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Four Outfielders: Cowser, Steer, Frelick, & Carter

by
February 2, 2026


Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Previous Outfield Reviews

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Mining the News (1/29/26)

by
January 29, 2026


Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

American League

Astros

• Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve won’t be able to play in the World Baseball Classic because they can’t get contract insurance.

Correa, who is set to make $31 million next season, has an extensive injury history that ostensibly made his contract more difficult to insure.

“I’m definitely upset because I’ve been preparing really hard this offseason to get better this year and be ready early so I can be ready for the WBC,” said Correa, who added he had already begun facing live pitching in preparation to play for Team Puerto Rico.

“I also understand the business side of things and that’s too big of a risk to take, to play with no insurance.”

All World Baseball Classic participants on MLB 40-man rosters are evaluated by an insurer who was agreed upon by MLB and the players union. As the Los Angeles Times noted in 2023, if the insurer finds a player to be uninsurable due to their injury history, the player’s contract would not be guaranteed for any missed time due to injuries sustained during the WBC unless a team specifically agrees to do so.

…

Altuve’s absence is also due to insurance issues, according to a league source. During the Astros annual FanFest on Saturday, Team Venezuela manager Omar López acknowledged it has been more difficult to get players insured for the upcoming tournament.

“Unfortunately, a lot of players were hurt or for some reason went to the IL in the previous season and automatically, they’re getting into what they call ‘chronic’ injuries,” said López, who is also the Astros bench coach.

I wonder how many other players won’t play because of insurance issues … or if the information will be made public.

• The team still plans to go with a six-man rotation to start the season. Also, it’s likely that the arms who don’t make the rotation will move to the bullpen as long relievers.

Houston opens the season with 26 games in 28 days, signaling the Astros would deploy a six-man rotation out of spring training. Signing Imai — who pitched every fifth day in NPB — made it mandatory.

….

Six-man rotations shorten the bullpen. Because Houston will deploy one at the beginning of the season, when starting pitchers are sometimes still building up their pitch counts, it would behoove the club to carry long relievers.

That could be the fate for whoever loses the rotation competition — be it Weiss, Pearson, Arrighetti or McCullers. Weiss does have minor-league option years remaining, according to FanGraphs, which is why he is the odd man out of this roster projection.

Athletics

• Jacob Wilson윌슨 is trying to put on more muscle at the team’s facility.

“It’s definitely been the main focus for the last couple of offseasons now. Being able to grow into my body a little bit more and put on more muscle. I’ve been at the A’s facility for the entire offseason now, working with the strength staff to get stronger and prepare my body for the long season ahead.”

Blue Jays

• Trey Yesavage is trying to add a curveball.

To that end, Yesavage continues experimenting with a curveball, a pitch he threw in college but essentially dropped last year, riding his fastball, splitter, slider and unusually high release point that became one of the post-season’s prime talking points.

Though remarkably effective in 2025, his repertoire features an all arm-side movement profile, which is why Yesavage said, “I would love something that moves glove side.”

The curveball could very well turn out to be that pitch, offering him a potential extra option to augment the way he predominantly attacks righties (fastball/slider) and lefties (fastball/splitter).

“I’m just playing around with the grip, seeing what feels the most comfortable and seeing how I can most naturally throw my curveball,” he explained. “I have a funky arm angle, so I’ve just got to play around with it.”

Orioles

• Samuel Basallo lost 15 pounds and is emphasizing hitting this offseason.

Listed at 6-foot-4, Basallo showed up to the Birdland Caravan a bit slimmer, having said he’s lost about 15 pounds this offseason. However, that’s unlikely to reduce his massive power — a tool that drew plenty of attention to the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native when he was a non-roster invitee to big league Spring Training the past two years.
…
As Basallo focused on conditioning this offseason, he put a large emphasis on hitting as well, though he didn’t divulge any specific changes or tweaks he’s made. But he’s confident his winter work will put him in a position to have big league success during the upcoming season.

Rangers

• Josh Jung is getting back to being “gritty and grindy in the box”.

“It’s truly just getting back to being gritty and grindy in the box,” Jung said at a Winter Warm-Up event. “Just being a gritty, grindy player in the box again. That’s part of just becoming a threat. Last year, there were times where I was not that. I was not being consistent. I need to get back to consistently hitting balls hard. That’s truly it. That and hitting the pitches I like and being more careful. That’s where the consistent approach comes in.”

