

    19

    6

    65

    2.24

    46

    7

    48

    1.66

    14

    8

    48

    1.66

    17

    9

    37

    1.28

    14

    10

    33

    1.14

    7

    11

    30

    1.15

    8

    12

    29

    1

    20

    13

    29

    1

    3

    14

    25

    0.86

    4

    15

    22

    0.76

    8

    16

    21

    0.72

    9

    17

    19

    0.66

    3

    18

    19

    0.73

    14

    19

    17

    0.59

    1

    20

    17

    0.59

    2

    21

    16

    0.55

    1

    22

    14

    0.48

    16

    23

    14

    0.48

    2

    24

    14

    0.48

    11

    25

    10

    0.34

    1

    26

    10

    0.34

    10

    27

    9

    0.31

    7

    28

    9

    0.31

    -2

    29

    7

    0.24

    14

    30

    -4

    -0.14

    1

    (Top illustration by Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos by Justin Berl / Getty Images; Rob Tringali / Sportschrome; Matt Dirksen / Getty Images; Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 

    The New York Times

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  • Previewing every Cactus League team as 2024 spring training begins

    Previewing every Cactus League team as 2024 spring training begins

    It’s that time of the year again. Baseball is back and every fan wants to know what their team looks like heading into the new season. As spring training begins, the Cactus League is shaping up to field some of the most exciting teams in the league.

    Home to both 2023 World Series teams, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cactus League will already be looked at closely. But there is one team that has separated themselves from the pack.

    All eyes will be on the Los Angeles Dodgers after their offseason additions of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto pushed them into being a favorite to win the Fall Classic.

    “Obviously, the Dodgers are far and away the number one story in baseball,” says Bob Nightengale, baseball columnist for USA Today.

    The Dodgers will finish spring training in Arizona earlier than usual this season on March 13 due to a scheduled regular-season opener in Seoul, South Korea, against the San Diego Padres on March 20.

    While heavy favorites like the Dodgers will be the center of conversations around the league, Nightengale said he wouldn’t look past teams like the Diamondbacks, who enter camp with an upgraded roster since their World Series run.

    “Odds only had them winning like 84 1/2 games when they won 84 games last year. This is a better team,” Nightengale says.

    Arizona added pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to fit in the middle of the rotation and also brought in third baseman Eugenio Suárez and designated hitter Joc Pederson to provide more power in the lineup.

    Alongside the expected contenders, some less established teams like the Cincinnati Reds will be looking to solidify themselves as a serious challenger in the National League. Led by young talents like Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, the Reds will look to make the push into the postseason after nearly taking a wild-card spot last season.

    “I think they’ve (Cincinnati Reds) got a chance to do something special,” Nightengale said. “They got so many great young players all around that board. If I had to take a sleeper team, that would be my sleeper team.”

    Spring training is the time to get acclimated to up-and-coming prospects and new faces to the MLB, and the Cactus League has its fair share.

    From former Korean League standout Jung Hoo Lee in San Francisco to Nolan Jones fresh off his 20-homer, 20-steal season in Colorado, there are new players everywhere for fans to grow accustomed to.

    Nearly every team has something new to look forward to going into the new season, and that will certainly bring along new expectations.

    Fans from all over are going to be in for an exciting year of baseball in 2024.

    Arizona Diamondbacks

    The Arizona Diamondbacks followed their surprising World Series run by opening up the checkbook and improving the young core already in place with Corbin Carroll, Zac Gallen and Gabriel Moreno.

    The team added to the starting rotation by signing left-handed starter Eduardo Rodríguez. After some struggles at the plate from the third base and designated hitter spots last season, the Diamondbacks traded for third baseman Eugenio Suárez and signed outfielders Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk.

    While it will be tough to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Diamondbacks are in prime position to improve on last year.

    The Diamondbacks are projected to finish second in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, OF Joc Pederson, 3B Eugenio Suárez, OF Randal Grichuk
    Notable departures: 3B Evan Longoria, OF Tommy Pham
    2023 record: 84-78
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 83-79

    Chicago Cubs

    The Chicago Cubs brought in former Milwaukee Brewers manager (and former Arizona Diamondback) Craig Counsell to fill in the same position after barely missing the postseason season.

    Pitching was a focus for the Cubs this offseason. The team signed left-hander Shota Imanaga from Japan to join the starting rotation led by Justin Steele after Marcus Stroman left in free agency. The team also brought in some reliable bullpen arms in Hector Neris and Yency Almonte.

    Cody Bellinger’s status as a free agent still leaves some questions about if the Cubs want to bring him back to the lineup, but only time will tell if they have him back.

    The Cubs are projected to finish second in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: LHP Shota Imanaga, RHP Hector Neris, RHP Yency Almonte
    Notable departures: RHP Marcus Stroman, OF Cody Bellinger, 3B Jeimer Candelario
    2023 record: 83-79
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 81-81

    Chicago White Sox

    After a down year last season, the White Sox lost many key pieces this offseason.

    The acquisition of outfielder Dominic Fletcher gives the White Sox a young player who has shown he can find some success in the MLB, albeit a small sample size. Fletcher had a .301 batting average and .791 OPS in 28 games with the Diamondbacks last season.

    The losses of Liam Hendriks, Mike Clevinger and Aaron Bummer will present a challenge for the White Sox pitching department to find ways to make up for their production.

    The team is projected to finish last in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: OF Dominic Fletcher, C Martín Maldonado, SS Paul DeJong, RHP Mike Soroka, 2B Nicky Lopez, RHP Erick Fedde
    Notable departures: RHP Liam Hendriks, C Yasmani Grandal, RHP Mike Clevinger, SS Tim Anderson, LHP Aaron Bummer
    2023 record: 61-101
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 68-94

    Cincinnati Reds

    The Reds just missed the postseason last year, but come back to this season with the majority of that 2023 team intact. The Reds are a young team that came onto the scene last year with names like Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer.

    The signings of Nick Martinez and Frankie Montas add to the starting rotation, and the bullpen added Buck Farmer and Emilio Pagán to improve the pitching staff. The Reds had a team ERA of 4.83 last season.

    Jeimer Candelario joins a crowded infield with a large amount of young talent.

    The Reds are projected to finish tied for third in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: 3B Jeimer Candelario, RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Buck Farmer, RHP Emilio Pagán
    Notable departures: OF Harrison Bader, 1B Joey Votto, OF Nick Senzel
    2023 record: 82-80
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 80-82

    Cleveland Guardians

    The Cleveland Guardians hired first-time manager Stephen Vogt after former manager Terry Francona stepped down after last season. He’ll have Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie to lead the starting rotation.

    McKenzie is coming off of an injury-riddled season in which he only pitched in four games so time will tell if he can bounce back to his old form. He had a 2.96 ERA in 31 games in 2022.

    The Guardians are projected to finish second in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP Ben Lively, RHP Scott Barlow, C Austin Hedges
    Notable departures: RHP Reynaldo López, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Cal Quantrill
    2023 record: 76-86
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 80-82

    Colorado Rockies

    The Rockies struggled last year, finishing 41 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West.

    The Rockies traded for pitcher Cal Quantrill from the Cleveland Guardians to add to their pitching staff. The Rockies finished last in the MLB with a 5.67 team ERA last season and Quantrill finished with a 5.24 ERA in 19 games. Quantrill getting back to his 2022 form, in which he threw for a 3.38 ERA in 32 games, would help improve those numbers, but Coors Field is notorious for not being friendly to pitchers.

    On the offensive side, outfielder Nolan Jones emerged as a promising young player last year. Jones finished with a .297 batting average with 20 home runs and also stole 20 bases. His development will be something to keep an eye on.

    The Rockies are projected to finish last in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Dakota Hudson
    Notable departures: RHP Chris Flexen, LHP Brent Suter
    2023 record: 59-103
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 64-98

    click to enlarge

    Despite projections placing them fourth in the American League Central, the Kansas City Royals are geared up to compete after a strategic offseason.

    Bennett Silvyn/Cronkite News

    Kansas City Royals

    After a tough season in which the Kansas City Royals lost 106 games, they used the offseason to sign veteran talent with a track record of being able to compete on winning teams.

    Starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha add experience to a young starting rotation, and Will Smith and Chris Stratton provide veteran innings out of the bullpen. Franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., who just signed an 11-year, $288.7 million extension, is coming off an impressive second season after hitting for a .276 batting average with 30 home runs and an .813 OPS.

    With all these moves, the Royals will try to compete this season. The team is projected to finish fourth in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Will Smith, RHP Chris Stratton, OF Hunter Renfroe, 2B Adam Frazier
    Notable departures: RHP Zack Greinke, RHP Dylan Coleman, RHP Taylor Clarke
    2023 record: 56-106
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 76-86

    Los Angeles Angels

    Replacing Shohei Ohtani’s production would be extremely difficult for any team, and that is something the Angels had to work around this offseason.

    The team signed outfielder Aaron Hicks to join Mike Trout. Hicks is coming off one of his more productive seasons that saw him hit .275 with an .806 OPS in 65 games with the Baltimore Orioles after being released by the New York Yankees earlier in the season.

    The Angels have long been plagued by pitching woes and they made some moves to address that. Relief pitcher Matt Moore is coming off a strong 2.56 ERA last season and he will strengthen the bullpen.

    The Angels are projected to finish fourth in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP José Cisnero, RHP Zach Plesac, OF Aaron Hicks, LHP Matt Moore, RHP Luis García, RHP Adam Cimber
    Notable departures: Shohei Ohtani, 3B Gio Urshela, OF Randal Grichuk, 3B Eduardo Escobar, SS David Fletcher
    2023 record: 73-89
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 76-86

    Los Angeles Dodgers

    The Dodgers went all-in this offseason by spending over a billion dollars in free agency – landing one of the most sought-after free agents of all time in two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

    The addition of Ohtani alongside pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow propelled the Dodgers into being World Series favorites. Ohtani will not pitch this season but he will be the team’s designated hitter.

    Outfielder Teoscar Hernández was added to the already star-studded lineup as well.

    The Dodgers are going to have high expectations following them throughout the season. The team is projected to win the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: OF/P Shohei Ohtani, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Teoscar Hernández, LHP James Paxton
    Notable departures: DH J.D. Martinez, OF Enrique Hernández, SS Amed Rosario
    2023 record: 100-62
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 92-70

    Milwaukee Brewers

    After former Brewers manager Craig Counsell left to join their division rival, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee gave the job to Pat Murphy, longtime bench coach for the team. That wasn’t the only offseason move, however.

    The Brewers made a surprising move to trade their ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for shortstop Joey Ortiz and pitcher DL Hall. Rhys Hoskins will be a much-needed power bat for a team that finished 24th in the league with 165 home runs in 2023. Hoskins was injured all last season but was a key piece in the Philadelphia Phillies team that went to the World Series in 2022.

    The Brewers are projected to finish third in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: 1B Rhys Hoskins, SS Joey Ortiz, LHP DL Hall, LHP Wade Miley
    Notable departures: RHP Corbin Burnes, OF Mark Canha, LHP Andrew Chafin, 3B Josh Donaldson, 1B Carlos Santana
    2023 record: 92-70
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 80-82

    Oakland Athletics

    The Athletics added some veteran arms to the starting rotation and bullpen this offseason. Ross Stripling and Alex Wood might be older but they will be able to provide innings for a team that had a 5.48 ERA last season.

    While the team’s pitching may get a boost this season, there are still questions about where the offense will come from. Brent Rooker led the team last season with 30 home runs and 69 RBIs.

    The A’s have a lot of questions moving forward, including where the team will be playing in the future with the relocation issue looming large.

    The team is projected to finish last in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP Ross Stripling, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Trevor Gott, LHP Scott Alexander
    Notable departures: RHP Trevor May, OF Tony Kemp
    2023 record: 50-112
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 72-90

    San Diego Padres

    The Padres are coming into the year with a much different roster than last season.

    Fortunately for the Padres, the holes left from the losses of Michael Wacha, Nick Martinez, Seth Lugo and Josh Hader were somewhat filled when the Padres traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Michael King should be able to be a serviceable starter. Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez may also be able to be a part of the rotation, as well. Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish will still be the main pieces in the rotation.

    The hole that Juan Soto left offensively, however, may be more difficult to fill. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts will be expected to provide a lot of offensive production.

    The Padres are projected to finish in third place in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: LHP Wandy Peralta, RHP Michael King, RHP Randy Vásquez, RHP Jhony Brito, C Kyle Higashioka
    Notable departures: OF Juan Soto, RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Seth Lugo, LHP Blake Snell, LHP Josh Hader, C Gary Sanchez
    2023 record: 82-80
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 81-81

    San Francisco Giants

    The Giants made some improvements to their offense heading into 2024, and new manager Bob Melvin will have new pieces to work with in the Giants’ pursuit of the postseason.

    The team signed slugger Jorge Soler and Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who is known for his ability to hit the ball anywhere on the field. He had a career batting average of .340 with a career OPS of .898 in seven seasons in the Korean Baseball League. At the very least, he will provide some excitement.

    Recently acquired Robbie Ray will miss some of the season due to recovery from an elbow injury, but he should be a solid piece in the rotation upon his return.

    The Giants are projected to finish fourth in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: OF Jorge Soler, OF Jung Hoo Lee, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Jordan Hicks
    Notable departures: LHP Sean Manaea, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Ross Stripling, OF Joc Pederson, SS Brandon Crawford
    2023 record: 79-83
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 80-82

    Seattle Mariners

    The Mariners were very active in the offseason, trading away players like left-hander Robbie Ray and third baseman Eugenio Suárez but bringing in infielder Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins. Polanco was limited to 80 games in 2023, but when healthy can play multiple positions in the infield.

    The team brought in Luke Raley and Mitch Haniger to help replace the production from Teoscar Hernández and Jarred Kelenic.

    The key piece to this team is the starting pitching. Led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, the Mariners had a team ERA of 3.74 last season. Their elite starting pitching may give them a window to compete in a loaded American League.

    The Mariners are projected to finish second in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: 2B Jorge Polanco, C Mitch Garver, OF Luke Raley, RHP Gregory Santos, OF Mitch Haniger, 3B Luis Urías
    Notable departures: LHP Robbie Ray, 3B Eugenio Suárez, OF Teoscar Hernández, RHP Dominic Leone, OF Jarred Kelenic
    2023 record: 88-74
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 85-77

    Texas Rangers

    The defending World Champions come into the spring hot off their special run and the excitement is bubbling around them.

    The Rangers will be missing pitchers Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom at the beginning of the season due to injury and did not re-sign Jordan Montgomery in free agency so the starting rotation is a little thin. The Rangers shored up the bullpen, however, by adding David Robertson and Kirby Yates to the mix.

    The core of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis García will still be around to lead the offense this season.

    The Rangers are projected to finish third in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

    Notable additions: RHP David Robertson, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Tyler Mahle
    Notable departures: LHP Jordan Montgomery, RHP Chris Stratton, LHP Will Smith, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Martín Pérez, C Mitch Garver
    2023 record: 90-72
    2024 FanGraphs projected record: 82-80

    For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

    Sean Brennan | Cronkite News

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  • Cactus League returns with World Series foes, big-league tourist dollars

    Cactus League returns with World Series foes, big-league tourist dollars

    The most expensive player in sports history. Both of last year’s pennant winners. Sunny Arizona weather and ballpark dogs.

    Spring training is returning to the Valley. Two of the 15 teams you can catch across town are the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers, who squared off in last year’s MLB World Series.

    Arizona’s spring preseason, known as the Cactus League, runs from Thursday to March 26 at 10 ballparks across the Phoenix metropolitan area. The 2024 Cactus League schedule can be found at CactusLeague.com.

    The chance to catch the pros preparing for the season in Arizona’s beautiful winter weather brings a major crowd to the Valley. Last year, Cactus League games drew more than 1.5 million fans, according to Cactus League spokesperson Andrew Bagnato. That’s about 7,246 per game.

