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• A solid article by TJStats on some breakout players for each team. For example, this write-up on Denzel Clarke.

Denzel Clarke is arguably the best defender in MLB. His unprecedented stretch of elite defense propelled him up the OAA and DRS leaderboards before he exhausted prospect status. Unfortunately, a hip injury stalled Clarke’s meteoric rise to defensive stardom, and his poor offensive production made it difficult for the Athletics to grant him an everyday role. I do, however, have some faith that Clarke can improve his bat to a passable level and secure a full-time role in 2026. His whiff rates, particularly in-zone, were not as alarming as his 38.4 K% would suggest, and he has consistently shown patience throughout his MiLB career. The power-speed combination is undeniable, and if he can put more balls in play, his results should improve substantially. I am not expecting his bat to reach league-average levels, but if it becomes playable, Clarke could be in line for a potential three-win season.

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• While this blurb is directly about Seiya Suzuki, it points out that players can cut their IL stint from 10 to seven days if they don’t play in the last three Spring Training games. If a guy is not playing in a regular Spring Training game this upcoming weekend (back fields appearances don’t count), they may be headed to the IL, with a chance to be back in seven rather than 10 games.

The big question for the Cubs right now, in relation to both the WBC and the regular season, is whether Seiya Suzuki’s PCL sprain will prevent him from being available on Opening Day. The Cubs will see how Suzuki feels by the end of this weekend, and then make a decision on whether it’s an Injured List situation or not. The timing there matters, as an IL stint can be backdated by up to three days. In other words, the Cubs will want to know by this weekend whether they want to put Suzuki into the final few Cactus League games to ramp him up, or whether they need to hold him out so that they can backdate the maximum three days (and thus turn his 10-day minimum IL stint, effectively, into a 7-day minimum IL stint). Read the rest of this entry »

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American League

Angels

• Alek Manoah is still in the mix to make the rotation, with Jack Kochanowicz and George Klassen also being considered.

Manoah still remains the favorite, but right-hander Jack Kochanowicz has pitched well with a 2.08 ERA with one walk in 8 2/3 innings this spring to make himself a candidate for the fifth starter role, while No. 5 prospect George Klassen has also excelled with a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings.

“He’s still definitely in the mix,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Manoah. “We haven’t decided on anything. There’s a lot of guys still going, still pitching.”

Manoah still remains the favorite, but right-hander Jack Kochanowicz has pitched well with a 2.08 ERA with one walk in 8 2/3 innings this spring to make himself a candidate for the fifth starter role, while No. 5 prospect George Klassen has also excelled with a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings.

“He’s still definitely in the mix,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Manoah. “We haven’t decided on anything. There’s a lot of guys still going, still pitching.”

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American League

Guardians

• Joey Cantillo hopes to upgrade his slider.

“My slider has been pretty dog-water the last couple of years,” Cantillo said. “Honestly, it’s been bad. It’s been something we’ve just kind of hoped to throw in the zone, and it’s been a pitch where you really have to throw it to a great location for me to have the results that I want with it.”

Cantillo is coming off a 2025 season in which he logged a 3.21 ERA over 34 appearances (including 13 starts). Heading into a key spring in which he is competing for a spot in the Guardians’ rotation, he honed in on upgrading his slider to not only make it a more viable option for him in ‘26, but to hopefully make his other, stronger offerings even more effective.

The result? Cantillo made a slight grip adjustment that he and the Guardians hope will pay dividends this season, as the 26-year-old looks to make the next step in his evolution as a big league starting pitcher.

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• An interesting quote on how catchers might be graded on how well they challenge with ABS.

Within that, the Twins are among many teams giving catchers vastly more leeway than pitchers to challenge borderline calls, with hitters likely falling somewhere in between. That’s backed by minor-league data, in addition to a general sense that the emotional bias of pitchers clouds their objectivity.

For years, there’s been lots of talk about the ABS system reducing the value of catchers by making pitch framing a less essential skill, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced the opposite is true. Catchers who master the art of ABS challenges could have a bigger impact than ever. It will change games.

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American League

Angels

• Mike Trout is feeling better and wants to run fast.

Mike Trout wants to let you know he’s aiming to reach 30 feet per second, which is considered an elite sprint speed by Statcast.

Trout showed that he still has plenty of speed on Saturday, when he reached 29.9 feet per second trying to beat out an infield single against the D-backs. It was Trout’s fastest sprint speed since he first sustained his meniscus tear in his left knee in late April 2024, which he believes is a good sign.
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For context, Trout, 34, averaged 27.9 feet per second last year, which ranked in the 62nd percentile and his fastest sprint speed was 29.7 feet per second. It was a drop off for Trout, who averaged 29.5 feet per second in ’23 (96th percentile) and 28.9 in ’24 (90th percentile) and regularly hit 30 feet per second.

But the drop was due to his issues with his left knee, as he tore his meniscus twice and had surgery twice in ’24. He returned last season but sustained a bone bruise in his left knee on April 30 when he stepped awkwardly on the first-base bag in Seattle. His fastest sprint speed of the season also came on that play. He returned May 30 but his speed wasn’t at his usual level.

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American League

Angels

• Robert Stephenson hopes he can manage his thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms.

RHP Robert Stephenson
Injury: Right elbow inflammation
Expected return: 2026
Status: Dealt with a nerve issue and thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms in the offseason after ending last year on the injured list, but believes he can manage it. Has been throwing bullpens with no issues this spring and said on Feb. 23 he expects to be ready for Opening Day.

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• A solid article from Pitcher List on hitters who will add a new position.

American League

Astros

• The team wants Mike Burrows to throw his sinker and changeup more.

Burrows relied mostly on four pitches last year — four-seamer, changeup, slider and curveball — but the Astros are hoping he can throw his sinking two-seamer more and give him a weapon to right-handers, similar to what Hunter Brown did in 2024. Burrows threw the pitch just 5.6% of the time last season.

“We think it could be really even more effective to right-handers,” Brown said. “He’s got the good changeup. We’ll have him throw his changeup more to righties too at times. So there’s some things that we thought that we could do with him that could even get him to take another step forward.”

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Syndication: Detroit Free Press

American League

Astros

• The team wants its young prospects to get full-time at-bats instead of sitting on the major league bench.

“I want some of these young players, if they’re not going to have the at-bats at the major-league level, going to Triple A and getting at-bats so we can finish their development,” manager Joe Espada said on Friday, reiterating a refrain he’s sung throughout his three-year managerial tenure. “I think that’s important.”

Houston’s current roster construction may not allow for such a luxury. Smith, Cole and Joey Loperfido — whom the Astros acquired in exchange for Sánchez — all have an inside track to the Opening Day roster, barring a total collapse during spring training. The three players have combined for 911 major-league plate appearances.

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Syndication: Arizona Republic

American League

Astros

• Isaac Paredes will practice fielding at first, second, and third base.

Any path for Paredes to play regularly must involve a true rotation at designated hitter. Paredes’ defensive versatility is limited, though Espada said Sunday he will see time at first base, third base and second base for however long he is in Astros camp.

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