Throughout 2025, Southwest Airlines announced a number of new partnerships, ranging from foreign airlines to American coffee companies.
Now, early in 2026, the Dallas-based budget airline has revealed an agreement with the Chicago Cubs. Southwest is now the official airline of the MLB team, along with its home park, Wrigley Field, and its spring training home, Sloan Park in Arizona.
“Southwest Airlines has served the Chicago market for more than 40 years with our strong presence at Midway (MDW) and expansion at O’Hare (ORD), and we are thrilled to share our love for connecting people to places with Cubs fans,” said Jennifer Birdie, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing. “Together, we celebrate the passion for the Cubs, and we have a solid lineup of unforgettable moments planned for the season ahead as we take our Hospitality from the sky to the ballpark.”
What does the Southwest, Cubs partnership entail?
According to a press release, Southwest will be heavily involved in sponsorship and signage at both parks during the upcoming 2026 season. The on-deck circles at Wrigley Field and Sloan Park will featured Southwest’s trademark heart logo, and the upper deck at the Cubs’ legendary North Side ballpark will be renamed the “Southwest Airlines Deck.”
Other elements of the deal include:
On-field baseline signage and rotational signage behind home plate
Various in-game features and community initiatives during the season.
Cubs star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong serving as a Southwest Airlines ambassador
Southwest as the presenting sponsor of multiple gameday experiences at l Wrigley Field
What else is coming up at Southwest?
Last year, Southwest announced the launching of several new policies in 2026, including the elimination of its “Bags Fly Free” and open seating procedures.
The airline is also instituting a new policy for plus-sized passengers, which has drawn criticism from customers and experts alike.

The Toronto Blue Jays are an ascending force in MLB, determined to solidify themselves as a true contender for years to come.
Their foundation is built around a strong core of established superstars and emerging talent, and this offseason the front office has made it clear they intend to supplement that group aggressively.
After reaching the World Series in 2025, the organization has reinvested the revenue and momentum from that run directly back into the roster, signaling a commitment to extend its championship window rather than simply celebrate past success.
Toronto’s approach has centered on balancing proven veterans with developing players. While the Blue Jays added Kazuma Okamoto on a four-year, $60 million deal from Japan, the front office remains linked to many top bats available in the market, including the possibility of re-signing infielder Bo Bichette.
That depth of talent has also created unique challenges for the organization. With so many established pieces at the major-league level, Toronto has not had the opportunity to promote some of its best prospects.
Catcher Nate LaRue is a prime example. Blocked from advancing in his natural position, LaRue transitioned into a relief role during the 2025 season, a move designed to maximize his path to the big leagues while still tapping into his arm strength and athleticism.
Unfortunately, it appears that transition is coming to an end, as on Saturday LaRue announced his retirement from baseball, according to the MiLB transaction logs.
LaRue’s path through professional baseball was unconventional, stretching from his days as a standout at Auburn to a late-career conversion on the mound in Toronto’s system.
Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2019 MLB Draft, the 24-year-old initially worked as a catcher before shifting to pitching full time in 2025. Last year, he appeared in 27 games, posting a combined 3–1 record with a 5.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings.
Despite flashes of promise, opponents found success against him and he struggled in high-leverage situations.
LaRue’s decision to retire closes the book on a career that showcased versatility and perseverance, even if it never ultimately carried him to the big-league stage.

The Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman to bring that veteran presence to their lineup. On Jan. 10, mlb.com/news/alex-bregman-cubs-contract”>MLB.com reported, citing multiple sources, that Chicago signed a five-year contract worth $175 million.
Despite the Cubs potentially losing Kyle Tucker, Chicago have made moves to bolster the team, including signing Bregman and trading for Edward Cabrera, among others. With the Cubs having an impressive offseason, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden made two strong takes about the Cubs heading into the 2026 season.
“Now we have an elite defensive team,” Bowden said on Jan. 11 during an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “Starting pitching is better. Bullpen has been rebuilt. I think they’re the team to beat. I think the Cubs are the team to beat right now in the NL Central.
“I think that Carter Hawkins and Jed Hoyer are now in the conversation for executive of the year. I think right now, they’ve got to be. I’m not saying they’re going to win, but right now, based on the moves they’ve made, they’ve got to start to be in that conversation legitimately. I love what they’ve done.”
Cubs Were Willing to Meet Alex Bregman’s Demands
Meanwhile, Bowden also believes the Cubs were willing to meet all of Bregman’s demands because, like the Boston Red Sox, the veteran checked off all the boxes for them. As a result, it’s the Red Sox this time around, missing out on Bregman after the Cubs whiffed on the veteran last offseason.
“When you and I were talking to Craig Counsell, the manager of the Cubs, on MLB Network Radio, live at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, this past year, he gave us the impression, without saying it, the importance of signing a player like Bregman because of the leadership qualities that the Cubs needed,” Bowden added.
“I heard that, and I looked him in the eyes. It was very clear to me that that was their guy. That’s what they wanted to get. That’s what they wanted to get, and I think when you put Bregman and [Dansby] Swanson leading your clubhouse, those intangibles are… It’s special because it’s going to help all the other guys develop around them. But now we have an elite defensive team. Starting pitching is better.”
MLB Insider Praises Cubs’ Offseason for 2026 Season
Additionally, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shared his take on the Cubs swinging for the fences to put together a roster that can win the NL Central and potentially be a contender in the NL to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Well, good for the Cubs — they proved me wrong, continuing what now looks like a terrific offseason,“ Rosenthal wrote for The Athletic on Jan. 10. “Before signing Bregman, they spent more than $30 million on five-free agent relievers, traded for Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera and brought back first baseman Tyler Austin from Japan for $1.25 million…
“Going big for Bregman is more like it, and now the Cubs need to keep the rest of their club together, holding rather than trading second baseman Nico Hoerner and shifting Matt Shaw into a super-utility role.”