    The league is a staggering boon for the state’s economy, the Valley’s cities and local businesses. Last year, spring training generated $418.5 million for Arizona’s gross domestic product, according to a study by Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. The study also found that the Cactus League generated $36.6 million in tax revenue for the state and $8.2 million for local governments.

    Bridget Binsbacher, executive director of the Cactus League, told Phoenix New Times that she’s been watching the evolution of Arizona’s spring training since 1994, when the Peoria Sports Complex opened.

    “It has become an industry all its own. It’s absolutely the equivalent of a mega-sporting event,” Binsbacher said. “The thing that makes it unique is that it happens every year, it lasts four weeks and plays out across the entire Valley.”

    Binsbacher said spring training was “one of the top drivers of tourism” in the state. Three out of five attendees are from out of state, and 22% of fans reported they would visit another part of Arizona during their trip to catch the spring action.

    Cactus League play in 2023 was the first normal preseason since 2019. Spring training was canceled in 2020 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, which also impacted the 2021 season. In 2022, a labor dispute between MLB and its players union postponed Cactus League play until mid-March, making the preseason only 18 days long.

    “We went through a lot, definitely,” Binsbacher said. “Last season was a rebirth for spring training in the Valley. Now we’re looking to build on that in 2024. We’re expecting a great season, especially not having any modifications or restrictions.”

    click to enlarge

    Lourdes Gurriel Jr. celebrates in the clubhouse on Oct. 24 after the Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League Championship Series in Game 7.

    Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

    Watch D-Backs, Rangers clash in spring training

    Binsbacher and other Cactus League leaders noted that in the past, interest and ticket sales increased when World Series teams took to the desert diamond.

    “We’re definitely expecting a surge in attendance for the Rangers and the Diamondbacks coming off the World Series,” she said.

    The Diamondbacks play at Salt River Fields on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, and the Rangers train at Surprise Stadium.

    Dave Dunne, general manager of Salt River Fields, told New Times that compared with mid-February of last year, Diamondbacks ticket sales are up 20%. Ticket sales are particularly high for the Feb. 28 game when the D-backs host the Rangers.

    “With the Diamondbacks being the defending National League champs, it looks like we’re gonna have a really solid year in ticket sales,” Dunne said. “There’s just so much interest in that team. The younger players have really caught on with the fans.”

    Offseason moves by the Diamondbacks also are getting fans excited about spring training.

    The D-backs finished the regular season at 84-78 last year, barely making the playoffs before going on an improbable run to the World Series. They were bested by the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic, however, winning only one game.

    The two teams will square off three times during spring training: once at Salt River Fields and twice at Surprise Stadium.

    click to enlarge

    Tempe Diablo Stadium is the oldest and the smallest ballpark in the Cactus League but also one of the most scenic.

    Blake Benard

    How to catch Shohei Ohtani in Cactus League play

    Both Binsbacher and Dunne offered advice for fans looking to attend Cactus League games.

    According to Binsbacher, the first two weeks are not quite as well-attended, which makes tickets for those games more affordable. “It’s a great opportunity for local residents to get great tickets before out-of-state visitors hit the Valley,” Binsbacher said.

    She also noted that there is elevated excitement around Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers phenom who was signed in the offseason to a 10-year, $700 million contract, the largest in professional sports history.

    “We want to remind fans that if they want to see Ohtani and the Dodgers or the Padres, they need to do that before March 13, because that’s when they head to South Korea,” Binsbacher said.

    Dunne also advised fans to buy tickets directly from the stadium to avoid paying the fees tacked on in resale markets. “You buy them for the direct price, and it’s a lot better than buying them for a secondary market price,” Dunne said.

    Ticket prices vary by team, stadium and seat. As of Feb. 16, Rangers home tickets are on sale for about $8 to $60. D-backs home tickets range from about $24 to $100.

    TJ L’Heureux

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  • Top 100 MLB prospects 2024: Keith Law’s rankings, with Jackson Holliday at No. 1

    Top 100 MLB prospects 2024: Keith Law’s rankings, with Jackson Holliday at No. 1


    Welcome to this year’s ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball. I’ve been compiling and writing such rankings for 17 years now, and those of you who’ve read them before will find the format here similar to those from the recent past. My farm reports covering at least 20 prospects in each team’s system, and notes on prospects who might appear in the majors this year, or who might be breakout prospects for the 2025 rankings, will appear starting the week of Feb. 12.

    This year’s list has more players from the most recent draft than any top-100 I’ve ever done (I think), with 20 percent of the list — that’s 20 players, if you’re struggling to do the math here — on this list being 2023 draftees. That’s a combination of what might be the best draft class of my career since I left the Blue Jays and a high degree of turnover from the 2023 top-100 list. We had a ton of graduations from last year’s list: seven of the top 10, plus 25 more from the rest of the list. And we had a few face-plants, too, including one guy who went from the top 10 last year to completely off the list this year, although, in my defense, he had it coming. Five others fell off the list due to injury or illness that either impacted their long-term outlook or hurt their performance so much that they were simply passed by other, healthy players.

    To be eligible for this list, a player must still retain Rookie of the Year eligibility for 2024, and have no experience in NPB/KBO, as those are major leagues and calling, say, Yoshinobu Yamamoto a “prospect” is pretty silly (not to mention it takes up the space I’d rather use on an actual prospect). I also don’t include the international free agents who just signed in January, since in nearly all cases those guys haven’t been scouted by other teams in a year or more.

    I tend to favor upside in prospects more than certainty, but there is value in both. A player who is all ceiling and no floor isn’t as valuable, in the trade market now or in considering his expected value in the long term, as one who has a somewhat lower ceiling but a much higher floor. I want players who might be stars, and after that I want players who might be above-average big leaguers — but I also try to keep in mind that many of these prospects won’t reach their ceilings, and to consider what other scenarios exist for their futures.

    I use “seasonal age” for players (listed as “Age” on the player bios below), which is their age on July 1, 2024, the midpoint of the calendar. I use the 20-80 scale for tools (or 2-8 — same scale, different dialect), where 50 is average, 60 is plus, 40 is well below average, 80 is Ke’Bryan Hayes’ defense, and 20 is Yasmani Grandal’s foot speed. I try to discuss players’ tools, their frames, their level of athleticism and other physical attributes, as well as their skills, their aptitude, and other mental or intellectual attributes as well. This is comparable to how major-league teams evaluate players, although they will always have the advantage of access to more and better data than those of us on the outside can get. The least I can do is try to reflect how the industry thinks about players, and give you the most accurate possible picture of the prospects in these rankings through both the lens of my own evaluations and those of the people within the industry whom I most trust.

    When referring to starters, I acknowledge that that role is still evolving and we don’t have 200-inning guys anymore, with a lot of “five-and-dive” (throw five innings and hit the showers) or twice-through-the-order guys, but I will still talk about league-average starters and sometimes refer to back-end (fourth or fifth) starters or above-average (ace, No. 2, and some No. 3) starters. Bear in mind that there is a range around any projection or prediction for a player — if I say I think someone’s a No. 4 starter, he might have a ceiling as a No. 3 or more, and the floor of a middle reliever or a bulk reliever, where the No. 4 starter projection is the most likely or median outcome I see.

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    2023 Ranking: 19

    Holliday went from “maybe he’s a first-rounder” in the fall of 2021, his senior year of high school, to “oh my God he’s the best prospect in baseball” by May of 2023, an unbelievable rise — you could say meteoric, but I prefer to avoid such clichés — that’s a testament to both his natural talent and his incredible feel for the game. He played at all four full-season levels of the minors in 2023, dominating the first three before a solid stint at Triple-A Norfolk to end the year, with a composite line of .323/.442/.499 on the season and 101 walks against 118 strikeouts. He has exceptional hand-eye coordination, so even when he’s fooled by a pitch he often manages to make contact with it, even hard contact. I do think major-league pitchers will force him to shorten up his swing sometimes, as he nearly always swings full bore and no one has given him any reason to do otherwise. He’s a 50/55 runner, likely to end up average once he fills out, a process that will begin as soon as he starts shaving every day. Holliday is a natural shortstop whose position wouldn’t be in doubt if the Orioles didn’t already have an incumbent there — and Holliday is a better defender than Gunnar Henderson at short — but he’s moved around the infield a little and could come up at third or second if Baltimore doesn’t want to dislodge the AL Rookie of the Year. He reminds me in several ways of Troy Tulowitzki, but has the advantage of the left-handed bat and has a better feel for the strike zone. I think he’ll hit .280-.300 with strong walk rates and 25+ homers a year to go with above-average defense at shortstop, and that’s a profile that can win an MVP award.

    2023 Ranking: 3

    Chourio came into the year as my No. 3 prospect, behind the two eventual Rookie of the Year winners, but then got off to a slow start when the Brewers started him in Double-A Biloxi despite just 31 games in High A and six in Double A the year before. Whether he was pressing or just adjusting to the tougher level, when the sun rose on June 1, Chourio was hitting .254/.308/.418 and had punched out in a quarter of his plate appearances. The rest of the season, he hit .297/.353/.492 with a 15 percent strikeout rate and spent the final week with Triple-A Nashville. That week went pretty well, as Chourio put 21 balls in play, eight of them with exit velocities of 100 mph or better, peaking at 107.2 mph, and just five below 91 mph. Chourio still finished fifth in the Double-A Southern League in steals and tied for fourth in homers, and has barely begun to fill out physically, getting to that power and hard contact with strong wrists and incredible bat speed. It’s a simple swing with just enough loft in that follow-through for line-drive power, and he projects to hit for high averages as well. He’s a plus runner and at least a 60 defender in center already, likely to end up more. You can make a case for him over Holliday, as Chourio also plays a position up the middle, offers plus defense, has more speed, and is overall a twitchier, more athletic player. I think Holliday has the higher floor, between his position and better feel right now for the strike zone, but, as with the top-two prospects Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll last year, I think both of these guys are superstars.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Salas signed last January when he was 16, was catching Joe Musgrove in a simulated game in spring training in March. He debuted in Low A on May 30, just two days before he turned 17, which, among other things, makes him the first player I’ve ever scouted who was younger than my daughter is. (This is extremely important information, to me, at least.) Salas went off in 48 games in the California League, hitting .267/.350/.487, so the Padres promoted him to High A for nine games, then to Double A to be with the bulk of their prospects for a playoff push for nine more games, after which a minor knee injury ended his season. Salas was born in Kissimmee, Fla., and is the younger brother of Twins farmhand Jose Salas, but spent parts of his childhood in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, so he’s bilingual and very advanced for his age on both sides of the ball. He’s a smooth catcher who has game-calling experience and is comfortable catching premium velocity already, with a plus arm and quick release, as well. At the plate, he’s surprisingly short to the ball for a 6-foot-2 hitter with easy power already. He has enough pitch recognition that he has an idea of when to reach back a little for a harder but longer swing. Catching’s tough on the body and mind, with prospects behind the dish essentially doing a double major, learning all of the skills for a backstop (receiving, blocking, framing, throwing, game-calling, being nice to umps) while also developing as a hitter. Salas is as advanced at the first major, being a catcher, as any 17 year old I can remember seeing, and he seems to be ready to at least survive in Double A as a hitter already. It’s a potential bat that would play at first base attached to a catcher who might be plus in every meaningful aspect of the position. If he keeps hitting, Krylon might put him in their commercials.

    2023 Ranking: 9

    Lawlar was the sixth pick in the 2021 draft out of a Dallas high school, but injured his shoulder on a swing — the same injury that befell Corbin Carroll before him and Druw Jones afterward, so I hope Tommy Troy has insurance — and played just two games after signing. Even without a real first summer, he’s raced up to the majors in two seasons, reaching Triple A just a few weeks after he turned 21. He’s got great instincts on both sides of the ball and has now improved his footwork and his throwing to the point where he might be a 55 defender at short, and no worse than average. On offense, he’ll show plus bat speed and should get to 15-20 homer power at his peak, although the 20 homers he hit last year were inflated by playing in two insane hitters’ parks in Amarillo and Reno. When he’s right, he’s very short to the ball but still makes solid contact because of that bat speed and wrist strength, with a swing path that will produce more low line drives than big flies. He’s an easy plus runner who’s a real base-stealing threat, with an 87 percent success rate in the minors. My one concern is that he can come out of his swing at times, lunging and over-rotating to try to force power that isn’t there, which can lead to whiffs or just poor contact, like topping the ball right into the ground. As long as he stays back and sticks to what’s worked so well for him, he should be a star somewhere on the infield, even if he moves off short for a superior defender.

    2023 Ranking: 99

    Acquired by the Rays in a trade that Guardians fans would prefer I never mention again, Caminero started 2023 in High A and finished it in the majors while getting regular at bats for a playoff team — and smoking the ball, too. Caminero’s a tremendous hitter, combining feel for the barrel, balance, and brute strength to produce a ton of hard contact, peaking at 112 mph in his brief stint in the majors. His swing is simple but still powerful between that upper body strength and his rapid hand acceleration, while he doesn’t chase much and doesn’t miss many pitches in the zone, with some vulnerability to breaking stuff down and away that’s typical for a lot of young hitters. Caminero has primarily played third base in the minors and worked himself into an average glove there, with some experience at short, second, and even first, although that last position shouldn’t be necessary given how much progress he’s made at the hot corner. He hit 31 homers in total last year in 117 games across three levels, and this kind of hard-contact skill and feel to hit should produce that kind of 30+ homer power in the majors too, with .300ish averages in the best outcomes, enough for him to be the impact bat the Rays have needed for ages.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Few draft players have had debuts as good as Langford’s, as he played at four levels last season, hitting .360/.480/.677 in 200 professional PA, and ended the year in Triple A, where he reached base 14 times in 26 trips to the plate. Langford was my preseason No. 1 prospect for the 2023 draft and was No. 2 on draft day after a ruptured testicle took him out for about two weeks in the spring, preventing him from answering scouts’ questions about his outfield defense. He’s an electric offensive player, a 70 runner underway who boasts a smooth, powerful right-handed swing where he stays very steady through contact, rotating his hips on time to transfer his weight without becoming unbalanced, putting the ball in the air with a lot of juice. He’s fast enough for center but played left in Florida, in part because they had a plus defender in center but more because Langford has yet to show even solid instincts in the outfield. That said, if what he did in a modest sample in pro ball is any indication, he could play sixth base or top field or anywhere else and still be an impact player, because he looks like he is really going to hit and put 25-30 balls in the seats, too.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Crews was already on scouts’ radar as a high school junior for his advanced hit tool and potential for power, but a rough start to his senior year followed by a global pandemic that ended the 2020 season and cut the draft short. Well, he ended up at LSU, and things worked out just fine, as he mashed for three years as a Tiger and ended up the second pick in the 2023 draft. Crews can really hit, going .426/.567/.713 last spring for LSU, then hitting .355/.423/.645 in 14 games in Low A after he signed, although an aggressive two-level promotion to Double A finally slowed him down. His swing is really simple and when he’s on time, it’s short and direct and the contact is loud. He’s an average to a tick above-average runner, but so far he’s looked very good in centerfield thanks to great reads, although he may end up pushed to a corner by a superior defender once he’s in the majors. When he was playing with Double-A Harrisburg, pitchers were able to mess with his timing by changing speeds, even getting him to cut through some fastballs in the upper half of the zone, so there are some adjustments for him to make before he races to the majors. It might slow his progress by a few weeks, but his ceiling as a hitter who’s among the league leaders in all three triple-slash categories while playing up the middle or playing plus defense in a corner is still there.