National League

Brewers

• The manager plans to use Aaron Ashby in the bullpen.

Left-handers Aaron Ashby and DL Hall each have history as starters, but suffered injuries last spring while ramping up to compete for the rotation. If he had his choice, Murphy prefers Ashby in the bullpen, where he’s had stints as an electric, multi-inning, high-leverage relief arm.

“They’re both capable,” Murphy said. “Now with trading Freddy and Tobias, I think there might be more of a need for at least one of them to step in that role. Ashby has kind of separated himself, and he’s done a great job in that relief role. He can handle that and he’s really resilient.”

Ashby and Hall are among the many multi-inning bullpen options available to the Brewers, who have a long history of blurring the lines between “starter” and “reliever.” That strategy is likely to continue into 2026 whether the front office adds a starter or not, and remember, it’s never too late to add.

Giants

• Hayden Birdsong is working on his mechanics.

“There’s some little things, just like mechanical stuff that we’ve looked at,” Birdsong said Saturday during the Giants’ FanFest Tour stop at City Center Bishop Ranch. “The new crew that came in, obviously, they’re big-time looking at it. I kind of made little changes with not my slot, per se, but how I move and certain things. It’s probably not going to look any different to the naked eye. But to me, it’s quite a bit different. It’s been working for me. Now I’ve got to get a hitter in the box and see what happens.”

…

“I think I was over-bending, which caused my arm slot to raise almost, and then everything just didn’t move the same,” Birdsong said. “I’d cut fastball, run fastballs. It was just not what you’re looking for. But I just try to stay more upright. Don’t reach so much overhead, be more athletic.”

Padres

• Joe Musgrove has had a normal offseason after Tommy John surgery.

RHP Joe Musgrove
Injury: Tommy John surgery (torn right UCL)
Expected return: Spring Training 2026
Status: Musgrove said he has had a “normal offseason” progression after missing the 2025 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He resumed throwing bullpen sessions in late December and has been on the mound regularly while throwing all his pitches. (Last updated: Jan. 27)

Phillies

• Justin Crawford is trying to lift the ball more …

Still, the takeaway from Crawford’s most notable offensive concern is clear: there is a concerted effort to lift the ball more. Given how frequently he puts the ball in play, even modest gains in launch angle could unlock gap-to-gap power and elevate his overall impact.

This offseason, those swing-path adjustments have continued. Crawford has appeared taller in his stance — something that surfaced on social media — as he continues refining his approach.

… and here is the video of said swing.

Pirates

• Spencer Horwitz is preparing to play first and second base after making some mechanical changes last year.

[Horwitz is] aiming for more this year. Defensively, he’s preparing to play both first and second base. Offensively, he’s done bat speed training and tried to build general strength. Both could yield more pop.

Even if he just replicates his 2025 results, he should fit in nicely into a lineup that looks more promising than a year ago. That early-season slump he had last year should also be a thing of the past.
…
Some of those struggles were health related, getting back his timing after missing the start of the season. Some of it was mechanical, excelling in the second half of the season once he opened up his stance and focused on making sure his direction took him toward the center of the field.

And some of it, he will admit, was mental. It’s why that late-season push, where he had a .916 OPS after the All-Star break, was a “weight off my shoulders.”

Rockies

• Tyler Freeman could play all over the diamond, including first base.

“We really value his versatility and think that he can play in multiple spots,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said of Freeman. “We still see him as an outfielder. He’s a right-handed hitter, but he complements Jake and Mickey [Moniak], but we also see him as the guy who can play in the infield. He’s played second, third and some short in the big leagues. He maybe even snuck in a game or two at first base at some point along the way.”


Four Outfielders: Soderstrom, Garcia, Friedl, & Laureano

by
January 27, 2026


Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Previous Outfield Reviews

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Mining the News (1/26/26)

by
January 26, 2026


Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• Aaron Sanchez is attempting a comeback…

After sitting out last season, Aaron Sanchez won the Dominican Winter League’s Pitcher of the Year award this winter and is attracting interest from clubs, league sources said. In eight starts (46 1/3 innings) over the winter, Sanchez had a 1.55 ERA.