Here we are again.
In the ‘Groundhog Day’-esque nightmare that never ends, the Boston Red Sox have once again inexcusably lost out on a top – and very signable – free-agent target.
Alex Bregman, who spoke on more than one occasion during his lone Red Sox season about how much he enjoyed being in Boston and on the team, and made it clear he would welcome a long-term extension, will instead be a Chicago Cub for most, if not the rest of his playing career.
And the ‘urgent,’ ‘engaged,’ and ‘aggressive’ Red Sox are up a creek without paddle, vessel, and excuse.
Similar debacles have plagued the team over the last six years, but this one may just take the cake. Let’s unpack why.
Facts and figures
The Red Sox offered Bregman five years and somewhere in the $160-165 million range, not far off monetarily from the Cubs’ winning bid of five years and $175 million. Both proposals included deferrals, though Boston’s structure was reportedly decades long.
Chicago pursued Bregman last offseason, too. They landed him the second time around not because the price tag was significantly higher, but because they understood his priorities.
A father of two sons under four, Bregman made it clear he wanted a place his family could call home long-term. He wanted a full no-trade clause.
Boston’s unwillingness to budge on the FNTC, more than anything, sunk them. Bregman couldn’t trust that they would hold on to him for the entirety of the five years they offered him; he had a front-row seat last June, when the Red Sox dumped Rafael Devers on the San Francisco Giants, less than two years into his franchise-record 10-year, $313.5 million extension.
Which brings us to…
The Devers disaster
What makes Bregman’s decision an even worse failure for the Red Sox is that they haven’t lost one star player.
They’ve lost two.
In that way, though perhaps this is the aftershock and recency bias talking, it may be worse than the Mookie Betts trade, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
It’s impossible to discuss Bregman without Devers. The Red Sox made sure of that last winter, when they misled Devers for months about their targets and bids, signed Bregman the first weekend of spring training, and gave him Devers’ job.
Devers was justifiably outraged. In the unwritten rules of this traditional sport, proven veteran players and franchise cornerstones are accorded a certain level of respect. As the club’s longest-tenured player and only remaining World Series champion, he felt the Red Sox had disrespected him by not broaching the necessary topics before making a signing. Especially, Devers claimed, because he had been promised long-term positional security when he signed his extension in January ‘23 (to take effect in ‘24)
Manager Alex Cora’s response: Chaim Bloom no longer works here.
From start to finish, it was a careless, thoughtless, and passive stratagem team leadership’s part.
It would have been one thing if Bregman’s deal wasn’t tantamount to a one-year deal with choose-your-own adventure player opt-outs for the second and third seasons.
Or if the Red Sox had played Bregman at second, instead of forcing Devers off third and into the designated hitter role.
Or if the Red Sox had platooned Bregman and Devers, making them co-third-basemen who alternated as the DH.
Instead, the Red Sox destroyed and ended their relationship with their only true power hitter and proven winner for a player who, while undeniably an excellent addition, was here for 117 total games.
And when they traded Devers in mid-June, they should have immediately poured that money into Bregman, who was on the injured list at the time and vocal about wanting to stay.
“This is a risky strategy for the Red Sox,” I wrote in my Opening Day ‘25 column. “If Bregman opts out at season’s end, what then? Does Devers go back to third, or do the Red Sox again give the position he wants to someone else? … That’s a problem for another day, but it’s a legitimate possibility.”
Now, it’s today’s problem. And the next day’s.
Worst of the worst?
The Betts trade was a mistake of Babe Ruth-ian proportions.
But unlike subsequent superstar-related debacles, the Red Sox could make some flimsy, but legitimate enough, excuses. They were coming off a winning, albeit disappointing season, and four championships in 15 years when they salary-dumped Betts and David Price on the eager Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020.
The move came after months of Betts’ repeated declarations that he would test free agency after the ‘20 season no matter what – though only after the Red Sox insulted him with a lowball offer right after his tremendous ‘18 season – and as the Red Sox were entering a farm system rebuild and (self-imposed) financial reset under a new leader in Bloom.
The present-day Red Sox are on the other side of that rebuild, and have no legs on which to stand in this entirely avoidable calamity of losing both Devers and Bregman.
The Betts trade was the beginning of an internal rebuild. They’ve done little to repair their relationship with the public, which has been promised ‘full throttle’ urgency and aggressiveness year after year and given gut-punch after gut-punch, instead.
The impact
Throughout all of these debacles, the Red Sox have saved countless millions.
In every other way, though, they have lost infinitely more.
They were just starting to make inroads with both fans and free agents, after trading Betts, shoving Xander Bogaerts out the door, and so many other messes and mistakes. Goodwill slowly built last offseason as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acquired ace left-hander Garrett Crochet, signed Bregman, and extended Crochet and rookies Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony.
Why would anyone trust the Red Sox now?
They were having a difficult enough time luring free agents before this Devers and Bregman saga came to a close Saturday night.
Under current ownership, the Red Sox first transformed themselves into the ultimate, elite destination for players, then they turned themselves into a last resort.
Imagine telling someone in 2018 that a free agent presented with identical three-year, $40 million offers from the Red Sox and Rays would choose the latter (Zach Eflin)
Or that someone would choose a one-year deal with the Dodgers over a multi-year offer from the Red Sox? (Teoscar Hernandez)
The irony is that the Red Sox used to undervalue and lose proven homegrown stars and overvalue and overcorrect with free agents. Jon Lester, replaced with Price, for example.
Now, they aren’t even doing the overvaluing and overcorrecting.
The Red Sox have the fifth-most expensive tickets in the majors, and rank 23rd in revenue spent on players.
When a player does want to stay in Boston, like Bregman or Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox wait too long and are too cautious or unyielding to get a deal done. Refusing to give Bregman a full NTC won’t endear them to other family-focused players, either.
Breslow’s longest free agent contract was Bregman’s three years that turned into one. Perhaps Bregman’s new five-year pact will age badly, as he turns 32 on March 30, but it doesn’t really matter.
The Cubs, not the Red Sox, will benefit from the many intangibles Bregman brings to the organization and clubhouse. He is a tremendous leader, a proactively supportive and encouraging teammate and mentor to young players. As evidenced by the number of Red Sox players who made public pleas for him to re-sign at Fenway Fest, those qualities will make Bregman an absolute bargain.
What’s next?
More of the same, probably. Why expect anything different?
This quote is often misattributed to Albert Einstein but it rings true for the Red Sox nonetheless: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
The Red Sox will pivot to Bo Bichette, the top remaining free agent position player. Outbidding the Philadelphia Phillies and former Boston boss Dave Dombrowski for him is about as likely as David Ortiz coming out of retirement to provide the pop this Red Sox lineup needs.
And when Bichette puts on another team’s cap and signs on their dotted line, the Red Sox will pivot again. And again.
A month from now, Red Sox brass will fly down to spring training and disseminate the usual messages:
They were engaged and operated with urgency this offseason. They are hungry for another crack at the postseason, and confident the players they have will get them there.
Certainly, the season’s outcome will be different and better than the last several times the Red Sox attempted this gambit.
Surely, they are on the cusp of making it up to you.