    2023 Ranking: 11

    Mayer was the fourth pick in the 2021 draft and No. 1 on my final draft board that year. His 2023 season didn’t go according to plan, as Boston’s top prospect hurt his shoulder in May, eventually going on the injured list for the impingement in early August, ending his season. When healthy, Mayer has a beautiful left-handed swing and projects to plus power in his peak years, with plenty of loft in his finish to put the ball over the fence, but he hasn’t been healthy all that often in his two full years in the minors, dealing with some wrist soreness in 2022, as well. He’s got the athleticism and first-step movement to be a plus defender at short, showing the ability to make difficult or distant plays, and needs to work more on consistency to become a 60 or better in the field. He’s a below-average runner and not likely to be a base-stealing threat in the majors. Mayer’s shoulder was already hurt when he got to Double A last year, so his dismal line there (.189/.254/.355, 26 percent K rate) is probably just noise. He needs a full season on the field now to show the huge upside that made him Boston’s first pick in 2021.

    2023 Ranking: 53

    Carter’s ascent to the majors over the last two years rivals that of anyone other than perhaps Junior Caminero’s, and in some ways is more stunning given that Carter started the 2022 season with just 32 games played beyond high school. The Rangers’ second-round pick in 2020, much-maligned in these quarters as area scouts questioned his contact skills in high school, Carter has shown outstanding plate discipline at every level, including the majors, and the ability to manage an at bat like a major-league veteran. He’s a plus defender and runner who might end up with a 6 hit tool as well, which would make him an All-Star if so. There are some beige flags here; he’s never hit left-handed pitching in the minors or majors, his swing probably isn’t going to produce more than average pull power, and he’s shown more propensity to chase now that he’s facing better quality pitching. Brandon Nimmo didn’t hit lefties much at all until he was 25 or 26, and he’s already produced 21 WAR and made himself a ton of money, so the platoon split issue is far from fatal. Carter’s got a very high floor — the worst-case scenario would appear to be that he’s a high-average/OBP platoon outfielder with plus defense — with the ceiling of a star if he hits southpaws better and gets toward 20-ish homers a year.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Skenes was the first pick in last year’s draft, coming off a spring where he was nearly unhittable as the Friday night starter for the eventual national champion LSU Tigers, punching out 45 percent of batters he faced and pitching regularly at 96-102 mph with a wipeout slider. He’s a pitcher of unusual size, already 6-6 and probably 260 lbs or so, and hides the ball extremely well behind his body thanks to a compact arm action, allowing him to get away with some iffy fastball command and below-average life on the pitch. He offers ace ceiling, with size and arm strength you can’t teach, but has several adjustments to make to get there, including ramping up use of a changeup he never bothered to use in college (why would he do hitters the favor) and working on a two-seamer so hitters don’t cheat and sit on the straight four-seamer instead. His command is probably a 45 or so, although he throws the fastball for strikes enough that I’d be surprised if walks were an issue before he reaches Triple A, where they use the automated ball-strike system (ABS). He’ll need to take a few more steps forward to give the Pirates a real top-of-the-rotation solution, but Pirates fans can take heart in Skenes’ track record of improvements, as he went from a two-way player with an above-average fastball at Air Force in 2022 to the dominant starter we saw last spring at LSU. Look for him to reach Pittsburgh at some point this summer.

    2023 Ranking: 12

    The top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, Harrison had a rough go in his Triple-A debut last year, walking 16.3 percent of hitters — at least some of which was likely attributable to the automated ball-strike system that’s used in some Triple-A games — and missing a month with a hamstring injury, but he showed much better in his seven major-league starts, including throwing a lot more strikes than expected. Harrison comes from a low three-quarters arm slot that makes him very tough on left-handed hitters, working 92-97 mph with hard running life, along with a hard slurve that mostly breaks downward and a changeup that’s potentially plus and has good separation from the fastball. It’s not an easy delivery to repeat, so his command will probably always be a question, but the improved control in the majors was a great sign, and his sudden trouble with the longball (eight homers allowed in 34 2/3 major-league innings, four of them in a single start) seems fluky with three coming from left-handed batters. Everyone wants to make pitchers who throw like Harrison into Chris Sale, but I think that’s unfair to both guys; the White Sox gave Sale a new grip that turned his slider into a 70, while Harrison may end up relying much more on the fastball/changeup and saving his breaker for left-on-left crime. Regardless of how he puts it together, he looks like a No. 2 starter and has that ace upside if the command takes a leap or he can tighten up the slurve.

    2023 Ranking: 45

    Quero spent the entire 2023 season in Double A at age 20, the youngest catcher to get even 300 PA at either of the top two levels of the minors. He showed big progress across the board, including a massive improvement in his conditioning from 2022 to 2023. He’s in way better shape now to handle a full season of work behind the plate, so while he always had the hands and arm for the position, he’s a lot more consistent and could end up a 60 defender there all around. At the plate, he’s got great feel for the barrel, with a swing that’s short to the ball and long through contact, with future 20-homer seasons a possibility when he’s in his mid-20s. He can swing too hard at times but gets away with it because he has such good barrel control within the zone. He did have a reverse platoon split last year, struggling especially when lefties threw him changeups, while right-handers would attack him with spin down and away that he’s still learning to lay off. Other than running, he’s got the potential for above-average or better tools across the board, and he’s already advanced as a catcher for his age. The Brewers don’t need a catcher now, just like they don’t need a center fielder, but they have a future two-way star here in Quero.

    2023 Ranking: 22

    This is Rocchio’s fourth year on my top-100, and I presume his final one, as he debuted in the majors last year and the Guardians appear to have cleared the path for him to be their opening-day shortstop. Rocchio’s outstanding feel for the game was evident even when he signed at 16, while he’s developed into a plus defender at shortstop and improved his pitch recognition and swing decisions as he’s moved up the chain. He’s a true switch-hitter who hits from both sides of the plate, and he’s become extremely difficult to strike out, ranking in the top 4 percent of all full-season players (minimum 400 PA) last year in contact rate. He’s shown power in the past, with 33 homers in 2021-22 combined, and hits the ball hard for a smaller hitter, with top-end exit velocities higher than Alex Bregman’s were at ages 22-23, although I’d project a more conservative 15-18 homers a year for Rocchio. It’s plus defense, potentially elite plate discipline, quality contact already, and a track record of consistent improvements. Cleveland’s trade of Francisco Lindor should hurt a bit less now that his successor is here.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Clark could have been the first pick in many drafts, but the 2023 draft was loaded at the top, so Clark ended up going third to the Tigers. He’s an actual five-tool prospect, by which I mean he is or projects to be above-average or better in all five tools — hit, power, run, field, throw — not just a great prospect who gets called “five tool” because it sounds good. He’s a 70 runner who plays easy plus defense in center with a strong enough arm for right, and he’s got a pretty yet powerful left-handed swing that gets to plus power already. He starts with a wide base at the plate with just enough room left for a small step forward without much weight transfer, then starts his hands extremely quickly to generate that plus power. The only question about his tools is how good a hitter he is today, as he didn’t face any decent pitching among Indiana high schools; his pro debut included a lot of contact even when he was clearly gassed playing in Low A in September. He’s already strong for his age and size and doesn’t offer a ton of projection, but also doesn’t need it to profile as an above-average regular or better — a 30/30 guy who plays plus defense in center and at least has OBPs in the upper .300s.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Jenkins was the fifth pick last year and part of the quintet of prospects who could have gone first overall in a typical draft, so the Twins picked the right year to select fifth in the draft. Jenkins earns a lot of comparisons to Larry Walker for his size, athleticism, and sweet left-handed swing, leading to hopes he can be another power-hitting right fielder with strong on-base skills and some speed as well. It’s about as textbook a swing as you’ll see, with elite bat speed and great hip rotation for hard contact and what should end up as 25-30 homer power, if not more. He had zero issues in pro ball with contact or plate discipline, although he didn’t show much of the power, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he took a year or two to grow into that part of his game. He played center in every game when he played the field except for one in right, but given his size I think he’s going to end up in a corner, just like his namesake. It may not be a straight line to stardom but I believe Jenkins’ swing and bat speed will carry him for now while we wait for the power to arrive.

    2023 Ranking: 46

    Winn reached the majors last year at age 21 and just barely still qualifies for this list — one more day on the roster or nine more at bats would have cost him his ROY eligibility for 2024. He’s an elite defender at short with an 80 arm, registering 100.5 mph on a throw at the 2022 Futures Game that set a new Statcast record for velocity for a throw by any infielder. He has outstanding plate discipline for his age, across all dimensions of that term — his pitch selection, his pitch type recognition, and his ball/strike recognition are all above-average or better for someone who’s been young for every level he’s played at in pro ball. He’s also a 70 runner with an 88.4 percent success rate on 104 stolen base attempts in the minors. And he has outstanding bat speed on top of that, rarely missing even plus fastballs, although in his case his bat may be in and out of the zone too quickly for it to translate as plus power or even high exit velocities. That adds up to a pretty high floor: plus defense, high contact rates, solid to plus on-base percentages, added value on the bases, and you hope a little power. Unless his approach completely collapses in the majors, which I have a hard time imagining, he’ll be at least an average regular at short for a long time. The Cards appear to have cleared the way for him to win the job out of spring training, and I don’t think there’s any real benefit to sending him back to Triple A at this point anyway. Just let his defense carry him while he adjusts to big-league pitching and enjoy the show.

    2023 Ranking: 49

    Marte has always hit even though he’s been young for the level everywhere he’s played, reaching the majors last year at age 21 and hitting .316/.366/.456 in his cup of coffee with just a 20.3 percent strikeout rate and a peak exit velocity over 115 mph. Acquired in the big swap that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle for four players, Marte had fallen out of favor with the Mariners because he’d gotten so big there was — and still is — some question over whether he’ll stay on the dirt, and I think there is no real shot for him to stay at shortstop. To his credit, he’s maintained some of his athleticism and speed even as he’s filled out so quickly, and while he probably won’t be a rangy third baseman he should make all of the necessary plays to be at least average there. His bat isn’t a big question, as he has great instincts at the plate and uses the whole field well, with power from his pull side all the way over to right-center. Playing half his games in Cincinnati should get him to 20-25 homers a year, if not more. His ultimate offensive ceiling depends on his approach, which right now is appropriately aggressive — he doesn’t whiff much or walk much, but chases a little too often right now to project as a star at his peak, with more of a .280/.330/.500 sort of ceiling. That’s a very good regular who makes some All-Star teams, with the chance to become something more if he makes better swing decisions even independent of just walking more. He’s ready for a major-league job right now, and the Reds have one to give him at third; if he wins it, he’s a contender for Rookie of the Year.

    2023 Ranking: 26

    Crow-Armstrong hadn’t played above A-ball coming into 2023, but hit a combined .283/.365/.511 between Double A and Triple A to reach the majors in September, where then Cubs manager David Ross played him only when both of Earth’s moons were in Sagittarius, possibly contributing to the fact that Crow-Armstrong still has yet to get his first major-league hit. He’ll get that and more this year, as he should spend the season as the Cubs’ center fielder, providing plus defense and I hope some strong on-base skills. Crow-Armstrong might be a 70 defender in center and is certainly plus, enough to give him a high floor as a fourth outfielder in the unlikely event that his bat doesn’t pan out. One reason that might happen is that he’s come into more power than anticipated, and it’s affected his approach, as he sells out to get to that power sometimes, often cutting across the ball and slicing it to left field. He’s strong enough to hit 20 homers, as he did last year in the minors, and a good enough hitter overall to hit .300+, but he’s probably not going to be able to do both with his swing and his size. He’s better served going for contact and letting some power come naturally, in the 10-12 homer a year range, and perhaps in doing so he’ll see his walk rate and thus his OBP creep back up. After a tough, if very brief, stint in the majors, Crow-Armstrong has a little more reason to find that offensive middle ground, and added to the value he’ll provide on defense he could be a 5 WAR player for several years through his peak.

    2023 Ranking: 16

    Wood has turned out to be the jewel in the trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Wood has shown several elite tools already and reached Double A last year at age 20, but also carries some real risks related primarily to the strike zone. Wood is an outstanding athlete with 70 speed and 80 raw power, and if anything he’s improved his conditioning in pro ball to get even more out of his physical gifts. He can play plus defense in center and I’ve gotten occasional run times from him that grade out at 80. He started last year in High-A Wilmington, generally a tough place for power, and hit .293/.392/.580; his eight homers in 42 games ended up second on the team for the season. When the Nats bumped him to Double-A Harrisburg, which is a better home run park, the power stayed but the sheer size of his strike zone and some of his pitch recognition both led to a big jump in his strikeout rate, from 27 percent to 34 percent, with fastballs up and sliders in the lower third both becoming issues for him. He’s every bit of 6-6, maybe even 6-7 at this point, and between his height and how hard he swings, he’s going to have some whiff; the challenge for him and the Nats will be cutting it down to a manageable level so he hits enough to get to that 40-homer power and isn’t an OBP liability. My guess is there isn’t much middle ground here; the ceiling is that middle-of-the-order offense in a plus right fielder or 50/55 centerfielder, while the floor is another guy who can’t cut his K rate below 30 percent and bounces around for years as teams hope to catch lightning in a tall bottle.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    The Orioles refused to participate in the annual Latin American free-agent donnybrook for more than a decade, which continues to hurt their farm system even now that they’ve jumped back in because of the lag between when those players sign (typically at age 16) and when they emerge as prospects. Basallo was one of their first big signings in that market, earning a $1.3 million bonus in 2021. He debuted in full-season ball this year, hitting so well in Low A and then High A that he even got a four-game cup of coffee with Double-A Bowie to finish the season. Basallo turned 19 in August and his bat is already very advanced, with a very short but powerful swing and what appears to be very good pitch recognition. While his offense is ahead of his defense, he does project as a catcher, with a cannon of an arm and the hands and athleticism to handle the position; the risk is that his bat might be so advanced that it’s better to move him to another position so he can get to the majors, à la Bryce Harper, Wil Myers or Paul Konerko. The Orioles also have a pretty good young catcher ahead of Basallo, which might change Basallo’s trajectory, although it isn’t relevant for the purposes of this ranking — Basallo projects as a power-hitting catcher with a strong OBP and the ability to control the running game, making him one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball.

    2023 Ranking: 32

    Domínguez reached the majors last year, just four years removed from signing for a $5.1 million bonus and more hype than any Dominican amateur player since Miguel Sanó a decade earlier, only to have his season end prematurely when he needed Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. Before that, however, he showed why he was so highly touted, with plenty of hard contact in the majors and in Triple A, topping out around 110 mph and hammering fastballs of any velocity. He has outstanding bat speed and easy plus power, while he’s a 70 runner underway and looks like he’ll be a plus defender in center if he’s given the opportunity out there. He’s a true switch-hitter, although he’s better from the left side, with enough platoon split last year to at least bear watching. He’s improved his pitch recognition by leaps and bounds since he began his pro career in 2021, and while he reached the majors sooner than anyone expected, he wasn’t overmatched and his batted-ball data was even better than the stat line. He’ll probably miss at least the first third of the 2024 season, maybe half, based on typical recovery times for position players with TJ surgeries, and perhaps that gives the Yankees cover to let him go mash in Triple A for a month before he returns to the majors. Once he’s healthy, he offers 20/20 upside with strong batting averages as well and the potential for plus defense in center or, if he loses any throwing strength, maybe 65-70 defense in left. The hype may have died down a bit but he looks like he’s going to be a star right on schedule.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Anthony boasts one of the best-looking swings in the minors, making a number of adjustments between when the Red Sox took him in the second round in 2022 and the start of 2023, turning him into one of the game’s top offensive prospects. Those adjustments included freeing up his hands and helping him keep his lead arm looser through contact for more power, while also using his lower half more to produce harder contact — something Boston cited when promoting him out of Low A despite a mediocre stat line of .228/.376/.316 at the level. He responded by hitting .301/.422/.565 the rest of the way between High A and a 10-game stint in Double A, so, hey, sorry I doubted you guys! He struck out around 28 percent of the time after the promotion but doesn’t chase often at all until he gets to two strikes, so the approach is sound, and the power is already showing up with more to come as he fills out. He’s playing more center now and Boston is working with him to improve his routes and his first-step quickness to give him a chance to remain there, with plus defense in a corner another potential outcome if he has to move. The Red Sox previously had the Greek God of Walks; maybe soon they’ll have Roman, God of Swings.