Sanchez, 33, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022. Formerly a top prospect, Sanchez is best known for time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was an All-Star in 2016, going 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA.

From 2017-22, however, Sanchez experienced injuries and produced a 5.29 ERA. In 2024, he had a 7.92 ERA in 61 1/3 innings while pitching for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A team.

… while averaging 92 mph on his fastball with a slider, curve, and change.

The only time Sanchez averaged 92 mph was in 2022. That season, he posted a 6.60 ERA (4.18 xFIP), 1.55 WHIP, and 6.2 K/9. He’s never thrown a slider in the majors, so it’s a new pitch.

American League

Angels

• Josh Lowe will get a chance to prove he can hit lefties.

The Angels do lack left-handed bats in their lineup, so Lowe could be part a platoon with Teodosio, which could keep Trout and Adell as regulars in the lineup, with Trout sharing time at designated hitter with Soler. But Minasian wouldn’t rule out Lowe getting a chance against lefties.

“When evaluating the player, there were some things that stood out,” Minasian said. “He hasn’t been great against left-handed pitching. He hasn’t had a ton of opportunities either. So again, that’ll be a question for the staff and ‘Zuk’ when we get our hands on him. But with talented players, sometimes it just takes experience and playing time to learn to defend yourself against the same side.”

Astros

• Spencer Arrighetti avoided elbow surgery and plans to be ready for the start of Spring Training.

Arrighetti was able to avoid surgery and has already thrown seven times in the bullpen this winter. He will report to West Palm Beach, Fla., in two weeks healthy and ready to compete.

“I feel ahead of schedule right now instead of behind,” Arrighetti said on Saturday at FanFest at Daikin Park. “So I’m just really optimistic going into camp that I’ll be able to hit the ground running, be on par with the rest of the group and just still be in that competition fighting for my spot.”

• The team hopes Zach Cole can be an outfield regular.

The potential for a full season from Alvarez could help. So would contributions from rookie outfielder Zach Cole. Without being prompted, team officials have praised Cole all offseason and hope he can carve out a regular role in Houston’s unsettled outfield.

I have my doubts. Last season in 52 PA, he posted a 61% Contact%. In the most recent edition of The Process, I found that best case outcome for someone with so much swing-and-miss is about 250 PA.

Athletics

• Nick Kurtz is preparing his body for a full 162-game schedule.

In preparing for Year 2, Kurtz is focused on getting his body ready for the grind of a 162-game season. He has tried to balance his offseason workouts between getting stronger in the weight room while also dropping a few pounds for better mobility and to, hopefully, avoid the tired legs he felt toward the end of 2025.

“I know what needs to be done to stay healthy for 162 [games],” Kurtz said, “what I need to do with my body in the weight room and eating-wise to kind of not hit that wall at some point throughout the year. I know 162 is a lot of games. I want to do the best I can to play every single one of them.”

Orioles

• Heston Kjerstad will be ready for Spring Training …

… after dealing with fatigue last season.

There hasn’t been a clear explanation for the outfielder’s absence to end last season, but it appears to be in the rearview. Kjerstad was shut down in late July while dealing with fatigue. Reports in September were that he was seeing doctors about an unspecified medical condition.

Royals

• Isaac Collins could get reps at second base.

We’ll see Collins in left field the majority of the time, while Thomas will move among all three spots. The Royals touted Collins’ ability to play second base when they acquired him, giving them flexibility, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he gets reps there this spring.

Twins

• The plan is for Ryan Jeffers to be the starting catcher for 100 games.

At first glance, the Caratini signing would seem to make Jeffers, a free agent next winter, a possible trade candidate. Jeffers suggests that management indicated otherwise to him.

“Before all that happened, I had conversations [with management telling me] ’Hey, this might happen,’ and just reassuring me that my role as the guy who’s going to catch 100-plus games is not going to change,” Jeffers told host John Vittas. I’m excited to go back there and really get a full season in. Throughout my career, I’ve split time with a lot of guys, and I’m excited to catch a full workload and also be joined by a guy (Caratini) who’s been in the game for eight-plus years and has a lot of experience, has won a lot of games and has been with some organizations that have played really good baseball.”