Los Angeles has been connected to each of the top three free-agent hitters still available this offseason. Outfielders Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger and shortstop Bo Bichette have all been linked to L.A. in some fashion, although the Dodgers are more likely to be opportunistic than aggressive when it comes to a big free-agent bat.
After third baseman Alex Bregman reached a reported five-year deal with the Cubs on Saturday, Tucker, Bellinger and Bichette are a cut above the rest of the hitters currently on the open market. But which of the three might be the best fit in Dodger blue?
One of the Dodgers’ few relative weaknesses is their corner outfield, so signing Tucker — the offseason’s top free agent — would be an ideal way to address that need. In 2025, Michael Conforto struggled as L.A.’s main left fielder, while Teoscar Hernández displayed defensive woes in right. A better hitter and fielder than both, Tucker would instantly become one of the biggest bats in the Dodgers’ deep and dangerous lineup and a potential franchise cornerstone.
Adding Tucker, a left-handed hitter, would allow Los Angeles to deploy an impressive lefty-righty balance in its starting nine. Tucker fits well alongside lefties Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, while Hernández, Mookie Betts and Will Smith all hit right-handed. Of all those star players, only Muncy is a free agent after 2026, so Tucker — if signed to a multiyear deal — would be part of an established core built to contend year after year.
Signing Tucker would likely bump Hernández back to left field, where Hernández spent most of his time as a first-year Dodger in 2024. Tucker would be a considerable offensive upgrade over Conforto, who batted just .199 with a .638 OPS in 2025. Hernández had a -9 Fielding Run Value in 2025 and Conforto had a -8 mark, so Tucker’s league-average defense would be an improvement, too.
A patient hitter with power (he’s slugged 22 or more home runs in each of the past five seasons), Tucker would also take the Dodgers’ team speed up a notch. In 2025, he reached the 25-steal plateau for the third time in his career. For an L.A. squad tied for 21st in the Majors with 88 total swipes last season, Tucker could unlock another dimension on the basepaths. There’s a reason the 28-year-old is MLB’s top free agent, and he would likely be the best fit for the Dodgers among the three top-tier players available on the open market.
Like Tucker, Bellinger would help the Dodgers address their deficiency in the corner outfield. But the former Dodger comes with more defensive versatility: Bellinger made at least 40 appearances at all three outfield spots for the Yankees in 2025. He also owns considerable experience at first base, the position he primarily played during his first two years in Dodger blue.
Bellinger saw the most time (85 appearances) in left field for the Yankees in 2025, earning down-ballot American League MVP Award votes after being acquired in a trade with the Cubs. He posted a .272/.334/.480 slash line with 29 homers and 13 steals while cutting his strikeout rate to a career-low 13.7%, which ranked in the top 10 percent of Major League hitters. Factoring in his excellent defense (+9 Fielding Run Value), Bellinger’s 5.1 bWAR was his highest total since he put up 8.7 bWAR to win 2019 NL MVP honors with the Dodgers.
Needless to say, a repeat performance would make Bellinger a welcome addition to L.A.’s lineup. He could be an easy replacement for Conforto in left field or could take over for Andy Pages in center field, although Pages proved to be one of MLB’s best defenders in 2025. With his multipositional experience, Bellinger has the ability to spell Pages in center, Hernández in right and even Freeman at first base if needed.
Bellinger doesn’t quite have the patience nor the speed of Tucker, but he’d still be an important lefty bat behind Ohtani and Freeman for the Dodgers’ three-peat chase in 2026. With Freeman’s contract up after 2027, Bellinger could even be a long-term answer at first if he’s no longer a plus defender in the outfield. If he does reunite with L.A. in free agency, his versatility could go a long way.
Bichette, who doesn’t turn 28 until March 5, is one of the youngest free agents on the market. If he and the Dodgers can agree on a lengthy contract, he could be part of L.A.’s core for a considerable time — and he could be a good fit at one of the club’s weakest positions.
No Dodger started more than 60 games at second base in 2025, but Bichette could change that if he lands in Los Angeles. While Bichette has never played a position other than shortstop in the Major Leagues, he has expressed a willingness to move to second for the right club. With Betts entrenched at shortstop for the Dodgers, Bichette would take over the keystone from a group of players that included Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland in 2025.
Dodgers second basemen had an OPS of only .649 (24th among MLB clubs) in 2025, so Bichette would be a major upgrade. He owns a career .294 average and has posted an OPS above .800 in all but one season, an injury-marred 2024 in which Bichette posted a .225/.277/.322 slash line in 81 games. Bichette showed off his skills during a bounce-back 2025, batting .311 with 18 homers and an .840 OPS — and taking Ohtani deep for a three-run homer in Game 7 of the World Series.
Bichette hit primarily in the leadoff spot for the Blue Jays in 2025 but also spent significant time batting cleanup. With the Dodgers, the right-handed hitter would likely fit into the middle of the order with Hernández, Muncy and Smith. Given his contact skills and his ability to hit for power, Bichette could also supplant Betts toward the top of the order if Betts’ 2025 struggles continue.