    2023 Ranking: 20

    Otherwise known as Jackson Barrel because, well, it’s not because he likes cognac. Merrill transformed his body in the 2021-22 offseason and has spent the last two years making a ton of contact while playing excellent defense at short, working his way up to Double A before his 21st birthday. Only 14 minor-league hitters who played enough to qualify in full-season ball struck out less often than Merrill’s 12.1 percent rate last season, and he actually struck out slightly less in Double A than he had in High A — and way less than he did in 2022. He’s gotten quite a bit stronger since high school, but so far that hasn’t translated into hard contact or high BABIPs, as he was under .300 at both stops last year. Merrill’s typical swing is very short, allowing him to make contact at high rates but at a cost of some of that impact, so the Padres have worked to help him get his lower half involved more and stay back better so that he can at least start to show more pull power. If you look at the body, the swing path through contact, and the feel for the zone, you can project 20+ homers in time, especially if he can start driving the ball the other way as well as to his pull side. He’s a 55 defender at short now who’ll likely end up plus, while he’s fast enough to handle centerfield if that became an option and should have no trouble at third or second. He has a wide range of outcomes despite a high floor; at worst he’s a low-OBP utilityman who plays forever because he can put the ball in play and handle six or seven positions. If the power comes, though, he could be a shortstop with a bat that would profile in right field, hitting for average even with low walk rates and getting to that 20-25 home run upside.

    2023 Ranking: 18

    Johnson has real plate discipline and excellent feel to hit, leading the full-season minors in walk rate and finishing fifth in total walks drawn with 101. He has excellent pitch selection and developing power but some cracks in the approach and the defense that weren’t apparent before this year. Johnson cleared up the hitch he would flash in high school and his bat path is clean and lets him get to that emerging power, with 18 homers in 2023 after he hit just one in 23 games in his pro debut the year before. He doesn’t chase, a skill that was more evident after he was promoted out of the Florida State League, where the league uses automated ball-strike system for some games, which has produced higher walk rates when it’s in place. However, he’s shown more propensity to whiff in the zone, and a late load seems to be impairing his timing, so even if he picks up the pitch type he’s still showing some swing and miss. Defensively, he’s moved to second base and scouts are very mixed on whether that’s going to be a long-term solution for him, as his footwork isn’t great and he’s getting by on his incredible instincts and baseball IQ — which isn’t a bad thing, mind you, but might not keep him at the position unless his mechanics improve. His range of outcomes has widened in both directions since last offseason; he could be a high-OBP, 18-22 homer second baseman, making a lot of All-Star teams and playing for a long time, but he could also end up in left field and/or miss too much in the zone to get to the high averages and OBPs everyone foresaw in high school.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    De Paula signed for just under $400,000 as an international free agent in January 2022, and he’s since shown incredible feel for the strike zone as a teenager in Low A along with some high-end exit velocities already that point to a very big OBP/power upside. Born in Brooklyn but signed out of the Dominican Republic, De Paula — who is cousins with Stephon Marbury (tastefully done) — has outstanding bat speed and really controls the zone, with both ball/strike and pitch recognition that led to walk and strikeout rates well above the Low-A average last year. The main concern with him is that he’s a well below-average runner already at age 18, and has so much projection left to his body that he might grow himself right into first base. The combination of bat speed, selectivity, present power, and big physical projection could make him among the best hitters in baseball at his peak, and if so, whether it’s at first base or in an outfield corner won’t really matter.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Shaw was No. 7 on my 2023 pre-draft rankings after a spring when he hit everything hard for the University of Maryland, barreling up balls for a .341/.445/.697 line with some of the best batted-ball data in the class. The Cubs were overjoyed when he fell to the 14th pick, and were aggressive with him after he signed, getting him to Double A in September after he hit .393/.427/.655 in his 20-game stint in High A. Shaw’s swing already puts the ball in the air on a line, in the range that maximizes power and production on contact, with an average launch angle of 26 degrees last spring. He’s also shown the ability to recognize balls and strikes and thus limit his chase rate. He played shortstop in college but struggled with some of the harder throws, so he was always expected to move to second base or maybe the outfield; the Cubs have a more critical need at third base now, so he’s likely to see a lot of time there this year as they try to see if he can provide them with a long-term solution. Wherever he plays, he seems very, very likely to hit, and to end up hitting for more game power than his raw power grades (I’d say 55) might indicate.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Mayo hits the ball really, really hard, and he also hits it pretty often, which is a great starting point for any bat-first prospect; he drew 93 walks last year between Double A and Triple A to go with 29 homers and a 24 percent strikeout rate, which I think demonstrates his floor as “just” a three true outcomes hitter already. He’s 6-5 and listed at 230 pounds, so he’s got a big strike zone and some innate length to the swing just from the size of his arms. To his credit, he’s developed his eye at the plate over the last three years, with help from the Orioles’ staff, allowing him to make better swing decisions and look more for pitches he can drive to take advantage of that natural strength. There may always be some swing and miss here, notably on breaking stuff in the zone, due to his size and his wide setup at the plate, but a team could live with it because what he does on contact is so good — he hits it hard, and in the air, and can go the other way a little bit even though his power is mostly to his pull side. He’s got a 70 arm that would allow him to play anywhere, but third base is probably an uphill battle because of his size — he’s athletic enough for it, but it’s hard for guys that tall to stay on the dirt and consistently get down for groundballs. He could certainly play first right now and I’d like to see him in right field. The left side of the Orioles’ infield is the most densely populated place in America, so a position switch might serve everyone’s needs anyway. He probably won’t add much value on defense, but won’t hurt you, and a 30-homer, 80-walks guy who posts high BABIPs because everything off the bat is 90 mph or better is an above-average regular who plays for every team.

    2023 Ranking: 29

    Alcántara was part of the return from the Yankees for Anthony Rizzo at the 2021 trade deadline. The trade came right after he turned 19, and turned him almost immediately into one of the Cubs’ top prospects despite his inexperience to that point and the amount of physical projection he still had remaining. He’s still got a fair amount of growth ahead of him, and his game overall remains inconsistent, but he has superstar-level tools and has days where he’s clearly the best player on the field. The ball flies off his bat already, with 20-25 homer power now and the potential for 35-40 when he fills out, while he’s also a plus runner who plays at least solid-average defense in center. After a rough start to last year (including a 21:1 strikeout to walk ratio in May), he hit .329/.404/.551 from June 1 onward around a stint on the injured list and a promotion to Double A for the final five games of his season. Despite his 6-6 frame and a swing that sometimes looks like it’s out of control, he’s kept his strikeout rate around 24 percent, an excellent sign for his long-term outlook given the sheer size of his strike zone. He’s not the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect because he offers so much risk, but he has 30/30 upside in the middle of the field and a lot of other ways he could develop that would still make him an above-average or better everyday player.

    2023 Ranking: 82

    Jobe missed the first half of 2023 with a back injury, but when he returned, he threw better than he had in all of 2022, throwing 64 innings across four levels, striking out 84, and walking just six batters. Jobe works at 94-98 mph with a four-pitch mix that features a plus changeup, an above-average curveball in the low 80s, and a hard but short slider at 89-92, with huge spin rates on the heater and breaking balls. I have the slower pitch as the better one now and think that if he focuses on it he can get it to plus, as it already has tight rotation and huge vertical break. His delivery has effort to it even though it’s compact, with some head-whack at release, and he whips through the delivery so quickly he might not be generating enough of that velocity from his lower half. He’s a very good athlete, however, and should be able to make some adjustments if the Tigers want to try to reduce the effort involved. It’s No. 1 starter stuff and he at least has shown the kind of control to pitch atop a rotation, as long as he can stay healthy.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    Listed at just 5-6, 175, Williams had an outstanding full-season debut last year, hitting .263/.425/.451 across three levels while playing solid-ish defense at shortstop and showing plus speed on the bases. Williams has surprising power for his size, which I assume is more accurate than the claimed 5-8 when he was in high school, and hits the ball hard enough to keep his averages up and produce 10-15 homers a year. It’s a compact swing — how could it be otherwise? — that puts the ball in the air a ton, and he uses the whole field well. His shortstop defense gets mixed reviews, with some belief he’ll stay at the position, although it’s easy to imagine him sliding to second base if he can’t stay there.

    2023 Ranking: 51

    Lee was the eighth pick in the 2022 draft, a very advanced hitter who’d been on scouts’ radar as a top prospect since he was in high school. He confirmed that by going to Double A to start his first full pro season and hitting .292/.365/.476 there before an August promotion to Triple A, setting him up to reach the majors this year. He’s a switch-hitter with some effort to the swing, showing a big split last year between his production from the left side (.287/.366/.494) and right side (.231/.266/.337), with a history of high contact rates, especially on fastballs in the zone. He’s boosted his contact quality in the last year and hits a ton of line drives, as his swing finishes with enough loft to often put him in the ideal launch-angle range for line-drive contact. He’s mostly played shortstop in the minors, getting just seven starts at the hot corner last year, but his long-term position is more likely to be off shortstop — probably third base, as he has plenty of arm for the left side of the infield and soft enough hands for third. He should hit for a .280-.300 average with strong OBPs and homer totals in the teens, playing above-average or better defense at third or second base, or 45 defense at shortstop if he’s forced to stay there by injuries or other circumstances.

    2023 Ranking: 37

    Rafaela’s one of the most fascinating prospects in the minors, a 5-9 infielder/center fielder from Curaçao who hits the ball harder than you’d expect from someone his size, plays some of the best center-field defense anywhere in professional baseball, and might swing at a butterfly if it flew within 10 feet of him. He started his pro career at shortstop and third base, but he’s too inconsistent for short and ended up moving to second, where he’s plus, and center, where he might be an 80, with easy routes and at least 70 speed to cover huge tracts of land. As a hitter, he­ boasts great bat speed and can connect with a lot of pitches out of the strike zone, which worked well enough in the minors but was an area that major-league pitchers exploited during his 28-game MLB debut. He’ll probably never be much for the free pass, but if he just cuts down on the chase, he has the strength and the loft in his finish to at least hit for line-drive power — balls to the gaps that will become doubles and triples with his speed, plus probably 12-18 homers a year, although he did hit 22 last year across three levels. He’s not the sort of player I typically like with his undisciplined approach, but I think he has a chance to be the most valuable defensive outfielder in baseball, giving him a high floor and thus time to clean up the approach enough for the swing and speed to play.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    A pitcher and infielder at UNC Pembroke when the Padres drafted him in the 11th round in 2021, Ryan came to the Dodgers in a trade that sent Matt Beaty to San Diego. Once in the Dodgers’ system, Ryan became a full-time pitcher. He’s taken off since then, reaching Triple A last year in his second pro season, striking out almost a quarter of the batters he faced, and throwing four pitches that all at least flash plus. He’s up to 99 mph and pitches at 94-97 with a hammer curveball, sweepy slider, and hard fading changeup, dominating right-handed batters last year while showing some platoon split, particularly in OBP (he allowed a .388 OBP to lefties last year due to a 13 percent walk rate against them). He’s a superb athlete, as you’d expect from a former middle infielder, and his body looks ready to step into a major-league rotation now. He needs reps, as he still has just 152 professional innings on his resume, and in those reps he needs to continue to work on command of all of his pitches as well as his feel for the changeup. Ryan could be a No. 2 starter, and while I don’t think he’s ready for a major-league role just yet, he’s advanced so quickly he could easily make another big leap this spring and see Chavez Ravine before September.

    2023 Ranking: 13

    I wrote last year that the only thing that could stop Painter’s march to the majors was his injury risk, which unfortunately turned out to be more true than I anticipated — I thought it was just a possibility given his age, how hard he throws, and some very minor mechanical issues, but he ended up missing the year with a torn UCL, undergoing Tommy John surgery in July that will probably keep him out until this fall. When healthy, Painter shows No. 1 starter stuff, bumping 99 mph and sitting 94-97 with a hammer to make Thor jealous in his curveball, along with an above-average changeup he hadn’t begun to use enough and a slider that’s probably an unnecessary fourth pitch right now. He comes from a high three-quarters arm slot that, combined with his 6-7 height, makes it a very uncomfortable look for hitters on both sides of the plate. He’d also shown better control in his time in A-ball than he had even as an amateur, along with the ability to separate those two breaking balls in the curve and slider and use them in different spots. There’s risk with TJ surgery, from the slight chance he loses some velocity to the somewhat greater chance that his curveball isn’t the same afterwards (Lucas Giolito and Jay Groome had this happen). If all goes well with his rehab, perhaps he can throw in instructs or — and I admit to some self-interest here — the Arizona Fall League, which would set him up to start 2025 on something approaching a regular schedule. The ace upside is still there, just with more unknowns until we see him back on a mound and at full strength.

    Photo:

    Philadelphia Phillies

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    Lesko was cruising towards being a top-10 pick in 2022, maybe even one of the top five, when he tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery after an electric (but, alas, injury-shortened) outing at the NHSI tournament at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, NC. Lesko had been up to 97 mph with a grade-70 changeup and a much improved curveball with incredibly high spin rates, surprising for someone who came into the spring with serious questions about whether he’d ever have a usable breaking ball. He returned in the middle of 2023 and finished the year in High A, throwing 33 innings in total to set him up for a full season of work in 2024. He had most of his stuff back, working 94-98 in short outings with that 70 changeup, while the breaking ball was inconsistent but could flash plus with big depth and that tight rotation again. His delivery has always been repeatable and he should be able to throw strikes and get to above-average command in time, although in his first year back he wasn’t close to average in either category. You can dream on him a little and see an ace because of the three pitches, one a no-doubt swing-and-miss pitch, and a delivery that works for a starter. I’d just like to see what his stuff and command look like over a fuller season in 2023 before going that far, and I’m more comfortable saying he’s a mid-rotation guy with a chance to be a No. 2 starter if he stays healthy.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Keith was the Tigers’ fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, meaning he was their last one, and he has a good chance to end up their best player from that class — even better than No. 1 pick Spencer Torkelson. Keith has great feel for the barrel and makes a ton of hard contact, improving his typical launch angle this past year to get the ball in the air more. That allowed him to go from 11 homers in 113 games in 2021-22 to 27 homers in 126 games last season. He’s topped 110 mph already despite a short swing that you might think would limit his impact. He’s turned himself into a capable third baseman, good enough to stay there, although he could also end up at second base to minimize any concerns about the arm strength not playing at the hot corner. I don’t think it matters much; even if he’s at first base, which now looks like a real worst-case scenario, he’ll hit enough to be at least a good regular with .280-.300 averages and 25-35 homer power. He’s athletic enough to be an average defender at second base with some work, though, and that could make him an easy 5-win player.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    There’s always at least one guy from every draft who goes out for a month or so after signing and makes people ask why he wasn’t drafted higher — Dalton Rushing was that guy in 2022, Zack Gelof in 2021 — and Emerson certainly did that last summer. The 22nd pick in 2023 went 15 for 28 in a week in the ACL and then hit .302/.436/.444 in 16 games in the Cal League when he was barely 18 years old, wowing scouts with his feel to hit for such a young player from an Ohio high school. Emerson has a loose, easy left-handed swing, favoring contact over power, without a lot of work coming from his lower half yet to drive the ball — something I imagine the Mariners will work on right away — although he already makes solid-average contact quality. He’s a 45 or barely 50 runner, not likely to stay at shortstop, and split time between there and second in his few weeks in the minors. Before the draft, I said he had the upside of a “high-average, 15 to 20-homer sort of hitter at second base,” and pro scouts and analysts seem to agree with that after his pro debut, but with more confidence than I had pre-draft that he’ll get there. It’s early days, but Seattle might have a steal on their hands.