• David Festa is almost going through a normal offseason.

Right-hander David Festa has been encouraged by his offseason progress. He made only one appearance, in Triple-A, after July 21 due to a mild form of thoracic outlet syndrome. That diagnosis is often scary for pitchers, and it was initially for Festa. But he said on Saturday that he’s going through something very close to a normal offseason, and he expects to be ready to compete for a rotation spot when camp opens next month.

• Pablo López went through a normal offseason.

Pablo López said his health has not been a concern and that he has had a “normal” offseason following a late-season right forearm injury.

• Bailey Ober admitted that his hip bothered him all of last season.

Ober explained that the main trouble that bothered him was discomfort in the hip of his landing leg. That led to inconsistency in his delivery, since he never knew whether he’d fully have his leg under him when he landed.

He pitched through it, effectively at times, early in the year. But all the while he was falling into bad habits. So although he was mostly feeling OK physically when he returned from the injured list, his mechanics remained out of whack.

“I just never felt like I had a stable base throwing,” Ober said. “It felt like my release was off almost every single throw. Sometimes I’d have 10 throws in a row where it felt great, and the next 10 are like, ‘I don’t know where this is going.’ It was a sharp pain, and I didn’t feel strong in my front leg to block.”

The challenge was knowing when to try to pitch through it and when to pack it in. With some hindsight, Ober acknowledges he might handle things differently if he had another opportunity.

National League

Cubs

• Matt Shaw is taking reps in the outfield.

• Justin Steele won’t be ready for the start of the season, but he feels he’s ahead of schedule.

“There hasn’t really been any hiccups at all through this process,” Steele said. “It’s felt good the entire time. If anything, we’re ahead of schedule. I’ve kind of been pushing the envelope the entire time, wanting to get off the mound.”

While Steele added that “it’s full steam ahead,” that does not mean there are any firm dates circled for a potential comeback yet. Opening Day has already been ruled out publicly by manager Craig Counsell, who said during the Winter Meetings that the first half was possible for the lefty’s return, barring any setbacks.

Diamondbacks

• Ryne Nelson is preparing to make 30 starts while working on his slider and curve.

Nelson made getting physically stronger a priority this offseason so he can handle the rigors of making 30 or more starts in 2026.

With that in mind, he’s added some muscle and reduced some body fat. He worked on continuing to develop his slider — which he thought he made big strides with in 2025 — and his curveball.

The goal is that when he throws those pitches, he’s not just throwing them because he needs to, but because he believes and trusts in them.

Last season, he threw his slider 12% of the time and curve 11% of the time. Our STUPH models have the slider (14% SwStr%) as an average pitch and the curve (12% SwStr%) as below average.

Dodgers

• Odds are that Tommy Edman will not be ready for Opening Day.

Concern over Tommy Edman’s surgery recovery might have given the Dodgers more incentive to land Tucker. Edman will be delayed in starting the spring as he recovers from a right ankle operation. There is a growing likelihood he will not be ready for Opening Day.

Giants

• Bryce Eldridge is about done with the rehab on his wrist.

Eldridge underwent postseason surgery to address a bone spur in his left wrist. He said he’s essentially at full strength, noting that he’s in the final stages of his hitting program. Eldridge should enter camp healthy as he battles for the starting first base/designated hitter job in what would be a split between the two positions with Rafael Devers.

• Casey Schmitt played through wrist pain in the second half.

The 26-year-old hurt his wrist when he was hit by a pitch on June 25, and he played through persistent discomfort in the second half. When the pain didn’t subside during the offseason, Schmitt decided to opt for the same surgery that top prospect Bryce Eldridge had in October.

“I kind of dealt with it probably since June or July when I got hit against Miami that first time,” Schmitt said. “I was kind of dealing with it since then. Just masking it and just getting through the season. I thought it would go away. So I gave it a month off. It didn’t go away. Then we went the surgery route to get it taken care of so I don’t have to deal with it for this year.”

Phillies

• Otto Kemp will mostly play in the outfield.

Otto Kemp, though, got his feet wet in the outfield last season — and it sounds as if getting him some extra reps will be the focus in Spring Training.

“I think some corner outfield,” manager Rob Thomson said this week when asked how he plans to deploy Kemp this spring. “A little bit of infield work — third base, second base, maybe a little bit of first base, too. But, really, focus on the outfield more than anything else.”