We won’t find out for sure until Jan. 20, when the voting results from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot are announced live on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET. But we don’t have to wait until then to gain some insight into the voting.
Thanks to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame ballot tracker, we can keep up with how the vote is trending. And Jason Sardell, who has run simulations to project Hall of Fame vote totals for the past several years, has been providing periodic updates on projections for this year’s candidates.
Note: Thibodaux’s ballot tracker has counted 158 ballots as of Sunday at 5:20 p.m. ET. All vote percentages are current as of that time. All projections provided by Sardell are through 148 ballots input into Thibodaux’s tracker as of Thursday.
Beltrán has received a vote on 89.2% of the ballots counted by Thiboadaux’s tracker. Like all players on the BBWAA ballot, he just needs to be above 75% of the vote when the final results are unveiled. According to Sardell’s latest simulations, Beltrán ends up north of that magic number 99.7% of the time. So the chances look pretty good that the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will contain two members of the 2004 Astros.
Here is where the real drama lies. Now in his ninth year on the BBWAA ballot, Andruw Jones’s vote percentage has just about doubled — from 33.9% to 66.2% — over the past five cycles. He’s sitting at 82.9% in the tracker, but that isn’t quite as safe as it seems.
A player’s vote percentage in the tracker is often less than the actual final tally. For instance, Beltrán’s final percentage in the tracker last year was 73.6%. He ended up at 70.3%. Jones’ final percentage in the 2025 tracker was 70.3%. Once every ballot was counted, he was at 66.2%. If he experiences the same decline this year, Jones would still be elected to the Hall with a little room to spare, at 78.8%. He clears the 75% threshold in about three-quarters of Sardell’s latest simulations.
The owner of 10 Gold Gloves and 434 home runs, Jones ranked third in Baseball-Reference WAR (57.6) during his 10-year peak from 1998 through 2007. The two players in front of him? Rodriguez (80.0) and Bonds (71.0).
Chase Utley has the third-highest vote percentage of the 27 players on this year’s ballot. He’s currently at 66.5% in the tracker, which would be a massive leap from his 2025 total of 39.8%. It’s likely that Utley’s vote percentage will settle somewhere in the low-to-mid-60s — last year’s final total was about 5 percentage points less than his tracker support — but the longtime Phillies second baseman has time on his side; he will be eligible for the next seven BBWAA ballots.
Utley’s career bWAR of 64.6 ranks 15th all-time among second basemen, ahead of many who have already been inducted into the Hall — and one who will be in Kent (55.4).
Félix Hernández, who was at 20.6% as a ballot newcomer last year, has a 57.0% vote percentage in the tracker. That improvement is backed by 30 votes from returning BBWAA members who didn’t vote for King Félix in ’25. Only one other player has received even 15 such new votes this year, and that’s Andy Pettitte.
The five-time World Series champion has gained the support of 22 returning voters who didn’t mark him on their 2025 ballot. He’s at 57.6% in the tracker after finishing last year at 27.9%.
But there are obviously different levels of urgency with these two hurlers. Hernández is in just his second year on the ballot while Pettitte is in his eighth. The lefty has a lot of ground to cover before he gets to 75%, but after gaining 14.4 percentage points of support from 2024 to ’25 — the biggest increase among any ballot veteran — Pettitte has a chance to complete a late climb to Cooperstown a la Larry Walker, who was at 34.1% after his eighth year on the ballot but was elected to the Hall in Year 10.
There won’t be a first-timer in this year’s class. The better question is: Which ballot newcomer will clear the 5% threshold to remain on the ballot in 2027? Right now, there is only one player over that line in the tracker: Cole Hamels. The four-time All-Star is at 32.3%, which would be a pretty strong showing compared to where the aforementioned Hernández (20.6%) and Pettitte (9.9%) were after their first years on the ballot.
Hamels has been marked on 51 of the 158 ballots in the tracker. The other 11 first-timers on the ballot have received a combined total of eight votes. Those have been spread between Ryan Braun (four), Edwin Encarnación (two), Shin-Soo Choo (one) and Hunter Pence (one).
Manny Ramirez is in his 10th year on the ballot, so this is the last time his Hall case will be assessed by the BBWAA. Although he has the numbers of a Cooperstown shoo-in — 555 home runs, .312 career average, .996 OPS — multiple violations of MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy late in his career have seemingly put a hard cap on Ramirez’s Hall support. His vote percentage has been between 25% and 35% every year since 2020, and he is currently at 41.8% in the tracker.
Torii Hunter is at 4.4% in the tracker and clinging to his candidacy in his sixth year on the ballot. But the nine-time Gold Glover has been here before. His final percentage in the tracker last year was 4.8%, but Hunter gained a little more support on ballots that weren’t made public and barely cleared the cut line, finishing at 5.1%.

Juan Soto’s first season with the New York Mets after signing a 15-year, $765 million deal during last year’s offseason did not go according to plan.
While Soto himself enjoyed a tremendous season, finishing with a .263 batting average, .396 on-base percentage, .921 OPS, 43 home runs and 105 RBIs across 160 games, the Mets missed out on the MLB playoffs.
As a result, president of baseball operations David Stearns tore down the roster, moving on from several familiar faces to retool the roster around Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor.
New York remains active on the free agent market looking to add elite talent to the lineup and rotation, yet the club is also focused on internal growth from some of its younger talent, including former top prospect Luisangel Acuña.
Soto has publicly endorsed Acuña’s progress. Acuña has been sharpening his skills all winter long, looking to make the roster for the Mets in 2026 and earn a legitimate role by playing in the Venezuelan Winter League.
On Saturday, Acuña delivered an incredible performance for the Cardenales de Lara, blasting four home runs in a 21–9 victory.
Soto celebrated the feat on social media, reposting each of Acuña’s long balls to his Instagram story. For the fourth and final homer, Soto added a message, “Just in case you miss the other 3🔥🔥.”
The performance served as a reminder of the young talent the Mets hope to develop around Soto, even as the superstar himself prepares for another dominant campaign.
Soto’s focus will eventually shift back to the 2026 MLB season, where he will look to build off his excellent debut year in Queens.
Last season, the 26-year-old set a new standard for himself on the basepaths, becoming a legitimate base-stealing threat by swiping a National League-leading 38 bases.
He was also an on-base machine, collecting 127 walks to lead MLB and setting a franchise record for most free passes in a single season. Soto earned a Silver Slugger Award, the sixth of his career, along with a third-place finish in NL MVP voting.
With Soto anchoring the lineup and young talent like Acuña emerging, the Mets enter 2026 determined to transform last year’s disappointment into sustained success and a legitimate push toward October.

Texas Rangers player Wyatt Langford hosted his second annual baseball camp for over 100 kids in Newberry, Florida.
Langford, a Trenton native and former Florida Gators star, aims to provide local youth with the mentorship he lacked growing up.
Former UF teammates joined Langford as coaches, and about half the campers were from the surrounding tri-county area.
Langford, a 2023 World Series champion, still lives in the area during the offseason and is seen as a role model by young players.
It’s rare for kids to agree on anything, especially a desire to wake up early on a Saturday.
Yet, over 100 kids from around the Gainesville-area willingly braved tiredness and the odd January heat to drive to Newberry.
Why? Because a local superhero offered his tips on how these 8-14 year olds can reach the big leagues.
Trenton native and Florida baseball legend Wyatt Langford hosted his second annual baseball camp at Champions Park in Newberry — three months before his third season with the Texas Rangers begins.
Despite his new big city digs with the 2023 World Series champions, Langford remains committed to the area. He still lives in Trenton in the offseason with his wife Hallie. A college softball player, Hallie will play her final season with North Florida. She’ll visit Gainesville on Tuesday, February 17.
It’s his love for the area that pushed Langford to begin the camp. He said that when he grew up in Trenton, youth baseball camps weren’t popular, despite the proximity to UF.
“There wasn’t a lot of people you can look up,” Langford said. “People who could tell you what to do and what not to do.”
The lack of resources didn’t hurt Langford much, who won two state championships in Gilchrist County. That led to a scholarship from Florida. He became of the Gators best offensive player in program history and a College World Series finalist in 2023.
The campers benefited from Langford’s connections as his former UF teammates Colby Halter, Blake Purnell and Ryan Slater served as coaches. The camp was run by the Florida Hardballers, the travel baseball team Langford played for.
About half the kids came from the tri-county area of Levy, Dixie and Gilchrist Counties. This pleased Langford even more.
“We’re lucky enough to be role models to them, so it’s our duty to be good role models and show them a little something that gives them hope and ambition to continue practicing,” Langford said.
Calling himself a role model isn’t far enough. For the kids at the camp, he’s a superhero.
Mason Depaola, a 12-year-old, called Langford a superhero and an inspiration to him.
“If you’re playing with better guys, they’ll push you, and if you see guys in the majors, you can strive to be like that,” Depaola said. “That’ll make you the best player.”
The Rangers 2026 season begins on March 26 at the Philadelphia Phillies. Texas will visit the Tampa Bay Rays July 28-30, the Atlanta Braves July 17-19 and the Miami Marlins June 22-24.