    2023 Ranking: Just missed

    Williams was Tampa’s first-round pick in 2021, but at the time there were questions about multiple aspects of his game, including his power and even his running. He’s improved in just about every way since then, changing his gait to become a plus runner, building strength to hit 42 homers over the last two years, and developing into an easy plus defender at shortstop. What he does not do, however, is make enough contact, with a 31.4 percent strikeout rate during the regular season in 2023 and then a 36.5 percent rate in the hitter-friendly (and pitching-starved) Arizona Fall League. It’s a pitch recognition issue, as he really struggles against offspeed stuff even in the zone, yet doesn’t chase pitches all that often. When he makes contact, it’s generally high quality, so he doesn’t have to make a huge adjustment to become a star, just better distinguish non-fastballs and perhaps to stop swinging so hard at them. If he played on the other end of the defensive spectrum, he wouldn’t be on the top 100. As it is, though, he’s got four tools that are 6s or better, and if the hit tool just gets to 45, he’s going to be a very good big leaguer.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Jones was the Pirates’ second-round pick in the 2020 draft, a high school pitcher with arm strength and athleticism but a long way to go as a pitcher. Their patience is paying off, as he reached Triple A last year as a four-pitch guy who looks like he’ll at least be a league-average starter with more room to grow. He’s sitting mid-90s now, touching 100 mph, with a slider that’s gone from a 40 to presently close to a 60, getting into the low 90s with high spin and some sharp downward break. He throws all four pitches for strikes, with a changeup that’s good enough to keep lefties in check. His stuff did taper off as the season progressed, not excessively but enough to mention, and he may need to work on pacing himself in the earlier part of the year to stay strong through September in the longer big-league season. He’s the most polished of Pittsburgh’s upper-level pitching prospects and the most likely to come up and help in the majors this year. Whether his ceiling extends beyond that of a mid-rotation guy may come down to his in-season durability more than anything with his stuff or approach.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Signed last January for a $3.2 million bonus, Walcott, who born in The Bahamas, spent most of his first pro season in the U.S., earning huge raves from scouts who saw him launch seven homers in 35 games in the ACL as a 17-year-old. He’s got the potential for 70 power once he fills out, depending on how the hit tool develops from here. He swings very hard, producing the hard contact you’d expect from his swing, but he also struck out 32.3 percent of the time between rookie ball and four games in Low A (he also played nine games in the Dominican Summer League). Scouts felt like he made progress even within the summer in improving his swing decisions, and he did drop his strikeout rate significantly from July (49 percent) to August (22 percent), although that’s some pretty thin slicing there. He’s an average runner and definitely not a shortstop, even though he’ll probably play there a few more years until he outgrows it, with third base the most likely position long-term. There is the potential he gets so big he just ends up in an outfield corner. He’s the second-youngest player on the top 100, after Ethan Salas, and has the risk you’d expect from a teenager with so little experience. The fact that he did as well as he did is a great sign, however, and he has the strength and power to back up the hype.

    2023 Ranking: 14

    It’s been about as quick a fall from grace as you’ll see for Jones, who was the second pick in 2022 and No. 1 on many draft boards (including my own), but who required shoulder surgery before he even got into a pro game that summer and played just 41 games in 2023, struggling through much of it. Jones is a lot like his father, Andruw Jones, playing elite defense in center and showing plus power and speed on offense, but the comparison doesn’t help the son when the dad was already playing in the World Series at this age. Jones did hit the ball hard when he played last year, but too much of it was on the ground because his swing was a mess after the surgery and an offseason of rehab during which he couldn’t swing a bat. He didn’t look right in spring training, either in his mechanics or his conditioning, stepping in the bucket and barely getting his lower half involved at all. He played just 10 games in Low A in April before hurting his quad, and then hurt his hamstring while rehabbing in June, finally returning to Low-A Visalia on Aug. 15, 118 days after his last game at the level. He hit .296/.412/.437 in the last 19 games before he ran out of season, with a 23.5 percent strikeout rate, which came in a tiny sample but is a lot more consistent with the player everyone thought he’d be coming out of high school. I heard from scouts who buried him off their 2023 looks, and I can understand why. I also don’t think it’s reasonable to give up on a player who is this talented and was so good in high school when he had 14 months of injuries and never got extended playing time to correct what he was doing wrong at the plate. I’m inclined to call it a lost year and see how he looks this spring when he’s had a proper offseason to work on his body and swing.

    2023 Ranking: 25

    Montgomery missed the first half of 2023 with an oblique strain and then a strained muscle in his mid-back, finally returning to full-season ball on July 4 and to Double A (where he’d finished the previous season) on Aug. 1. He performed well at every level but never quite looked like he did in his torrid 2022 season, when he earned some comps to Corey Seager — another big shortstop who outlasted predictions that he’d move to third, including some from yours truly. Montgomery has a great approach at the plate, walking as much as he struck out last year, but the injury seemed to limit his flexibility and impacted his swing, making him much more dead-pull and causing him to roll over a lot of pitches he might have taken the other way in 2022. The consensus on his defense has shifted for the better, and it’s probably about even-money that he stays there in the eyes of the industry, with good reads and soft hands along with plenty of arm for that side of the dirt. I’m betting that the version Montgomery we saw last year, including the tight, slow look in the Arizona Fall League, is the result of rust and continued recovery. Given the chance to reset and come back as the high-contact, all-fields hitter we saw in his first full pro season, he should resume his march to Chicago and end up their everyday solution at short or third, with 4-5 WAR upside thanks to the hit tool and position.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Crawford was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2022 out of a Las Vegas high school; he’s the son of Carl Crawford and cousin of J.P. Crawford. He’s a long way from being a finished product, but his tools are so good that he can outplay a lot of his deficiencies. He’s a 70 runner who can really play center field, while at the plate he’s already posted high exit velocities and can show big power the other way in BP that’s starting to emerge in games. He spent most of last year with Low-A Clearwater and hit .344/.399/.478 in 69 games with 40 steals before a late-season promotion to High A. He posted those solid numbers even with a lot of inconsistency in the swing that can cause him to get on top of the ball too often. He’s still got 10-15 pounds of room to fill out, which could make him a 20-homer, 50-steal guy who plays plus or better defense in center. He might be a level-a-year guy, though, as it takes time for him to fill out.

    2023 Ranking: 95

    Black is the sort of player you love if he’s on your team and hate if he’s in the other dugout, as he plays hard all the time, and will fight for every out and every ball or strike until the game ends. Drafted 33rd in 2021 out of Wright State, Black has real plate discipline and great feel for the barrel, with a .400+ OBP at High A, Double A, and Triple A over the last two seasons. His hands are quick and he’s short to the ball and through contact, so the swing is more conducive to low line drives and some groundballs than to power. He’s a 70 runner who should be able to play center and is adequate at second, although since shoulder surgery his arm hasn’t been great and the left side of the infield might be out of reach. It’s an unusual profile for first base, but I think he can produce a .400 OBP with 10-15 homers and a ton of value on the bases, which would be enough offense for the position even without huge power, and then the only real question would be if his height holds him back. His floor is a super-utility guy who still gets 400-500 PA a year playing all over the diamond, but I’m in the camp that says he’s a starter at second, in left or — if he’s not with Milwaukee — in center, and he’ll be a favorite of hometown fans once they see how he plays.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Acuña is the younger brother of reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and went to the Mets as part of the return for Max Scherzer this past July. He’s only 5-8 but he’s ultra-twitchy and shows 60 raw power in BP and 65-70 running speed, although in games he can show more contact than power and might need a small swing adjustment to get to more than 12-15 homers a year. His contact quality improved from 2022 to 2023, which at least sets him up to be a high doubles guy and gives him a strong floor as a regular at some position up the middle. He’s a shortstop now and projects to stay there, with the speed and lateral range to handle it or move to center field if need be. As is, he’s probably a high-average, high-doubles shortstop who steals 40-50 bags a year, although I could see him trading some contact for more power and getting to 20 jacks. Either way, he’s got an above-average regular’s ceiling and a floor that should make Mets fans feel good about the trade.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Young was Seattle’s first-round pick in 2022, going 21st out of a Pittsburgh-area high school, and was their top prospect until Colt Emerson took the field in August. Young is also a left-handed-hitting middle infielder, but it’s a different profile, as Young’s a better athlete, better runner, and has a significantly better chance to stay at shortstop in the long run. He’s got a great feel for the barrel, with a strikeout rate last season under 15 percent. There were 13 minor leaguers who had 600+ plate appearances in 2023, and Young had the lowest strikeout rate of any of them, which is especially impressive since it was his first full pro season and he even moved up to High A after the All-Star break. He’s got a fairly simple swing and plenty of bat speed, although without a lot of loft in his finish he might peak around average power. It could be an elite hit tool, though, and even 8-12 homers a year would be plenty for a high-average, high-OBP shortstop to be an All-Star.

    2023 Ranking: 48

    Rodriguez missed about 2/3 of the 2022 season after a knee injury, but he impressed scouts with his power and approach in the limited time he played. He showed more of the same in a full season of work in 2023, moving to High A as a 20-year-old and hitting .240/.400/.463 with 92 walks in 99 games, although now it’s time for him to swing more often and convert those good counts into damage. He started out 2023 in horrific fashion, with a .163 average and 38.5 percent strikeout rate through the end of May, so the season line may not do him justice. He’s got a big leg kick, and when he swings, he swings pretty hard, with plus game power already and high exit velocities for his age, offering the possibility of a 30-homer corner bat with high walk totals. He’s a 55 runner who plays center now, with a body that’s probably going to slow down and push him to a corner as he gets into his 20s, with maybe average range up the middle as it is. He doesn’t chase much, with his high strikeout total more a function of running deep counts than poor recognition — he saw 4.29 pitches per PA last year, putting him in the top 5 percent of all minor leaguers with at least 400 PA, but needs to swing a little more at good strikes. There’s real upside with the bat if he translates the selectivity into more of the hard contact he’s already making when he does deign to swing.

    2023 Ranking: 100

    Chandler finally gave up trying to be a two-way player, and it’s probably not surprising that he made much more progress in 2023 just trying to pitch than he had the year before. Chandler has an incredible fastball, 94-98 mph with huge induced vertical, a pitch that, when he stops trying to be too fine in locating it, will be a wipeout offering. He pairs it with a 70 changeup and can spin two distinct breaking balls, although landing either of them is still a work in progress. As you might expect from a former shortstop/pitcher and high school quarterback, he’s an outstanding athlete and his delivery doesn’t have a ton of effort for the velocity it generates. He had some control issues early in the year, but finished strongly — his final nine starts, one of which came in Double A, had him throwing 48 2/3 innings with 51 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 1.66 ERA. He’s got the highest ceiling of the Pirates’ trio of starter prospects (not named Paul Skenes) along with Jared Jones and lefty Anthony Solometo.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    In 2022, Horton was about as late a pop-up guy as you’ll ever find in the draft; he missed 2021 with Tommy John surgery, didn’t join the University of Oklahoma’s rotation until partway through the spring, and changed his breaking ball right before their postseason, turning into one of the best pitchers in the NCAA tournament field. The Cubs took him with the seventh-overall pick, a selection I thought was very risky given his scant track record of success, but he’s kept improving since they signed him and right now the pick looks brilliant. Horton was a two-pitch guy in college without anything for lefties, relying on an out-pitch slider up to 89 mph that had very sharp, late downward break, while touching 98 with the fastball. The Cubs helped him dust off his seldom-used changeup, and with more reps it’s become a plus pitch for him and can allow him to get by with a fastball that doesn’t have tremendous movement. He’ll have to work more on fastball command, but the fact that he finished his first full pro year in Double A, just 16 months after his season ERA for Oklahoma hit 7.94 when he got crushed in the Big 10 Tournament, is quite a story for him and for the Cubs. He looks like a mid-rotation starter, although with the speed of his development so far I might still be selling him short.

    2023 Ranking: 17

    Collier was the 18th pick in the 2022 draft out of Chipola College, where he’d played as a 17-year-old after graduating early from high school and moving to the junior college to enter the draft a year sooner. The son of former big leaguer Lou Collier, Cam is already pushing 6-3 and past his listed 210 pounds, enough that he’ll probably have to work on conditioning now rather than gaining strength so he can stay at third base. He’s a bat-first guy and projects to hit for average and power, showing good feel for the strike zone despite his youth and very rarely missing on pitches in the zone last year (with the caveat that the Florida State League has the ABS in place). After a slow start as one of the youngest players anywhere in full-season ball, Collier picked it up in the second half, hitting .290/.389/.395 with plenty of hard contact, topping out over 110 mph. He’s younger than five of the 11 high school position players taken in the first 30 picks of the 2023 draft, yet already has a full year of pro ball experience. He can still cut through the ball too often, hitting it on the ground way more than he should last year (53 percent in Low A) as he made contact on some pitches he should have let go by, and he has to avoid getting any bigger so he doesn’t end up moving to the outfield. He makes more than enough hard contact to project 25+ homers and strong batting averages as long as he continues to make adjustments as he faces better pitching up the ladder.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Luis hadn’t played in the U.S. before 2023 but finished his season in Low A, hitting four homers in 36 games for Visalia with a .257/.310/.417 line as a true 18 year old. He already shows tremendous bat speed and makes strong contact for his age and size, as he’s about 6 feet and still lean, with plus or better power projection when he fills out. He’s got a great swing for both average and power from both sides of the plate, showing solid swing decisions for his age with room for improvement as he gets older, especially as he faces better offspeed stuff. He’s a shortstop now, probably a 45 defender there when it’s all said and done and better off moving to second base, where he still has All-Star upside because of the bat.

    2023 Ranking: 47

    Tiedemann threw just 44 innings in the regular season around injuries to his left shoulder and biceps, making four starts in the AFL to try to make up for some of the lost time. He did regain the velocity that had been missing at the end of 2022, bumping 98 mph and pitching at 93-96 in the outing I saw in the desert, with a plus changeup and a big-breaking slider that wasn’t up to its past standard that day. The slider’s pretty high spin and has good tilt, giving him two real weapons, one for lefties and one for righties, which also helps as his fastball doesn’t have a ton of life or movement and hitters square it up more than the velocity might imply. His delivery isn’t ideal for durability, as his shoulder stays open late, with some sling to the arm stroke, and that might be putting undue pressure on the joint. You have to start a guy with these weapons, and if he stays healthy enough for it he’s a mid-rotation starter or better depending on the control (maybe 45 now, but he’s shown better) and command (40). Two years of missed time and suboptimal mechanics give him a lot of reliever risk, though.