Could Thomson envision Kemp playing enough outfield to form a full platoon?

“Yes,” Thomson said. “Yeah, I could.”


Mining the News (1/20/26)

by
January 20, 2026


Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

American League

Guardians

• Kyle Manzardo has added 14 pounds this offseason, along with some baseball “work”.

Kyle Manzardo has been working. Manager Stephen Vogt has noted on several occasions over the past month-plus that the 25-year-old has gained 14 pounds of muscle since the end of the 2025 season. It’s been part of Manzardo’s offseason regimen that appears pointed toward a specific goal that could prove key to Cleveland this coming season.
…
“He’s putting in the work both offensively, defensively — and most importantly, with his body — to be able to do that.”

Did he not put in any work in previous seasons? Read the rest of this entry »


Four Outfielders: Suzuki, Robert, Reynolds, & Cruz

by
January 14, 2026


Syndication: The Enquirer

Previous Outfield Reviews

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Mining the News (1/13/26)

by
January 13, 2026


Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

American League

Astros

• The GM mentioned Joseph Sullivan and Lucas Spence as potential outfield options.

In the spirit of Cole’s ascension, two other young, left-handed-hitting outfielders come to mind for this question: Lucas Spence and Joseph Sullivan.

Brown has mentioned both Spence and Sullivan at points this winter as outfield depth in the upper minor leagues. Sullivan acquitted himself well in the Arizona Fall League while Spence, an undrafted free agent, reached Double-A Corpus Christi in his first full professional season.

Neither has the best overall projection, but they stole a decent number of bases last season (Spence: 27 SB, Sullivan: 43 SB).

Orioles

• Gunnar Henderson played through a shoulder injury last year.

Henderson was a call-in guest last night on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on WBAL Radio and said he had a shoulder impingement “pretty much for three-quarters of the year.”

“I’m sure that didn’t help, either,” he said.

“I could never get to the spot that I wanted to get to with my swing, but no excuse. Just had to play through it and felt like I still with all those circumstances put up a decent year. Looking forward to being healthy this year and getting back to my normal self.”

The shoulder issue was kept quiet, buried among the litany of Orioles injuries that led to a franchise-record 70 players used.

“I just wasn’t able to hold the plane and my body was adjusting to it, not feeling great, so that didn’t really set up me in the right spot to leverage the ball like I normally do,” Henderson said. “So getting over that and ready to roll this season.”

Rangers

• The team doesn’t have a set closer yet.

Martin and Díaz both have closing experience, as does Robert Garcia — one of few holdovers from last season.

“I think every team would love to have a bona fide lockdown ninth-inning, sure-thing closer that’s never going to give up a run,” Young said. “But the reality is, most teams don’t have that, and teams that go into the season that do have that, oftentimes don’t have it by about halfway through the season. It’s not as ubiquitous as maybe it’s perceived to be in terms of the role.

“I think what we do have are good options we feel like and it’s our job as an organization to put our players in the best positions to succeed. Our hope is that somebody really steps up and establishes themselves and wins that role and takes it.”

Red Sox

• There is a good chance Triston Casas will not be healthy by Opening Day.

Meanwhile, Triston Casas, recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon, admitted that being ready for Opening Day would be tough. He hopes to begin playing games in spring training and praised the Red Sox for signing Contreras to play first.

• Willson Contreras will bat fourth.

On Saturday, manager Alex Cora said Contreras will most likely hit fourth.

Tigers

• The team plans to use a closer-by-committee with …

Yes, manager A.J. Hinch now has no shortage of options for the ninth inning. But he’s just as likely to place priority on those arms for the most dangerous part of the opposing lineup, whether it’s due up in the ninth or not.

“I wouldn’t say the specific [save] stat itself was something we were targeting,” general manager Jeff Greenberg said a couple weeks ago. “We were targeting impact arms that we felt could help this team win games in different situations. … And we have a manager in A.J. who is so good at finding ways to get the most out of these guys, putting those pieces together, using our guys in the right situations to get those wins.”