Each team in MLB has its own problems. But it looks like there is a small group of nine teams that are having problems, nothing related to their on-field performance. It is all about their TV and broadcasting rights.
“Next season’s television income for nine Major League Baseball teams — close to one third of the league — is up in the air,” wrote The Athletic.
A growing crisis surrounds regional baseball broadcasts after Main Street Sports Group missed payments to teams. The issue surfaced publicly when the St. Louis Cardinals confirmed a missed December rights payment. That failure exposed uncertainty across local television revenue streams that many clubs rely upon annually, financially.
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Nine MLB teams, including the Reds, Brewers, Cardinals, Rays, Braves, Tigers, Royals, Angels, and Marlins, are affected. Several NBA and NHL franchises also face risk because Main Street controls 29 combined broadcast contracts.
Fans have already seen the Padres and Diamondbacks lose RSN coverage midseason during Diamond’s 2023 collapse.
These problems trace back to cable subscriber declines that shattered revenue projections behind older RSN deals. Main Street lost approximately $200 million in 2025 despite exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings recently. Streaming growth reduced leverage for networks, leaving them unable to meet fixed annual team payments.
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Teams now face outcomes ranging from reduced fees to MLB takeover of production and distribution rights. MLB has already broadcast games for six teams, proving an operational backup exists today leaguewide.
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For the league, centralized control could stabilize access, but revenue uncertainty still pressures payroll planning.
For the Reds, Brewers, and Cardinals, the real opponent is Main Street Sports Group today. MLB watches Braves, Rays, and Tigers budgets wobble as television money stalls leaguewide reality. Royals, Angels, and Marlins learned that wins cannot fix contracts built for vanished cable viewers.
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MLB also has a bold plan for the San Francisco Giants
Baseball’s power structure is getting restless, and San Francisco knows it. What has quietly printed money for the Giants for years is suddenly part of a much bigger conversation, one that reaches straight into Rob Manfred’s office. This isn’t a tweak or a trial balloon. It’s a pressure point, and the Giants are right in the middle of it.
Most MLB regular-season games are controlled locally, while national partners handle select games and the postseason. San Francisco Giants games have aired on NBC Sports Bay Area under long-running regional rights agreements. In 2022, Forbes reported the Giants generated $92 million annually from their local television deal.
The Giants own a 30% stake in NBC Sports Bay Area through a deal ending in 2032. Regional sports networks face disruption as cord-cutting rises, pushing some MLB teams away entirely. At least 7 teams shifted broadcasts under MLB control after RSN bankruptcies and ownership instability.
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Commissioner Rob Manfred has proposed pooling all 30 teams’ local rights after contracts expire in 2028. Manfred said centralized sales could simplify access, as MLB prepares new national deals after 2028. Any shift would require compensating teams like the Giants, Dodgers, and Yankees with long, lucrative RSN contracts.
MLB is no longer debating television futures quietly, and the San Francisco Giants understand why. Rob Manfred’s plan forces powerful franchises to choose stability today or league-wide control tomorrow. For the Giants, comfort and certainty now sit across the table from MLB ambition.

Key Points
Why Daily Fantasy Baseball on RTSports is a fun way to enjoy MLB 2026.
How to register and choose entry contests.
Basics of scoring and lineup construction.
Tips for picking players and tracking your performance.
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them.
When you think of Daily Fantasy Baseball, everyone knows FanDuel and DraftKings, and many know that Yahoo! has it. I want to tell you about RTSports.com.
Since I already recommended RTSports.com for your season play and explained that they have more game types than anyone else with all of them being fun to play. I already told you of their community that is vibrant and fun.
So, why would I recommend daily fantasy baseball over DraftKings and FanDuel? Well, the main reason is that with a smaller community, you can learn the variance that you need to win more often. I am not saying you will make more money because that depends on your analysis on any given day. However, you will win more often.
In this article, we get you started and tell you some tricks to winning. You’ll learn how the contests work, how scoring is structured, and how to build your lineups based on RTSports’ official DFS rules.
Daily Fantasy Baseball lets you draft a new team for a single slate of games instead of managing a full season all year. We recommend that you do both on RTSports.com. Here is the link to their money leagues for the pre-season. It’s a great way to enjoy MLB action, compete against others, and win prizes.
What Is Daily Fantasy Baseball on RTSports?
RTSports’ Daily Fantasy Baseball gives you the chance to join single-day or multi-day fantasy baseball contests where you draft players and score points based on real MLB performance. Contests vary in format. You can play draft-style leagues, salary cap contests, or specialty formats depending on what’s available each day.
RTSports runs all contests as the official commissioner, resolving any questions or disputes about rules or scoring. All decisions made by RTSports are final.
Contest Formats on RTSports
RTSports offers DFS contests in two main styles of play:
Draft Contests
In draft contests, you and other participants take turns selecting players for your roster similar to traditional fantasy drafts. Your selections are only for the period defined by the contest.
Some drafts are scheduled to start at a fixed time.
Other drafts are Draft-and-Go, which begin soon after the league fills up.
Once a draft starts, your roster is set unless you swap out a player for one who hasn’t played yet.
Salary Cap Contests
In salary cap contests, every player has a published salary. Your job is to build the best possible roster without exceeding the salary cap.
You can adjust your lineup anytime before a player’s game starts.
Lineups must be complete before games begin for your picks to count.
Whether it’s draft or salary cap, every contest will list the roster requirements, entry fees, and prize structure up front so you know exactly what you’re entering.
MLB Roster Requirements
For standard Daily Fantasy Baseball contests on RTSports, a typical lineup includes:
1 Catcher
1 First Baseman
1 Second Baseman
1 Third Baseman
1 Shortstop
3 Outfielders
2 Pitchers
These are the same roster rules as DraftKings which can make it easy to do analysis and make lineups for both. RTSports salaries will be different but you can work with similar analysis. You must adhere to these roster slots when building your entry. Partial or incomplete rosters are not permitted. Be careful not to have any players who are not playing in the lineups and check lineups at Rotowire.com or FantasyAlarm.com.
Scoring Basics You Need to Know
RTSports uses real MLB stats to calculate fantasy points for your players. While each contest might tweak scoring slightly, here’s what you generally see:
Pitcher Scoring
5 points for a Win
4 points for a Quality Start
–2 points for Earned Runs Allowed
2.5 points per Strikeout
1 point per Out Recorded
Hitter Scoring
3 points per Single
5 points per Double
8 points per Triple
10 points per Home Run
2.5 points per RBI
2.2 points per Run Scored
3 points per Walk
3 points per Hit By Pitch
5 points per Stolen Base
Scoring is applied based on final box score stats for the slate. This means that once the MLB games on that DFS contest slate conclude and the official stats are published.
How Scoring Affects Strategy
On all the different DFS sites, the scoring is similar. There are some nuances to RTSports.com scoring:
Pitchers who go deep into games with a lot of strikeouts with good matchups are critical.
Hitters with both power and speed help as 10 points for a home run and 5 points for stolen bases is strong for those players.
Because scoring rewards a mix of productivity and situational success, it’s smarter to look at player matchups and recent performance trends than just a name.
Benefits to Playing on Real-Time Fantasy Sports
RTsports.com takes it very seriously, having provided fun, excitement and cash payouts for decades. Their community is very loyal but also happy to take some trash talk when you win or commiserate when things go wrong. Here are some ways that is fostered:
Trash Talk: Chat is open all the time. It is open when you are entering lineups, during the games and after the results are in.
Banter: The other players notice good smart play and will poke fun at mistakes as they make them too.
Win More: Fewer participants in a lot of contests gives you a better chance to win.
Don’t Play vs a Computer: You can play a single lineup and not worry that everyone else will have 150 lineups produced by a computer. There are no auto-upload mechanisms to allow computers to be your opponent.
Final Thoughts: Fun is the Best Thing to Have
Do you want to play against a computer and never know who you are playing against? Well, then play somewhere else. RTSports.com is where everyone “belongs.” You will feel a part of the group no matter what your skill level.
Daily Fantasy Baseball on RTSports is a fun, dynamic way to enjoy MLB 2026. The rules are transparent, scoring is live and exciting, and you can compete with a great group.
People Also Ask
What is Daily Fantasy Baseball?
It’s a short-term fantasy game where you pick players for a day’s games and score based on real stats.
How do I join a contest on RTSports?
It’s easy. Register, pick a contest, build a lineup, and submit before the lock time.
Can beginners win on RTSports?
Yes, starting small and learning scoring helps beginners compete.

Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees had another solid season in 2025, finishing with a 94-68 record and first in the AL East. However, after taking down long-time rival Boston Red Sox 2-1 in the AL Wild Card Round, the Yankees saw their season come to an end, falling to eventual runner-up Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 in the ALDS.
Still, Judge continued his stellar career in his 10th season with New York. The right fielder from Sacramento, California, led MLB with a .331 batting average while adding 53 home runs (fourth in the league), 114 RBIs (fifth) and 179 hits (fourth). For his performance in 2025, Judge was also named to his fourth All-MLB First Team and secured his third AL MVP award.
But while Judge and the Yankees prepare for the upcoming 2026 Spring Training, beginning in late February, the MLB superstar will be attending a big event over the Summer.
On Wednesday, the talent lineup for the 2026 Fanatics Fest in New York City was announced by fellow New York star Cam Skattebo of the Giants. The event will take place from July 16-19 at the Jacob K. Javits Center, where fans will be able to interact with star athletes, explore major sports brands and take part in a wide range of fan experiences.
And as he did for the inaugural Fanatics Fest in 2024, Judge will be back for the third-annual event in July, as revealed by Skattebo. Along with Judge, other MLB stars to attend the event include Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and Yankees legendary pitcher CC Sabathia.

That’s why we’ve turned to tools in Part 3 of the MLB Pipeline Executives Poll. After asking front offices across baseball who they thought would be this year’s Rookies of the Year and who the top prospects are, asking them about specific skill sets allows us to dig a little deeper.
A year ago, Kevin McGonigle was in a tie for third on this list. Ahead of him was Walker Jenkins, who missed much of 2025 with injury, Jacob Wilson, who graduated from prospect status, and he was tied with fellow graduate Roman Anthony and Travis Bazzana, who had a down year. But while McGonigle missed time with an ankle injury last year, he still hit .305/.408/.583 while reaching Double-A, and now has a career .308 average with a .922 OPS (and an absurd 123/84 K/BB ratio). He solidified his “best pure hitter in the Minors” bona fides by winning Arizona Fall League MVP honors after hitting .362/.500/.710 and putting him on Rookie of the Year radars everywhere.
He might be a distant second, but JJ Wetherholt is nothing to sneeze at from a hit tool perspective either. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 Draft, Wetherholt comes up in many ROY conversations as well after he hit .306/.421/.510 across the top two levels of the Minors in his first full year of pro ball. His K and BB rates are the same: 14.1 percent. Konnor Griffin received multiple votes here; you’re going to see his name a lot.
We specifically say “usable power,” because we wanted a snapshot of who the industry thought would mash in the big leagues. It’s interesting that Griffin landed in the top spot ahead of Bryce Eldridge, who topped this list a year ago. Some of this is because of Eldridge’s 29.3 percent K rate at the upper levels in 2025. Yes, he hit 25 homers too, but perhaps the swing-and-miss has some worrying about the “usable” part of the equation. Griffin entered pro ball with similar concerns about his ability to make enough contact to get to his easily plus raw power. He kept his K rate to 21.7 percent and made excellent adjustments as he moved up the system. The 21 homers he hit (along with a .333 average) might just be the tip of the iceberg.
Perhaps Enrique Bradfield Jr., last year’s leader, is being unfairly penalized for missing time with injury in 2025, slipping to third despite having 135 career steals in the Minors (vs. just 19 caught stealings) and going 17-for-18 in attempts in the Arizona Fall League. But Griffin-mania is sweeping the nation and he did, after all, use his 70-grade speed to swipe 65 bags in 2025. It was a little surprising to see him tie Kendall George, who led all Minor Leaguers with 100 steals (in 111 games). The feeling here is George would beat Griffin in a straight foot race but there might be some who feel Griffin’s speed is more “usable,” to borrow the term from the power discussion.
Of the 14 pitchers mentioned, only two are left-handed. One is Thomas White, who did receive multiple votes. The other is Payton Tolle, who jumped to the top of the list much like he jumped on the national radar in 2025. And it’s understandable why. With a fastball that averaged just under 96 mph — topping out at 101, according to Synergy — across all levels, Tolle used his elite extension and low release height to elicit an impressive 39 percent miss rate with the pitch (It was 29 percent during his big league debut.). Bubba Chandler isn’t far behind as one of two flame-throwers from last year’s survey to get multiple votes again (Jarlin Susana is the other). Between Triple-A and the big leagues, Chandler’s heater averaged 98 mph and produced a combined 32 percent miss rate.
Anyone who watched Trey Yesavage in the postseason might have thought he and his splitter would run away with this one, and it did get plenty of support after the low-80s offering produced a 59 percent miss rate. That didn’t dip in the big leagues, including the playoffs, as the pitch elicited a 58 percent miss rate at the highest level. But it was actually Nolan McLean’s sweeper that won the day. He throws it a lot (22 percent of the time in 2025 across all levels, more than his fastball, per Synergy), and it’s a 70-grade pitch with elite spin and horizontal movement averaging around 15-16 inches at Triple-A last season. It didn’t miss as many bats as Yesavage’s splitter (30 percent in the Minors, 20 percent in the big leagues), but it was awfully tough to hit, especially in the Minors (.159 BAA).
“Pitchability” is a made-up word that sounds like what it is, a term used to describe a pitcher’s feel for his craft, his ability to command his stuff in the zone. This year’s leaderboard is bolstered by a trio of 2025 draftees in Jamie Arnold, Tyler Bremner and the leader, Kade Anderson. He went No. 3 in the Draft and a big reason was the confidence the Mariners (and other teams) had in his ability to throw his four-pitch mix – all of which are at least above-average – for strikes. He walked just 2.6 per nine at LSU in 2025 and he did a particularly good job of mixing his secondary stuff in the zone well (70 percent strike rate with his slider, curve and changeup combined). Last year’s leader, Rhett Lowder, is still in second place despite a lost year, with confidence that a return to health will enable the right-hander to get back to the guy who walked 2.3 per nine at Wake Forest and 2.1 in the Minors.