    2023 Ranking: 84

    House was the Nats’ first-round pick in 2021, then he missed more than half of his first full pro season with a back injury and COVID-19, so this past season was more of a proper debut for the slugging third baseman. He hit .297 or better at three different levels, from Low A to Double A, and struck out less than a quarter of the time on the season as he showed much better offspeed recognition than he had previously. He even flashed some power, with 12 homers in 88 games, although I think the expectation for him is even higher than that. Unfortunately, House is over-aggressive at the plate, swinging first and asking questions later, walking less than 5 percent of the time between High A and Double A, so his batting average, while not empty, was also less than full: he hit .312/.365/.497 on the year. He’s awkward at third base at times because he’s so big, but he’s got plenty of arm and when I’ve seen him he’s made the routine plays. He doesn’t have to become a high-walk guy to be an above-average regular — stay at third and up the in-game power and he’ll get there even with a 5 percent walk rate, because he already hits the ball pretty hard and can get the ball in the air, if sometimes too much. There are a number of paths to success here as long as he can tighten up the pitch recognition.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Teel was the best catcher in the 2023 draft class, a three-year starter at UVA who probably would have gotten first-round money out of high school had the pandemic not wiped out his senior season in New Jersey. He’s an unusually good athlete and runner for a backstop, with excellent bat speed and a swing that produces line drives to the gaps with occasional over-the-fence power, although in college he did much more damage against right-handers, with softer contact versus southpaws. He was a solid-average defender in college, very active behind the plate with a plus arm, but was not good in Double A when Boston sent him there at the end of the season — quite likely tired from a long season but also showing he needs to simplify his movements back there to catch better quality stuff than he had to handle in Charlottesville. He could come into some pull-side power with a few small adjustments at the plate, depending on how Boston wants to develop him; a catcher who hits a ton of line drives and is at least an average receiver is good enough to make some All-Star teams, and he’d solve a problem the Red Sox have had for years at that position.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Scott played three years at West Virginia, hitting a composite .254/.368/.419 and never hitting .300 in any of his seasons there, which is probably how an 80 runner at a major-conference school ends up a fifth-round pick. He took off in his full-season debut last year, hitting for a higher average at High A, Double A, and in the Arizona Fall League than he did in any season for the Mountaineers, while also stealing 94 bags to tie for the professional lead. He’s a plus defender in center, closer to a 70 than a 60, and he’s been very hard to strike out in the minors, with just a 15.6 percent strikeout rate between High A and Double A, something that particularly matters when you can turn almost any groundball into a hit. He’s small, but not feeble like a lot of guys who run like he does, and über-athletic, which is part of how he’s been able to make such quick adjustments on both sides of the ball. The floor here seems very high — a plus defender in center who adds this kind of value on the bases would have to be positively anemic with the bat to have no real value — while he could have a long, long run as an everyday guy even with just 8-12-homer-a-year power, which I think is already within reach.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    The Rays took Taylor with the 19th pick in the 2023 draft after a solid year at TCU where he hit a career-high 23 homers but slumped some in the middle of the spring, perhaps pushing him down in a draft loaded with college position players. He has a beautiful left-handed swing with excellent loft in his finish, so he barrels a lot of balls and projects to get to above-average power at his peak. He’s a solid-average defender at third right now and might have a 60 arm, while he’s athletic enough to improve there with work or move to second base. He’s an average runner but a smart base stealer who hasn’t been caught stealing since 2021, going 36 for 36 across college, summer ball, and the minors in the last two calendar years. His low BABIP last spring in college (.307) seemed very fluky based on his hard contact rates and typical launch angles, so it’s possible, even likely, that the Rays landed a top-10 talent here because he had an unlucky spring. I see an average regular who gets to the majors pretty quickly, with the potential to be a 55 or more if the defense improves and he reaches his 20-25 homer ceiling.

    2023 Ranking: Just missed

    The Jays challenged Martinez with an assignment to Double A to start 2022 when he was just 20 years old and had only 27 games of High-A experience, so it wasn’t a huge shock that he struggled, hitting .203/.286/.446 with a 28.4 percent strikeout rate. The Jays returned him to Double-A New Hampshire in 2023 and he looked like a different guy, improving his swing decisions across the board, posting the best walk rate of his career and his lowest strikeout rate since Rookie ball. He’s always had the raw power, with 86 homers across the last three seasons, but needed to hit enough to get to it, so improving not just the raw contact and walk numbers but getting into better counts and choosing better pitches to attack was and still is the key for him to be more than an extra guy in the majors. He can handle shortstop if need be but at best he’ll be an average defender there; I’ve seen him at third and think he can be above-average at the hot corner, while some scouts think second base will be his eventual home. A 30-homer, .320-330 OBP hitter at either spot is an everyday player on just about any club, and that’s his upside if he keeps working on his approach.

    2023 Ranking: 94

    Before he was traded to the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes deal last week, I wrote that Ortiz should be someone’s starting shortstop now, but he has the misfortune to play in an organization that has shortstops coming out of its ears — which should make him a very valuable player for hot stove purposes, as he can step into a big-league role right away. He’s a plus defender at short with a strong and accurate arm and he remade his swing and his body during the pandemic, returning much stronger and with a swing that drives the ball effectively to the gaps and gives him a chance for 15-20 homers a year. His exit velocity peaked around 115 mph in Triple A last year, and he makes contact at consistently high rates, under 20 percent strikeout rates everywhere he’s played except for his 34 scattered PA in the majors. A .280/.340/.450-ish hitter who adds 5 or so runs of value on defense is a pretty valuable player, I think, and while there’s no further ceiling or projection here, that ought to be enough to get him a starting job.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Nimmala was one of the youngest players in the 2023 draft class, turning 18 this past October; he fell to the 20th pick, where the Blue Jays were ecstatic to get a player I’d ranked as a top-10 talent. Nimmala offers the upside of a true shortstop with 25+ homer power, with good actions at short and a plus arm, while he can show a powerful and efficient right-handed swing that should launch balls as he fills out. He’s still physically immature, hardly surprising for his age, and as he gets stronger he might start to run a little better and drive the ball harder while also getting more consistent around the bag at short. He showed a little swing and miss in high school, but in a brief stint in the complex league he actually displayed more patience and very little tendency to chase. He’s going to be younger this season than some guys in the upcoming draft, and there’s no rush to send him right to full-season ball. Now that commissioner Rob Manfred has axed the short-season level between Low A and the complexes, there isn’t an ideal spot for a guy like Nimmala, but I hope the Jays play it conservatively given his age and his upside.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Lowder was the second pitcher taken in the 2023 draft, going seventh to the Reds after a tremendous spring for Wake Forest where he finished fourth in Division I with 143 strikeouts. He’s got a funky, deceptive delivery and shows three average or better pitches, with a fastball that can be plus but will probably be more 55 when he’s working on five days’ rest, a 70 changeup that was among the best in the class, and a solid-average slider. Hitters don’t see the ball well out of his hand, so his stuff plays up, and he also was able to get away with 45 command at best in the amateur ranks. There’s a limit to how far he can go with that delivery, as it’s going to be hard for him to be a good command guy and he might see his very low walk rates creep up as he gets to Double A and above, but he should also get to the majors quickly and could pitch for a decade or more as a No. 3 or 4 starter who soaks up innings.

    2023 Ranking: 65

    The Mariners have had a great run of first-round picks the last six years; starting in 2018, they took Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Emerson Hancock, Ford, Cole Young, and Colt Emerson, so that’s two above-average big-league starters and three guys currently on this top-100. Ford has always been a work-in-progress as a catcher, as he’s super athletic but was really rough at the position as an amateur. He’s made enough progress that it seems like he could stay at the position, although he’s probably still on the low side of average when it comes to receiving and blocking. He may also hit his way off the position, as he shows elite strike zone judgment, ranking third in the minors in walks last year with 103 and striking out less than 20 percent of the time — although even that is surprising given how infrequently he chases. He might be better off sacrificing some contact for more power, as he’s strong enough to at least be a 40 doubles/15 homers guy, but his swing is incredibly short to the ball and right now it’s below-average game power as a result. He hits a lot like he’s always trying to keep his hands inside the ball, which is a great skill to have but not useful for all pitches in all locations. There are multiple paths for Ford to become a big-league starter — he could just improve his defense to the point where he stays there, and then the bat will play immediately; he could move to somewhere on the infield, where the bat would play but you’d like a little more power; or he could take his athleticism and speed to the outfield, easing the defensive concerns and strain on his body but then almost requiring more in-game power. I’ll bet on an athlete who knows the strike zone, though.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Kjerstad reached the majors last year in just his second pro season, and I don’t think enough attention has been paid to how tough a road he had from draft day to the big leagues. Kjerstad developed myocarditis after a bout with COVID-19 in 2020, missing all of 2021 while recovering from the condition, and when he returned in 2022 he looked rusty and had trouble catching up to good velocity — nothing like the player he was at Arkansas in 2019-20. Last year, he was all the way back and then some, making consistent hard contact and more of it than before; when the O’s picked him second in 2020, his high strikeout rates against SEC pitching stood out as a red flag, but last year he showed the best two-strike approach of his career and kept his season strikeout rate under 20 percent until he reached the majors. There’s still more chase than you’d like to see in a corner outfielder whose value is mostly in the bat, and lefties are going to attack him with spin until he shows he can lay off it. Because he hits the ball so hard, so often, I think he can be an above-average hitter even if his strikeout rate drifts north of 25 percent, probably getting to 20-25 homers a year and a high BABIP as well. And maybe then I’ll stop joking about how his name sounds like the lead singer of a melodic death metal band or a storage unit you’d buy at IKEA.

    2023 Ranking: 85

    Pereira wasn’t ready for the majors last year, but that doesn’t dim his long-term outlook as a potential regular for someone, maybe as a center fielder who can get to 30 homers once his approach catches up with his tools. He has outstanding bat speed, producing a ton of hard contact with a swing that should produce plus power over time and is very short to the ball but explosive once he begins, then with good loft in his finish for some big flies. He’s a 55 runner now with a plus arm and can play center field, although it’s possible that he’ll be pushed to a corner if he loses some speed as he finishes filling out. He struggled with offspeed recognition even in the minors, notably changeups, and that caused him further trouble in the big leagues, as did his habit of expanding the zone too quickly. The Juan Soto trade might be the best thing for him, as it’ll give him plenty of time in Triple A to work on his plan at the plate, laying off more of those pitches out of the zone and better identifying non-fastballs. There’s risk here but if he both stays up the middle and gets to his power peak, he’ll be an All-Star.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Bradfield is an 80 runner and either a 70 or 80 defender in center, depending on who you ask and perhaps when you see him, not that it matters that much in the end — he’s got two top-end tools, and that gives him a high floor and a lot of runway to work on the other aspects of his game. Bradfield seemed like a lock for a top-10 pick after his freshman year at Vanderbilt, when he hit .336/.451/.414 as a 19-year-old in the SEC, stealing 47 bases in 53 attempts, but somewhere, someone convinced him to change his swing to try to hit for power, and while he did go from 1 homer as a freshman to hitting 14 the next two seasons, his overall hitting went backward and I think helped Baltimore land him at pick 15 last season. (It did not help that Bradfield constantly tried to bunt for hits, putting himself behind in the count and doing nothing to right his swing. I have a lot of feelings about this.) He’s not a power hitter, but he’s not powerless, if that makes sense — he is capable of putting 5-10 balls in the seats a year, but the more he tries to do so, the worse he’ll be as a hitter. Last spring, he was loading his hands extremely deep, taking a huge stride, opening his hips way too early, then collapsing his back side to try to lift — or will — the ball out of the park. He needs a simpler approach, like the one he had as a freshman, that focuses on putting the ball in play, as he’ll end up with a lot of extra bases thanks to his speed, and he does have enough strength to drive balls to the gaps and catch up to major-league fastballs. I don’t change players’ rankings or evaluations based on their parent organizations, since that could change at any time, but I think Bradfield is in an organization that will figure out what to do with him very quickly. At worst, you’ve got an elite fourth outfielder/pinch runner, while the ceiling here is huge defensive impact with an average bat.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Troy was the 12th pick in 2023 after a strong junior year at Stanford where he hit .394/.478/.699 as the Cardinal’s primary third baseman — and he did it playing most of the season with a broken bone in his foot that he didn’t get fixed until the fall. He’s an advanced hitter who showed strong exit velocities this spring, although he needed to get the ball in the air more often (again, bearing in mind the broken foot). His bigger question is his ultimate position; he’s athletic enough for the infield, third base or second most likely, but his footwork isn’t great and he may end up in the outfield. The bat should profile anywhere, although he’s quite a bit more valuable if he can just be a 45 defender at second base than he would be in left field.

    2023 Ranking: 80

    Manzardo was the Rays’ second-round pick in 2021 out of Washington State, where he showed outstanding feel to hit but didn’t put the ball over the fence as much as you’d expect for his size or want for his lack of defensive value. Traded to Cleveland this past July for Aaron Civale, Manzardo started turning on the ball a lot more after he came off the injured list (for a shoulder issue) in August, with six homers in 21 games for Triple-A Columbus and six more in 22 games in the Arizona Fall League. He’s an extremely disciplined hitter who doesn’t chase much and almost never misses on fastballs, destroying right-handed pitching with some trouble with lefties — he makes enough contact but had a .195 BABIP against them last year, which feels fluky given how hard he typically hits the ball. His best position is in the batter’s box and you’ll have to live with some limited defense at first base, which caps his ceiling somewhat, but if he closes that platoon split (or if it turns out to be at least partly bad luck) he’s got a .380-.400 OBP, 30 homer ceiling that will play anywhere.

    2023 Ranking: 92

    Quero went from the Angels to the White Sox in the Lucas Giolito trade, giving Chicago a bona fide catching prospect for the first time since … Josh Phegley, maybe? It’s been a minute, but they landed a good one in Quero, who has shown exceptional zone awareness for his age and has very real bat-to-ball skills already. He’s a true switch-hitter with high walk and contact rates from both sides, flashing a little pull power but probably maxing out at 10-15 homers a year. He put on a little too much lower-body weight last year, possibly an effort to get him more juice at the plate, but it seemed to slow him down a little defensively. He’s a solid-average catcher overall, improving a little each year and capable of becoming a 55 or better if he continues to work on consistency in receiving and blocking. He has just an average arm, which might be the only drawback to his game. Otherwise, you can project an everyday catcher with 50-55 defense, an OBP north of .350, and a little pop, which is a starter on the majority of MLB teams.

    2023 Ranking: 74

    Busch is the oldest guy on the list this year and just barely still qualifies — one more day on an MLB roster would have put him over the rookie-eligibility limit — but he’s ready for everyday duty in the majors right now, and after this winter’s trade to the Cubs, it looks like he’ll get that opportunity. He’s hit pretty much everywhere he’s played, showing power and hard contact over the last three seasons between Double A and Triple A, while cutting his K-rate significantly while repeating Triple A this past year (26 percent to 19 percent). Even with 61 homers over the last two years, though, he doesn’t project as a 25-30 homer guy in the majors, with a swing that’s more geared towards low line drives. In his 81 PA with the Dodgers last year, that swing resulted in an uncharacteristically high ground-ball rate (58.7 percent, compared to 38.5 percent in his Triple-A time). He’s played first, second, third, and left field in pro ball, looking rough at third but playable at second, while first base is his best position and, fortunately, it’s where the Cubs will ask him to play. I think he’ll end up with an OBP in the .340-350 range and 18-22 homers a year with 30+ doubles, which would make him a solid to above-average regular at first as long as his defense is right around average.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Ramos missed most of the first two months of the 2023 season with a lower abdomen injury and took a little while to get rolling, but ended up with a .271/.369/.457 line as a 21-year-old in Double A. He hit 14 homers in 77 Double-A games, peaking at 111 mph with consistently hard contact. He swings one way, hard, and it’s very rotational, so that might be how the ab injury happened in the first place. Maintaining that core strength will be key for him going forward; he might naturally come into a little more power but he’s strong enough now for 25 homers, so developing the rest of his game is more important. His approach is solid for his age, as he doesn’t expand the zone too easily and kept his strikeout rate in Double A to just under 22 percent, even though he does swing hard pretty much all the time. He’s also a solid-average defender at third with a 55 arm, and could move to second if need be. Ramos could end up doing a little of everything, hitting for average with a 10 percent walk rate and 20-25 homers, and if the version from late in the Arizona Fall League — using the whole field while looking for pitches to pull — carries over, he might be more of a 30-homer guy who cracks some All-Star teams.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Thompson was Colorado’s second pick in the 2022 draft at No. 31. He arrived in pro ball as an advanced hitter from the University of Florida with an uncertain positional profile. The Rockies have moved him around the diamond a bunch, trying him at third and second while giving him some time in the outfield, although in the end it’s his bat that will carry him. Thompson might have a true plus hit tool already, with a pretty simple swing and excellent bat speed, rotating his hips enough to get to at least average power, and he’s shown he can hit left-handed pitching so far in pro ball. He’s best in an outfield corner who has shown he can make the routine plays at second or third to give him some versatility and open up more paths to the majors. There was concern when he was an amateur that he’d have to play first base and might not have the power to profile there; I don’t think either of those things is true at this point, especially not the positional questions, as he’s fine in the outfield and looks like he’ll at least have the average/doubles power to be a strong regular there. He should see the majors at some point this year and could very quickly become the Rockies’ best hitter for average.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Wilken was the Brewers’ first-round pick in 2023 from a loaded Wake Forest team that had two first-rounders and three more guys taken in the second/third rounds last year, and that might have as many as five first-rounders this upcoming year. Even with a big slump in the middle of last spring, Wilken still hit 31 homers for the Deacons — whose home park is homer-friendly — and shows 55 power right now, with excellent balance and hip rotation that point to the potential for more down the road. He’s a hitter first with very high barrel rates in college and solid ball/strike recognition, so he’s comfortable running deep counts. I’m not saying he’s Jeff Bagwell, but that’s the archetype of the young hitter who hits the ball pretty hard, knows the strike zone, and has to grow into more power, so I could see Wilken becoming a 25-homer guy who still posts high OBPs. He’s a solid-average defender at third with a 55 arm, capable of making some difficult plays but needing more consistency on routine ones, with some concern that as the game speeds up he might have trouble maintaining the glove. Even at first base, where the Brewers do have a long-term need anyway, his bat should still make him a solid regular or more.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Snelling was the 39th pick in the 2022 draft, a pitcher-quarterback-linebacker who enticed scouts with his size, athleticism, and arm strength. He made his full-season debut last year and showed superb control at Low A and High A before a late promotion to Double A, where he walked more guys but remained hard to hit. He’s a very strong, physical kid, not overly muscled up although he’ll have to work to remain that way, working 92-96 mph most of the time with a 55 slider and 55 changeup, but nothing clearly plus right now. There’s some effort to his delivery and head-jerk at release, while he can slow his arm down when he’s not throwing his fastball, something hitters will pick up sooner rather than later. He’s also barely 20 and split his time in high school between two sports, so he should have more room to grow than the typical second-year pitcher would. There’s reliever risk, but a No. 2 or 3 starter ceiling, with the median outcome probably more around a fourth starter who’s got some above-average years and some below-average ones.