… Kyle Finnegan and …

[Finnegan said], “We have lots of different guys that can do lots of different things, and anytime you can get more options to throw in leverage, it’s a huge advantage. And you look at a lot of the teams in the postseason, their bullpens are built with multiple guys that you can throw out there in the eighth, ninth inning and have confidence that they can get it done. So I think the more closers you have on your team, the better.

“I think whoever it is, is going to have the mindset of: Tell me when to pitch and I’ll go out there and do my best.”

… Kenley Jansen buying in.

Jansen said. “To me, yes, it’s unbelievable numbers to get this close. But like I told A.J., I didn’t do this to get 500 saves or 400 saves, whatever. You know, I was on a pretty good team, the Dodgers. I’ve had great opportunities, and all our focus is to try to help a team win, and all those things came with it. So at the end of the day, it will be a great accomplishment, but I think the greater accomplishment will be to try to get deep in the postseason and win the World Series with the Tigers. That’s my accomplishment at the end of the day. That’s why I’m here.”

This is a tough situation to believe, but don’t be surprised if a committee does form.

White Sox

• Sean Burke will prepare to be a starter.

During a recent interview with MLB.com, Burke provided his usual in-depth answers to questions asked of the right-hander about himself and the team. But when the inquiry turned to preparing as a starter for the ’26 season, his reply was far more succinct.

“Yes, 100 percent,” said Burke of his targeted offseason work.

National League

Cubs

• Ben Brown, Javier Assad, and Jordan Wicks will stretch out as starters.

The current plan calls for Brown to prepare as a starter (same for Assad and Wicks), but all three could also be contenders for bullpen roles. Each pitcher in that latter trio also has at least one Minor League option, giving the Cubs the flexibility to send any one to Triple-A Iowa to keep starting, if so desired.

Dodgers

• There were reports Freddie Freeman wanted to play for Team Canada in the WBC, but he’s now declined for personal reasons.

Pirates

• The GM mentioned Jared Triolo as a starter.

Cherington continued. “We’ve traded a little bit of pitching, so would like to add back to that. We’d still like to add to the position-player group. You look at the left side of the infield; obviously there are guys we like. [Jared] Triolo emerged [in] the second half of the year. He’s earned opportunity there. But if we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for.[“]


Predictiveness of MLB Pipeline Executive Poll: Rookie of the Year

by
January 9, 2026


Rich Storry-Imagn Images

In my latest Mining the News, I referenced MLB.com’s Rookie of the Year Poll. MLB.com polled team executives to find who they think will win each league’s Rookie of the Year award. I figured it would be a prospect list for fantasy managers to become familiar with. The narrative would be that these inside sources would know the players who would be productive and play enough to win the award. Production and playing time are the two traits needed to be a solid fantasy option. Since this is the poll’s fourth year, I examined previous editions to determine how these executives performed.

The information in the polls is scarce, so all the small sample caveats apply. The results have been collected over the past three seasons (2023, 2024, 2025). In each one, a percentage of executive votes is included. The full list of previous players is at the end of the article.

To each player, I included our Fantasy Player Rater 12-team end-of-season dollar value. Then, I began grouping away. First, here is a plot of all the values.

Besides the four players polled at 50% or higher, the values seem to be fairly random. I grouped the values into four groups based on their polled percentage. Also, I combined the three low-polled groups.

Fantasy Production Based on Polled%
Polled% Avg EOS Fantasy Value % over $0 % over $5 Count
>= 50% $12 75% 75% 4
15% to 49% -$5 11% 22% 9
5% to 15% -$3 33% 50% 12
1% to 5% -$4 27% 45% 22
1% to 49% -$4 26% 42% 43

That top group (n=4) seems to be productive, with the rest of the values being a complete crap shoot. The final line is the most useful. There is a 25% chance of these players contributing more than $5 and a 40% chance of being positive.

With the historical results, here are this year’s lists.

Fantasy Production Based on Polled%
Name (NL) Polled% Name (AL) Polled%
Kevin McGonigle 25% JJ Wetherholt 30%
Trey Yesavage 25% Nolan McLean 26%
Sanuel Basallo 14% Konnor Griffin 16%
Carter Jensen 7% Bubba Chandler 7%
Payton Tolle 7% Justin Crawford 5%
Connelly Early 5% Sal Stewart 5%
Jamie Arnold 2% Zyhir Hope 5%
Travis Bazzana 2% Carson Benge 2%
Max Clark 2% Aidan Miller 2%
Chase DeLauter 2% Thomas White 2%
Leo De Vries 2%
Colt Emerson 2%
Gage Jump 2%
Carson Williams 2%

None of the players meet the 50% threshold, so no one is on the must-target list.