But some acquisitions create more questions. If your spouse comes home with a Himalayan salt rock, it might lead you to wonder: What is a Himalayan salt rock? How much was this Himalayan salt rock? Where does one store a Himalayan salt rock? And anyway, what’s for dinner?
The Cubs’ acquisition of young starter Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins marked the first real sizzle of the offseason on the North Side. But just as interesting was the inclusion in the deal of outfielder Owen Caissie, who was the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline. The departure of Caissie’s potential 2026 upside only increases the already-existent incentive for the Cubs, who have stayed away from top-of-the-market contracts of late, to act like the big-market ballclub they are and land one of the available impact bats.
For much of the offseason, there has been an assumption that Kyle Tucker will wind up elsewhere. Does Caissie’s inclusion in the Cabrera trade change that equation, especially if Tucker winds up available on a shorter-term, higher-AAV deal? Or would old pal Cody Bellinger or last winter’s free-agent target, Alex Bregman, be more to their liking?
But this winter, they weren’t willing to go beyond three years with Pete Alonso and got slightly outbid by the Dodgers for Edwin Díaz. The deals with Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were all three years or fewer. So there is some bit of David Stearns’ Milwaukee mentality seeping in here. While the Mets will go all-in on generational talents, they’re clearly trying to not be too top-heavy long-term.
Trading for a short-term solution like Freddy Peralta would sure qualify within those parameters and address their starting need. But with the Mets linked to Cody Bellinger, could we still see them do one of those mega-deals we had become accustomed to in Queens?
It was fun to see the Orioles finally jump in the deep end of the free-agent pool with the Pete Alonso signing, but, unless we’ve missed some pertinent news about his offseason, he did not meaningfully improve the top end of their rotation. And while Shane Baz has loads of potential, he’s not the established, frontline starter that fans are clamoring for. (Alonso also creates a first-base logjam that would figure to be addressed with a trade of Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo.)
So now we’re all wondering what comes next, because you don’t make a splash of that magnitude without serious World Series aspirations, and any sober evaluation of the O’s starting stash would suggest that it still falls shy of stellar. Did they leave any dry powder aside for one of the remaining top arms in a starting market still stocked with the likes of Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez?
It’s been nice to see the Buccos take meaningful steps to improve their offense around a potentially elite pitching staff fronted by Paul Skenes. They’ve made trades for second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielders Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon Garcia. The free-agent market has been less fruitful for them, though they were able to complete a pact with Ryan O’Hearn.
The question here isn’t complicated: How far is Pittsburgh willing to take its most ambitious offseason in years? Can the Pirates pull off yet another swap for a hitter, or might the price tags in the remaining free-agent market become palatable for them?
You can pedal all day on a stationary bike without getting anywhere, and maybe that’s what the Halos’ busy offseason amounts to. They’ve taken on a few reclamation projects, hoping the likes of Grayson Rodriguez, Vaughn Grissom, Jordan Romano, Kirby Yates and Alek Manoah can reach or return to their potential. Whether that’s enough for a team that’s lost 85 or more games in each of the past five seasons to make any meaningful rise in the win column remains to be seen.
But you’ve got to give the Angels an A for effort, and maybe their most interesting move of all was the reported restructuring of the final year of the disastrous deal with the absent Anthony Rendon, whose $38 million owed in 2026 will instead be paid out over several years. Will that restructuring aid the aggressiveness of the Angels? Could they continue their active offseason by using some of that cash to make more tangible improvements to the roster?
All winter, we’ve been wondering if Freddy Peralta might be next. While the Brewers can ably afford his $8 million salary in his final season before free-agent eligibility, that low price tag also augments his trade value. And the Brewers have a nice stash of starters even if they do decide to move their ace.
But the recent signing of Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto presents a lot of variables both now and in Spring Training. The Jays weren’t necessarily an obvious fit for the services of this 29-year-old with contact and power, but he does fit the style of their lineup well. The question is where he himself will line up, and whether his arrival ensures that Bo Bichette heads elsewhere. As it stands, Okamoto could conceivably be an everyday third baseman, allowing Addison Barger to serve full-time in right and Ernie Clement at second with Andrés Giménez at short. But if Okamoto instead bounces around at third, first, outfield and DH, then maybe there’s still a way to bring back Bo, in which case Clement is primarily an overqualified bench player. Or could Okamoto’s arrival be a surer sign that the nonstop Jays are going to invest in the outfield next with Kyle Tucker?
Fielding a top-heavy roster amid an exploration of selling the team, there was an expectation that the Padres would not be uber-aggressive in the free-agent market this winter, and they haven’t been. But that doesn’t mean they’ve been quiet, either. They signed Korea Baseball Organization infielder Sung-Mun Song to a reasonable sum and were able to bring back Michael King on a flexible pact that includes deferred money and an opt-out after one year.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller always makes us go “Hmmm,” and this offseason is no different. The King contract is evidence that the Padres aren’t retreating in spite of spending limitations. As San Diego, per usual, checks in on various trade candidates and considers offers for the likes of Jake Cronenworth and Nick Pivetta, what more surprises might be in store?
But losing the popular (in the clubhouse and elsewhere) Jorge Polanco to the Mets was also interesting, because it left the M’s with a clear need for an impact infield bat. Does Polanco’s departure increase the chances of Eugenio Suárez coming back, despite his subpar performance after a midseason trade? If a trade for the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte is now off the table, as many suspect, could a deal for the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan still come together? Or could the Mariners commit to their kids (Cole Young, Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson) in the infield and deploy any remaining financial resources elsewhere?
The Tigers have been extremely bullpen-oriented in their run to consecutive playoff appearances, and the bullpen has been a focus of a winter in which they’ve added Kenley Jansen and brought back Kyle Finnegan. Other than that, there was Gleyber Torres’ acceptance of the qualifying offer and minor adjustments.
Nothing wrong with any of that, but the Tigers’ activity so far doesn’t push them to another level or indicate they are “all-in” on Tarik Skubal’s final season of control, and they haven’t exactly shut down the external dialogue about the possibility of Skubal being dealt. Are more aggressive moves coming, or does the Tigers’ offseason so far indicate that their biggest move will be trading Skubal for young and ready pieces?