    2023 Ranking: 63

    Hence was a slight 17-year-old when the Cardinals drafted him in the second round in 2020 — the same draft class that landed them Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Alec Burleson. He pitched just eight innings in 2021 around some minor injury stuff and general workload management, but he took off in 2022 and followed that up with a career-high 96 innings in 2023. Hence is an excellent athlete and has a lightning-quick arm, although it hasn’t translated into a plus breaking ball of any sort yet. He sits 94-96 mph and can reach 98, with a plus or plus-plus changeup already and a slurvy low-80s breaker that’s effective now but that he doesn’t command or finish that well. He’s extremely athletic and has continued to fill out and get stronger to hold his stuff and work deeper into games, so there’s hope he can find a better third pitch, but so far he hasn’t shown much ability to spin or manipulate the ball and the slurve works in part because the fastball/changeup discombobulate hitters (except at the Milwaukee airport). Hence has a very high floor in relief, as he has great arm speed on the changeup and it falls right off the table as it approaches the plate, so he has the two pitches to dominate in short bursts. The hope is he can tighten up the breaking ball or try another one, even a cutter, to give him enough of a third weapon to turn a lineup over three times and be a mid-rotation guy.

    2023 Ranking: 71

    Cavalli reached the majors at the end of 2022, making one start before hitting the injured list and eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery last March that wiped out his 2023 season. Prior to the injury, he showed size, stuff, athleticism, and the need to work on command and sequencing, things that you hope would come with more repetitions. He’s got easy plus velocity on the fastball and works with a four-pitch mix highlighted by a curveball that has power and depth and moves in a different direction than his other pitches, allowing him to play more with sequencing to change hitters’ eye levels and expectations. He has a solid changeup that he uses primarily against left-handed batters, with almost no platoon split in 2022, and a short slider that’s hard and cutter-like in shape and function. Once he returns at some point this spring, he’ll be working to regain his feel, but also to pound the zone more and work on mixing his pitches more effectively. He still has that mid-rotation, innings-eater upside, assuming anyone even remembers what that means at this point.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Seldom has there been a better fit between a player in the draft and the team that took him. Dollander was the best pitcher in college baseball as a sophomore, with a 2.39 ERA for Tennessee that was built on a 35 percent strikeout rate, 4 percent walk rate, and a wipeout slider that looked like it would put him in play for the first pick in 2023. Alas, he changed his grip on the slider to try to make it more of a sweeper — I have heard he did it, Tennessee’s coaches did it, some third party told him to do it, and don’t really know the truth — making it not just worse but often ineffective, as he’d go entire starts without getting a swing and miss on it. The good news is that he’s aware of it and, with the Rockies’ help, the plan is to restore his 2022 slider, which would make him a steal — the sort of high-end starter the team needs, someone who’s probably a No. 2 starter with some small but non-zero chance of becoming an ace. He’s 93-97 mph and fills up the zone with it, touching 99, and if there’s a silver lining to the loss of his slider last year it’s that he used his changeup more, improving his feel to the point where it’s a solid-average third pitch for him. The slider was a legit 70 in 2022, with very tight rotation and late downward break, the opposite of sweep — and hey, I know the “sweeper” is all the rage right now, but traditional sliders are people too, right? I’m very hopeful that he’ll go out to High A to start the year and dominate between that out pitch and the control he’d shown prior to 2023, getting to Double-A Hartford by midyear and banging on the door of the big leagues.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Nastrini went to the White Sox in the trade that sent Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers, a tremendous deal for the Sox that also netted them power-armed relief prospect Jordan Leasure. Nastrini was the Dodgers’ fourth-round pick in 2021 off a spring at UCLA where he walked 38 guys in 31 innings, a hell of a job by Los Angeles’ amateur scouting group, as he’s improved a ton since the moment he signed and projects as a fourth starter or better depending on how much further his command and control develop. He works with four pitches, sitting 93-96 mph with a plus changeup and plus slider. He has a pretty consistent delivery and traditional three-quarters arm slot that doesn’t give him a ton of deception; he gives up a lot of contact in the air, so there’s a risk he becomes homer-prone or at least prone to extra-base hits as he moves up the ladder. The fastball might be his worst pitch, but he has three other weapons to use, with the changeup possibly a 70 given how much trouble hitters have with it. It doesn’t have terrific action, but it looks just like the heater coming out of his hand, and hitters missed it more than half the time they swung at it last year. There’s still some relief risk as he walked about 11 percent of batters he faced last year and will have to work to limit hard contact. His 2023 season had more positives than negatives, however, and the odds of him remaining a starter went over 50 percent for the first time.

    2023 Ranking: 24

    A funny thing happened while Mead was working his way to the majors last year: The guy the Rays traded to acquire him, lefty Cristopher Sánchez, moved into the rotation and threw up a 2.2 WAR season for the Phillies, so now that trade doesn’t look as lopsided as it did when the Phillies dealt a top-100 prospect for a fringy reliever. Mead was hit by a pitch on his wrist at the end of April in Triple A, so while he did debut in the majors later in the year he didn’t show the consistent contact quality he’d shown in previous years, although his exit velocity did still peak at 108 mph in the majors. He looked rough defensively at third and second in the majors but didn’t grade out as badly as you’d expect by defensive metrics; I doubt he’ll ever be more than fringy at third, but if he’s just adequate there — no worse than 2-3 runs below average a year — the bat should play. Expect solid averages with a ton of doubles, low walk and strikeout rates, and probably more complaints about his defense than it actually merits.

    2023 Ranking: 58

    Arroyo had a so-so campaign as a 19-year-old in High A last season, hitting .248/.321/.427 in 119 games with a lot of contact (21 percent strikeout rate) but without any real progress in the quality of contact or his game power over 2022. He’s a bat-first prospect who can handle shortstop, flashing above-average range but grading out around average overall by other teams’ analysts, offering true switch-hit potential and the upside of 15 or so homers a year if he fills out as expected. He’s got a live bat with quick hands and handles fastballs well for someone who isn’t that strong yet, but he has trouble with spin on both sides of the plate, especially when he’s batting left-handed — that is, the more important side. He’s an above-average runner who has good instincts on the bases and should rack up 30 steals a year in the majors. It’s a lot more projection today than it seemed like a year ago, after the Reds added him in the Luis Castillo trade and he hit well in two stops in Low A. He needs to get stronger, to pick up breaking pitches more easily, and to at least get more consistency on defense. He’s also just 20 years old and ready to go to Double A, so his performance looks a lot better in context. The upside of an everyday shortstop and switch-hitter with a little pop is still there; I think he’s just further away from it than I thought he was last offseason.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Schultz was Chicago’s first-round pick in 2022, a local kid who’d missed much of that spring with mono but offered a ton of projection on velocity and his slider — not to mention the upside of a 6-9 lefty with great extension. The projection started to show up in 2023 as he often worked 93-96 mph with huge sink and tail along with a plus slider that, from his lower arm slot, makes him deadly to left-handed batters, with obvious comparisons to Chris Sale, who changed his hand position on his slider after signing and became, well, Chris Sale. There’s a ton of risk here between Schultz’s injury history and his size, so it’s maybe 50/50 whether he remains a starter. Schultz’s 2023 season ended in late August when he suffered a shoulder impingement, although he should be ready to go for spring training, and the history of 6-9 or taller pitchers in general is not great for health or command. You can see No. 1 starter upside, or top-end reliever potential, depending on his health and how his coordination improves as he fills out his huge frame.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Waldrep’s splitter was one of the best pitches in the draft last year, helping him rank third in Division I with 156 strikeouts, but he used the pitch too often and his overall line suffered a little, which may be how a guy who touched 99 mph with a bona fide out-pitch slid to the 24th pick in the draft. Atlanta grabbed him and, bucking every industry trend, had him throw 29 1/3 innings in pro ball in his debut, finishing with a single start in Triple A. The splitter is just sick — it looks like a fastball out of his hand, has good velo separation from the heater at 85-89, and has huge bottom to it, yanked downward by some invisible zombie hand coming out of the ground like in the “Thriller” video. It also finishes out of the zone too often to be his go-to pitch — it’s a chase pitch, and a great one, but that’s all, and he’ll need to use all four pitches together to be a big-league starter. He has a curve and slider, either of which would likely improve with use, as in college he wouldn’t finish them out front, while his fastball sits 95 but doesn’t have great ride or life. He may never have more than average control, so he’ll really have to mix the four pitches to keep hitters off balance and generate more swings and misses. If not, he’s an easy guy to move to the bullpen, where he could junk one of the breaking balls and would be fine using the splitter at a higher rate than he can as a starter.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Delauter missed 15 months with a broken foot he suffered in college in 2022, re-aggravating the injury while rehabbing. He didn’t make his pro debut until a year after the Guardians took him with the 16th pick in the 2022 draft. He’s only played in 57 pro games, plus 23 more in the AFL, but to his credit he’s hit at every level up through a six-game stint in Double A, even with an ugly swing that doesn’t look like it’ll produce power or even let him be consistently on time. He’s an excellent athlete who might be a plus runner at full health and definitely has a plus arm, with the potential for big defensive value in right field. He’s shown great feel for the strike zone everywhere he’s ever played, including his time at James Madison and a summer on Cape Cod, where he was one of just four regulars to walk more than he struck out. It is a really unfortunate swing, though; he opens his hips early and all but drags the bat to the zone that makes it look like he’s trying to scoop the ball with the bat head and poke it to right field. He hasn’t seen much velocity yet in pro ball, so he may not be tested until this year when he’s playing in Double A or Triple A. There’s real upside here with his defense and the contact skills he’s demonstrated, but the bad swing and injury history point to the downside risk that he’s just an extra outfielder. He reminds me some of Brett Jackson, another first-rounder with an awkward swing but great athleticism who hit everywhere he played until the majors.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    Fernandez destroyed High A last year in just his second season in the U.S., as the Cuban outfielder signed in 2019 and debuted in 2021 in the DSL, finally seeing full-season ball in 2022 in the Cal League. In 2023, he hit .319/.355/.605 for High-A Spokane in 58 games, then struggled after a promotion to Double A, hitting .206/.262/.362 in the more pitcher-friendly Eastern League. He makes very hard contact and projects to 30-homer power in a neutral environment, while he has the easy plus arm to handle right field, although his range will probably be 45ish in either corner. It comes down to discipline, as he chases too many pitches out of the zone, and Double-A arms were able to exploit this with breaking stuff where A-ball guys weren’t. He’s a good enough bad-ball hitter to get away with expanding the zone a little, just not to the extent that he did after his promotion. There’s too much power and strength here to ignore, and the environments he’ll face in Triple A and the majors will help him even if he never gets past 45 plate discipline, with .300+ averages and 30 homers quite possible with Coors Field as his home park.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Lin barely cracked my top-20 Diamondbacks prospects last year, as he wasn’t throwing that hard (around 89-90 mph) and got inexperienced hitters out because he had such good offspeed stuff. He topped out in 2023 at 94, and the secondaries are still there, while he keeps adding and tinkering with his arsenal, throwing a true screwball (which already makes me a fan), a plus changeup, a curve, a slider, and now a cutter as well. He’s very athletic and fiercely competitive, fielding his position extremely well, and now that he’s got a big-league fastball it’s a lot easier to see him staying in the rotation. He doesn’t walk guys because he’s aggressive when he gets to 3-ball counts, but it’s 45 control right now as he gets a lot of chases on the secondaries. He dominated High A and moved up to Double-A Amarillo — an extreme hitter’s park — midseason, becoming homer-prone at home (6 HRA in 34 2/3 innings) but not on the road (1 HRA in 26 1/3 innings). Lin is going to face a lot of bias because he’s small (listed at 5-11, 160, but height don’t measure heart … or changeups) and because he’s from Taiwan, which so far has produced only two successful MLB starters, Chien-Ming Wang and Wei-Yin Chen. Neither of those is a real issue here — he’s got the weapons, the poise, the competitiveness, and the athleticism to start, and if he holds this stuff while improving his command and control, he has mid-rotation potential.

    2023 Ranking: 21

    Luciano started the year on the IL while recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back, finally got rolling after some time in Double A, then ended up in the big leagues and was mostly overmatched. He did hit the ball very hard in the majors, as he’s done everywhere when healthy, and he’s able to keep up with fastballs, but offspeed stuff was an issue even in Double A, and killed him at the next two stops — he went from a 30 percent strikeout rate in Double A to 35 percent in Triple A to 37 percent in the big leagues, which is all an argument that he should have stayed at Double A until he showed better non-fastball recognition. He’s also not a shortstop, and I think moving him to left field might allow him to focus more on developing the bat while also perhaps keeping him healthy. He’s still quite young, just 22 all season with barely 300 professional games on his resume, and he’s got a strong swing that’s geared for 25-30 homers. I never bought him as a shortstop, or really even a second baseman, but I thought the bat would be more advanced than this. He can still be an above-average regular if the Giants give him the time to develop his pitch recognition.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Eldridge was a two-way prospect in high school who was 91-95 mph off the mound but without an average second pitch, so his future always seemed to be in the batter’s box. He’s 6-7 and can show you the huge power that you associate with those taller guys, but unlike most hitters his size, he has a very short swing and there’s reason to hope he’ll be an outlier among his peers when it comes to contact rate. His technique is geared toward putting the ball in play rather than a dead-pull approach to show off his power, so he goes the other way comfortably and hits the ball very hard when he does so. He was bothered by an ankle injury for the latter half of the spring and wasn’t running that well even over the summer when the Giants moved him to right field from his high school position of first base, although I’d reserve judgment on his outfield defense until this season when we see him at full go. There’s definitely risk here, as the history of hitters 6-7 and up is not great because their size typically means they swing and miss too often; the exceptions have done it with huge power, like Aaron Judge and the late Frank Howard. Eldridge’s ceiling is one where the power comes, but he also maintains a higher contact rate than other lowercase-g giants because of the shape of his swing.