Fantasy managers should spend a few minutes on each of those players and track their results. Who knows which one will stand out? Nick Kurtz received just one vote last year and was a league winner.

MLB Pipeline Poll by MLB Executives
Name League Season % Polled EOS Value
Roman Anthoy AL 2025 19% -$4
Jackson Jobe AL 2025 19% -$5
Jasson Domínguez AL 2025 17% $3
Coby Mayo AL 2025 15% -$13
Kristian Campvell AL 2025 9% -$15
Jacob Wilson윌슨 AL 2025 9% $9
Jac Caglianone AL 2025 3% -$20
Nick Kurtz AL 2025 3% $20
Kumar Rocker AL 2025 3% -$9
Kyle Teel AL 2025 3% $3
Dylan Crews NL 2025 50% -$8
Matt Shaw NL 2025 19% -$2
Bubba Chandler NL 2025 10% UNK (issue with player rater)
Jordan Lawlar NL 2025 6% -$21
Dalton Rushing NL 2025 7% -$8
Thomas Saggese NL 2025 7% -$14
Evan Carter AL 2024 36% -$17
Jackson Holliday AL 2024 30% -$16
Junior Caminero AL 2024 15% -$15
Wyatt Langford AL 2024 11% $12
Heston Kjerstad AL 2024 2% -$18
Brooks Lee AL 2024 2% -$18
Curtis Mead AL 2024 2% -$21
Austin Wells AL 2024 2% $3
Yoshinobu Yamamoto NL 2024 51% $7
Jackson Chourio NL 2024 17% $19
Noelvi Marte NL 2024 9% -$15
Pete Crow-Armstrong NL 2024 6% $1
Jordan Lawlar NL 2024 4% DNP
Paul Skenes NL 2024 4% $25
Michael Busch NL 2024 2% $5
Kyle Harrison NL 2024 2% -$6
Jacob Hurtubise NL 2024 2% -$22
James Wood NL 2024 2% -$2
Gunnar Henderson AL 2023 73% $17
Hunter Brown AL 2023 9% -$4
Triston Casas AL 2023 9% $6
Anthony Volpe AL 2023 6% $2
Josh Jung AL 2023 3% $8
Corbin Carroll NL 2023 66% $32
Francisco Álvarez NL 2023 9% $7
Elly De La Cruz NL 2023 3% $5
Sal Frelick NL 2023 3% -$13
Matt Mervis NL 2023 3% -$21
Bobby Miller NL 2023 3% $11
Jared Shuster NL 2023 3% -$10
Ezequiel Tovar NL 2023 3% $8
Miguel Vargas NL 2023 3% -$16
Jordan Walker NL 2023 3% $2

Mining the News (1/9/26)

by
January 9, 2026


Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

• MLB.com surveyed several front office personnel for rookie of the year candidates. I’d recommend going through the picks since these are likely to be solid options to be productive with an early promotion.

Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (MLB No. 5) had an outstanding first full season of pro ball after being the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, splitting the year between Double-A and Triple-A and posting a combined .306/.421/.510 slash line with 17 homers and 23 steals. Some were surprised he didn’t get a late-season audition in St. Louis, but you have to figure his bat will work its way into that lineup sooner rather than later. He’s played three infield positions, which should help give the big league staff options for him to make the Opening Day roster.

American League

Guardians

• A reminder that Bo Naylor tweaked his swing towards the end of last season.

Manager Stephen Vogt has insisted the tweaks Naylor made to his swing started to bear fruit by September. That month, he posted a .290/.324/.548 slash line. Hedges, who signed a $4 million deal for the third straight winter, is in line to be the club’s fifth-highest-paid player.

Rangers

• Jacob Latz will get stretched out as a starter.

GM Ross Fenstermaker said at the Winter Meetings that [Latz is] building up to be a starter, but potentially continue to be used in a swingman type role by the time Opening Day rolls around. I think he’ll be one of the more interesting players to watch in Spring Training as the staff figures out the best way to use him.