    2023 Ranking: 62

    Rushing was the Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2022, when they didn’t have a first-round selection. After signing, he hit .424/.539/.778 in 28 games in Low A — a small sample, sure, but early reports from pro scouts were of the “how did the Dodgers get this guy in the second round?” variety. The University of Louisville alum’s full-season debut was more of a mixed bag, as he moved to High A and hit .228/.404/.452 in 89 games, playing average defense with an average arm and working well with pitchers. The low average is a surprise for an ACC product in High A, as he wasn’t young for the level, and some of the concerns from his college days that he had trouble hitting velocity popped back up last year — he didn’t see a ton of big velo, but struggled against it when he did. On the plus side, he has a very disciplined approach with strong ball/strike recognition and a commensurately low chase rate, and he makes hard enough contact that his .276 BABIP may include some bad luck. The bar is low for an everyday catcher; if you can hit 20 homers and draw a bunch of walks with average defense, you may be able to start in the big leagues. I’m just a little more concerned about Rushing’s bat than I was a year ago.

    2023 Ranking: 56

    Jung was the 12th pick in the 2022 draft after two fantastic years hitting for Texas Tech. He did bring questions about his position and his unorthodox setup at the plate to pro ball, one of which I think has been answered. Jung starts with his hands way back and above his rear shoulder, which you’d expect to cause timing problems, but so far he’s at least shown he can make hard contact, with 28 homers between High A and Double A last year with solid (but not elite) exit velocities. He did show some holes after he moved to Double A, particularly missing fastballs up in the zone and sliders in and below it, which reawakened those concerns about his hand setup and timing, although the Tigers have some positive experience helping hitters simplify their swings (notably Parker Meadows) to reduce those concerns. Of more import is Jung’s need for a position — he’s heavy-footed, far more so than his brother Josh, and while his defense at second graded out well by some team metrics, he’s not very mobile and I don’t think he’ll ever offer much range. If he’s a 45 defender at second with this sort of 60-70 extra-base-hits-a-year profile, he’s an above-average regular. He still has those same two questions to answer this year in Double A, however.

    2023 Ranking: 72

    It was a lost year for Bleis in 2023, as he hit .230/.282/.325 in his first taste of Low A, but hurt his shoulder after 31 games and underwent season-ending surgery. He’d had previous subluxations in that shoulder, so the hope is the surgery will clear that issue up permanently and let him get back to hitting. He’ll show five tools, with 60 raw power and 55 speed that would allow him to stay in center long-term if he doesn’t lose speed as he fills out, and he has great bat speed that’s undermined by a poor approach and some extra movement before he gets the barrel going toward the zone. He’s looking fastball too often, so he struggled with pitch and ball/strike recognition in 2022 and his brief stint in 2023, chasing secondary stuff out of the zone more than he should, but that’s the sort of thing that only improves with playing time. I wrote last year that I wouldn’t “be shocked or too dismayed if he struggles early in Low A as an inexperienced 19-year-old,” and that did happen, but he never got a chance to make adjustments. There’s still high-average/25-homer potential in a center fielder here. Depending on his shoulder strength — he’s supposed to be full go for spring training, at least — and how much time he needs to shake off the rust, however, any progress might not come until later in the year.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Miller had a chance to go in the top half of the first round in 2023, but a broken hamate bone took him out for almost the entire spring, so he had to make up some ground in pre-draft workouts and ended up going to the Phillies at pick No. 27. He has big power already even with a fairly simple swing, impressing multiple teams in those workouts with how the power played in big-league stadiums, although the sense is that the power tool may be ahead of the hit tool. He likes the ball middle-away so he can get his arms extended, and he had difficulty with pitches on the inner-third when he was playing in games the previous summer. He played shortstop in 18 games after the Phillies signed him, but he’s going to be a third baseman, as he doesn’t have close to the agility or range for short while his hands and arm would play well at third. By spring training he’ll be a year off the hamate injury and should have his full strength back, at which point we’ll see if the Phillies got a steal — maybe an everyday third baseman with 25-30 homer power.

    2023 Ranking: Sleeper

    I don’t typically put pure relief prospects on my top 100; the exceptions have been, well, exceptional, most recently Josh Hader, who has produced over 11 WAR in six-plus seasons in the majors. Misiorowski is working as a starter now and should continue to do so, but the delivery screams reliever, as he can’t repeat it and won’t get close to average command the way it all works now. He also boasts one of the best two-pitch combinations in baseball, with his fastball and slider at least 7s and you could make an argument either or both is an 8. He can touch 100 mph and regularly works in the upper 90s with high spin and excellent carry on the pitch. The slider has tilt, angle, depth, and tight rotation, running 84-90 when I saw him in a start in May. He doesn’t have a viable pitch for lefties yet, and the delivery, with visible effort, a high elbow, and a head-whack at release, is not conducive to strike-throwing or durability; he walked more than 13 percent of batters on the whole in 2023, including 15 percent in his final stop in Double A. The Brewers are handling him carefully, as he didn’t face more than 20 batters or throw more than 97 pitches in any outing last year. That is the right approach even if you think his future is in the bullpen, as he still needs to work on throwing strikes, figuring out the right weapon for lefties and maybe not throwing 100 percent on every pitch because his stuff moves so well. Multi-inning relief work is coming back into fashion, finally, and Misiorowski certainly has the potential to be a very good reliever in that role. I could see him posting a couple of 3-WAR seasons that way if his control improves.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    Schanuel was the 11th pick in the 2023 draft and became the first player from that draft to reach the majors when the Angels called him up on Aug. 18. He acquitted himself quite well in his major-league debut with a .275/.402/.330 line and more walks than strikeouts. Schanuel’s plate discipline is real, as he rarely chases out of the zone and hammers fastballs, so the question is whether he can get to more power from such a big frame. His hands start high above his head, but that doesn’t inhibit his timing, and he seems to get his hips and legs involved in his swing enough, yet so far it hasn’t resulted in either big in-game power or high exit velocities. He’s probably limited to first base as well, so he could have a Dave Magadan-like career even without more power output (Magadan produced 21.1 WAR and played 16 seasons), but if I’m the Angels I’m all about trying to get a 6-4, 220+ pound hitter to hit like one.

    2023 Ranking: Ineligible

    The worst thing you can say about Meyer is that he was a high school pitcher taken in the first round, and if you’ve read anything I’ve written in the last 10 years you probably know I’m going to say that is about as high-risk a category as you’ll find in the draft. He’s still just 19 and has to stay healthy the next few years even though he’s already throwing quite hard, but the pure stuff here is pretty impressive, with four pitches that you might grade out as plus depending on when you see him. He hit 101 mph in high school and worked up to 96 in his brief time in pro ball, showing a very high-spin breaking ball that’s his best pitch now along with a tight slider and a changeup that showed very well in the minors after he barely used it in the spring. He comes from a little below three-quarters and his fastball can ride flat up in the zone, so he’ll have to work more with his offspeed stuff and/or tighten up his command significantly. He’s still young and looks like he’s barely begun to mature physically, while on the mound he’s been able to out-stuff hitters and has to work on the other aspects of pitching, from command to sequencing to ancillary things like fielding his position. I had a scout call it a “top of the rotation look,” which sums him up well: This is what a future top-of-the-rotation starter might look like at age 19, although guys who look like Meyer does at age 19 do not always end up top-of-the-rotation starters.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Stewart was one of only two teenagers to walk more than he struck out in full-season ball last year — the other, Pittsburgh’s Jesus Castillo, slugged .251 on the season. Stewart was the Reds’ second pick, 32nd in the 2022 draft, a polished high school first baseman who needed to get stronger for more in-game power. The Reds moved him to third base, where the results have been passable, enough to think he can be a 45 defender there, although his value is still going to reside in his bat. He’s got real plate discipline, picking up balls/strikes as well as recognizing pitch types, and he’s hitting the ball harder already, topping 106 mph in the Florida State League with five of his 12 homers on the season going to the opposite field. He’s very selective, even when ahead in the count, hunting specifically for stuff middle-up he can drive, and he can get away with that because he so rarely whiffs with two strikes. If Stewart keeps getting stronger, and perhaps tries to pull a few more pitches, he’ll be an easy 20-homer guy with high OBPs, which makes him a solid regular at first and a borderline star if he can just stay at third base.

    2023 Ranking: 86

    Mauricio tore his ACL in winter ball, so he is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season, which is a shame on two levels — he had a shot at regular playing time in Queens, and he needs at-bats to keep developing. Even though he reached the majors last year, he remains an unfinished product on both sides of the ball. The ball comes off Mauricio’s bat much harder than you’d expect from his frame, but he has very strong wrists and generates a ton of bat speed, hitting a ball 117 mph in the majors and averaging just over 90 mph on his batted balls at the level. If he had any sort of plate discipline, he’d be a top-10 prospect, but he chases stuff out of the zone, especially offspeed, way too often, and can’t make up for it even with a decent rate of contact on those pitches. Major-league pitchers who can throw stuff just off the plate or just above/below the zone will have a field day with him until he tightens up his command of the zone — and that will only happen with more time in the batter’s box. He’s a natural shortstop but too erratic to play there in the majors. He looked promising at second base in the majors, and he could probably handle third if he got more time there, with only 22 professional games, a third between the minors and winter ball, in his career. He always had some volatility because of the lack of polish in his game, and now he’s losing up to a year of playing time, but I still hold out hope he can be an above-average regular at his peak — maybe just later than we’d otherwise thought.

    2023 Ranking: 39

    It was not the MLB debut Stone or the Dodgers were hoping for, as the team’s fifth-round pick from 2020 was hit hard in 31 innings, with major-league hitters all over his fastball and his supposed out pitch, his changeup, which was extremely effective all the way up through Triple A. The changeup wasn’t quite as devastating as it had been in the minors, but it appears he was tipping the pitch as well, allowing a 45 percent hard-hit rate with the pitch in the big-league stint. That in turn allowed hitters to look fastball, and his four-seamer, which was 93-95 mph but has never had a ton of movement, was close to useless. He’s a lot better than that, by his stuff and by his minor-league results, where his changeup would generate whiff rates near 50 percent or better at every level. He’s got at least an average fastball and slider with a changeup that looked like it’d be a 70 before major-league hitters deemed it somewhat unworthy of that grade. His debut was concerning, but I’m not giving up on his promise after such a small sample.

    2023 Ranking: Just missed

    Gonzalez went to the Twins in the January trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle, the one significant prospect heading to Minnesota in that swap. Gonzalez offers some real upside with the bat if he can stop swinging at everything within a half-mile of the strike zone. He’s up there to do damage and has such good hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel that he can hit pitches anywhere in the zone and, to some extent, just outside of it, so he swings early and often. He mashed in Low A, hitting .348/.403/.530 with just a 13.7 percent strikeout rate. When he reached High A, however, pitchers exploited his tendency to chase outside the zone, and he slipped to .215/.290/.387 — still showing power and hard contact, but also swinging at more than a third of non-strikes he saw. His contact quality improved last year over 2022, and he did hit for more power (ISO .147 to .178), although that has to continue to improve so he can get to that 25+ homer range, as he’s a below-average runner and will be limited to a corner outfield spot. There’s above-average upside here given the pure hit ability and potential for 60 or better power; with his defensive limitations and the odds that he’ll never walk 50 times in a season, though, he has to get there to be more than an extra outfielder.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Meadows reached the majors last year and gave a pretty good indication of the kind of player he’ll be in a larger sample — plus defense in center, plus speed, some power, some walks, enough swing and miss to keep him from being a star. A second-round pick in 2018, Meadows — the younger brother of former Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows — had big tools as a high schooler but had a huge hitch in his swing that made it hard for him to get to the ball on time, and he had OBPs below .300 for his first three seasons in pro ball. The Tigers helped him get rid of the big hitch before 2022 and he’s been a different hitter since then, with a .340 OBP across the past two seasons thanks to much better results on balls in play along with a small bump in his walk rates. He’s every bit of 6-5 and has a big strike zone, so there’s going to be some swing and miss, but he doesn’t chase excessively and he makes enough contact in-zone to get to a .240ish average and 15-20 homers a year. His glove and arm were worth 5 runs above average by Statcast last year in less than a quarter of a season, and I believe he’s going to be worth +10 or more if he gets to play 150 games out there this year. Big velocity might end up his main weakness and the obstacle to him becoming a 4+ win player; the defense gives him a great foundation and even if he punches out 30 percent of the time, something he’s never done in the minors, he’d still be a soft regular with the other tools he brings to the table.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    The Yankees signed Arias in January 2022 for a $4 million bonus, their largest bonus since they signed Jasson Domínguez in 2019 for $5.1 million, which was the largest bonus the team has ever given to an international amateur free agent. Arias may not be from Mars, but he turned in a very strong stateside debut last year, hitting .267/.423/.505 in the Florida Complex League last year as an 18-year-old with a 22 percent strikeout rate, well below the league average of 27 percent. It’s outstanding bat speed for an 18-year-old, especially from the left side, where his hands go from 0 to 60 in a flash, although I worry that he’s got a bit of a grooved, uphill swing that’s going to prevent him from squaring up the ball as often as he should. He’s an easy plus runner who should stay at shortstop, with a plus arm that plays up even above that because he’s got such a quick transfer and release; there’s some question of whether his body will stay lithe enough for the position, although the consensus leans toward not just remaining at short but becoming an above-average one. He’s farther from the majors than some of the Yanks’ more famous prospects, but other than Domínguez he may offer the most upside between offense and defense of anyone in the system.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    I guess it wouldn’t be a top-100 without at least two Dodgers catching prospects on it. Liranzo is their latest phenom behind the plate, a switch-hitter who hit .273/.400/.562 in Low A last year with a 26.7 percent strikeout rate, better from the left side, with power either way. He’s got a big frame with plus bat speed already. He’s likely to end up with 30+ homer power as he gets ever stronger. He will have to work to stay agile enough behind the plate, where right now he’s a work in progress, showing enough aptitude even though he’s not very fluid in his actions when receiving or blocking. If he were a sure-thing catcher, he might be a top-50 prospect because the power is real and he’s got an idea at the plate. He’ll move to High-A Great Lakes this year, and the Midwest League is a lesser hitters’ environment than the Cal League, so we’ll get a better read on how advanced his approach is along with seeing how the catching progresses. The high-walks, high-power upside in a switch-hitting catcher could make him shoot up this list in a year.

    2023 Ranking: Unranked

    Gilbert was Houston’s first-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Tennessee, then headed to the Mets in the Justin Verlander trade this past July along with power-hitting prospect Ryan Clifford. Gilbert’s the more advanced player of the two and took off after the trade, hitting .325/.423/.561 for Double-A Binghamton after scuffling for the Astros’ Double-A affiliate, Corpus Christi, the previous two months. Those struggles are probably just noise but did end up changing how his season looked overall — especially against lefties, where he had a decent platoon split in the first half but ended the year with a slightly higher OPS against southpaws. Gilbert’s a 55 or 60 defender in center, depending on who you ask, with an easy plus arm — he was a two-way player in high school — that would allow him to move to right, where he should be a 65 or 70 defender if he has to do it. He’s a hitter with a little pop, the opposite of the trend towards power-over-hit guys, and that’s even with his occasional tendency to try to pull pitches he should just go with rather than sacrificing some hit for power. He’s been a fan favorite already in the minors for his all-out style of play, which I expect to carry over to the majors when they see his 5-9 frame flying all over the field. At worst, he’s a fourth/platoon outfielder who can play all three spots, but after that strong finish I feel much better about him hitting lefties enough to play every day and hit .280-.300 with a walk rate over 10 percent and 15ish homers a year, whether that’s as an above-average defender in center or an easy plus one in right.

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    (Photo illustration by Sean Reilly / The Athletic: From left to right Paul Skenes / Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images; Jackson Holliday / Justin Berl / Getty Images; Jackson Chourio / David Durochik / Diamond Images via Getty Images; Ethan Salas / Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins / Getty Images)





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