Red Sox

• Wilyer Abreu will get a chance to face lefties to start the season.

“I truly believe that this year … and I probably said it before … with Willy and some of the lefties, we have to see if they can do it,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

By “do it,” Cora means getting the job done against left-handed pitchers. Refsnyder was a security blanket of sorts for the Sox.

Though Romy Gonzalez has become almost as effective as a platoon lefty masher, he gets most of his reps in the infield. Refsnyder’s departure clearly leaves an opportunity in the outfield.

“It’s about that time, especially with Abreu,” said Cora. “And if he can hit lefties and hit for power and play defense the way he’s done the last few years, he can be the guy.”
…
“We need to have Wilyer figure out lefties. We’re going to push him to do that and I truly believe he can do that,” Cora told the Section 10 podcast earlier this offseason.

Twins

• Eric Wagaman will be a short-side platoon bat.

There are a few things that likely drew the Twins to Wagaman, not the least of which is that he’d be minimum-salaried in the majors and still has minor-league options, meaning he can be stashed at Triple-A St. Paul as in-season depth if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.

And within last year’s poor overall production, Wagaman hit .283/.321/.462 against left-handed pitching. It was a similar story in the minors, where he hit .328/.379/.541 off lefties in 2024. For a lineup that’s always long on lefty corner bats, the righty-swinging Wagaman could fit in a platoon role.

Wagaman is 6-foot-4 with below-average speed, so he’s limited defensively, but he does have experience playing all four corner spots. He could platoon at first base with Kody Clemens, pushing the weak-gloved Bell to DH, and he could be paired with Matt Wallner or Trevor Larnach in the outfield.

White Sox

• Sean Newcomb will get a shot to make the rotation.

To take that idea one step further, Newcomb will have the Spring Training chance to feature that same unofficial position as part of the White Sox rotation.

“He’s going to come in and compete for a starting job, a job in the rotation I should say, which we are really excited about,” said manager Will Venable during a Wednesday Zoom. “We know he had some success in both the starting role and the reliever role, so he is capable of doing both, but he’s going to be in that mix for a starting-rotation job, and we are excited to help support him.”

“I’ve always been a starter, starter mentality,” said Newcomb on the Zoom call. “Over the past few years up in the big leagues, I’ve done a lot out of the ‘pen, but even those outings I’ve had a lot of three-, four-plus innings outings. So, it’s kind of the same mentality for me, just be ready to attack a lineup once or twice, three times through if it gets to that point with five or six innings.”

National League

Cubs

• Jordan Wicks is working on a curveball.

Giants

• Tyler Mahle has been dealing with shoulder issues since 2021 …

Mahle missed three months with right shoulder fatigue last year, but he returned to make two starts in September and said he hasn’t felt this healthy since 2021, when he recorded a 3.75 ERA over a career-high 33 starts for the Reds.

“It was big to make those last two starts and show that I was healthy going into the offseason,” Mahle said during a Zoom call with reporters. “I took a few weeks off after the season and then started throwing again, and it’s felt amazing since. I honestly haven’t felt this good — knock on wood — since probably that 2021 season.”

… and is working on a new breaking ball.

Mahle has a four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball and a splitter, though he said he’s working on developing a new breaking ball that will help him become even tougher on right-handed hitters.

“We’ve been working on that,” Mahle said. “It’s looking good. I definitely think I can pick up where I left off [from 2025].”


Mining the News (1/5/26)

by
January 5, 2026


John Jones-Imagn Images

• At MLB.com, there was an article on each team’s breakout candidate. It’s a solid read for fantasy managers looking for upside. Here is the blurb about Jasson Domínguez working on his defense and right-handed swing.

YANKEES: OF Jasson Domínguez

“The Martian” could finally be ready to live up to the immense potential the Yankees have touted for years. Still just 22, the switch-hitting Domínguez lost critical development time to the pandemic and Tommy John surgery, spending most of the second half on the bench in 2025. He went to winter ball to focus on sharpening his defense in left field and his swing from the right side of the plate, which is his natural side. It would be no surprise if Domínguez’s touted blend of speed and strength all comes together in a big way. — Bryan Hoch

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