Last August, the Giants were buzzing about their No. 16 prospect, who looked just about ready to make his MLB debut. Jesús Rodríguez, acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade, had landed on the Giants’ 40-man roster. He was riding high after putting up an eye-catching .306 career batting average in the minors!
But in just a few months, everything unraveled.
Amid the latest political and military tensions between the United States and Venezuela, Rodríguez, a native of Caracas, publicly appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump. With travel restrictions looming, his future, along with that of other Venezuelan players, has been thrown into uncertainty. Thus, putting not only his MLB hopes at risk but also his chance to represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
“I hope it really is for the best, not only for the players, but for everyone. But someone who is in this world, who has seen so many things. Hopefully, this can help improve the relationship between Venezuela and the United States, and everyone can achieve their goals… I hope that future baseball players, the children, never lose that desire to make it to the major leagues, that desire for the country to improve, for the country to do well,” Rodríguez said in an exclusive interview with The Athletic.
Notably, Venezuela ranks third in MLB player representation, behind only the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. As of Opening Day 2025, there were 63 Venezuelan-born players on big-league rosters. That’s why the travel ban following the military intervention in Venezuela has sent shockwaves through MLB.
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Big-name stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and José Altuve, both of Venezuelan origin, are currently away from the league.
Back home, the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs were in full swing when play was suddenly suspended after the early-morning attack on Jan. 3. The league later announced the postseason would resume on Wednesday, Jan. 7, after a four-day pause.
The disruption also affected others in the region, including many of the league’s Dominican players, with weekend flight suspensions adding to the chaos.
According to Rodríguez, the winter league is crucial. It’s often the only stage local players have to showcase themselves and earn opportunities in MLB. So, with the league’s future uncertain, those hopes are now hanging in the balance for many young talents.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Venezuela’s participation in the upcoming WBC is also clouded, even though the country is still expected to compete in March. Hence, with Venezuelan baseball facing so much uncertainty on multiple fronts, Rodríguez has called for calm. He urged all sides to ease tensions and help bring things back to normal.
MLB is initiating actions that count
The MLB office has stayed in close contact with teams ever since Venezuela was under a travel ban last year, according to league and team sources. Some organizations are better positioned than others to deal with the situation. They are reportedly supporting their personnel who are still in Venezuela.
Well, the timing is especially tricky with the international signing period set to open on January 15. Amateur players, mostly from Latin American countries like Venezuela, are set to sign their first pro contracts. So, in some cases, MLB teams have already moved those prospects to the Dominican Republic or the U.S., where they’re staying at team complexes.
But for others, those young players are still in Venezuela and could have a hard time getting out.
For now, MLB hasn’t made any public statements on the issue. Behind the scenes, though, teams are handling things on their own.
They’re taking individual steps to make sure their Venezuelan players and prospects remain safe back home.

The Chicago Cubs returned to the MLB playoffs last year for the first time since 2020, and a big reason why was the steady presence of shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Now entering his third season with the club after signing a seven-year, $177 million deal in December 2022, the 31-year-old veteran has proven to be a key part of the organization.
Swanson delivered excellent defense, clubhouse leadership and invaluable experience to a young roster still learning how to win.
At the plate, he posted a .244 batting average, .300 on-base percentage and .717 OPS, while adding 24 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 77 RBI across 159 appearances.
As the Cubs look to reload the roster this winter, Swanson remains a vital piece to build around as he continues to play in the prime of his career.
Swanson’s impact has extended well beyond the diamond. He has quickly become a fan favorite in Chicago thanks to his professionalism, character and willingness to connect with the community.
This offseason, his focus has momentarily shifted away from baseball as he continues to grow his Purpose and Calling Foundation, a youth-focused charitable initiative that uses sports to inspire kids to discover their unique purpose in life.
On Wednesday, Swanson announced on social media that he would be combining his on-field influence with his charitable work by hosting a fan meet-up to raise money for the foundation. In an Instagram story, he shared event details, including ticket prices and location, while adding a personal message, “Can’t wait to see everyone at Cubs Con!”
Swanson’s legacy on the field is just as meaningful as his work off of it, highlighted by two All-Star selections and two Silver Slugger Awards. His MLB journey began in 2016 with the Atlanta Braves, where he spent the majority of his first seven seasons.
He played a critical role in helping Atlanta capture the 2021 World Series title, cementing his reputation as a winner.
Since arriving in Chicago, he has continued to establish himself as one of the game’s premier shortstops. The Cubs hope that his combination of elite defense, timely hitting and leadership can guide them back to sustained postseason success, just as he once did in Atlanta.

Another Japanese standout could be on his way to the majors after all.
Right-handed pitcher Takahiro Norimoto, a prolific strikeout artist during his 13 seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, has an MLB offer on the table, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
While Norimoto is also weighing a return to Japan, but he’s expected to decide on his 2026 plans by this weekend, Feinsand added.
It was reported in October that Norimoto planned to explore opportunities with both MLB and NPB clubs.
Norimoto, who turned 35 in December, is classified as an international free agent, which simplifies his path to signing with an MLB organization.
With nine-plus seasons in NPB, he’s exempt from the posting system, which requires any team that signs him to pay a fee. Also, as a player who is 25 or older with six-plus seasons in the pro ranks, he’s not subject to MLB’s bonus pool system, which would limit how much teams could offer him.
A six-time NPB All-Star, Norimoto was one of the most dominant starters in the league during the 2010s.
He led the circuit in strikeouts for five straight years from 2014-18, averaging nearly 209 punchouts a season during that stretch.
Norimoto transitioned to the bullpen in 2024, where he has continued to pitch well.
While his strikeout totals have dropped, Norimoto has nonetheless converted 48 saves over the last two campaigns.
In 2025, Norimoto pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 56 games, recording 16 saves and 43 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Norimoto has experience facing MLB hitters as he, along with two relievers, combined to no-hit a star-studded lineup of major leaguers during an exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 15, 2014.
Referring to the game as “the best outing of my career” at the time, Norimoto tossed five scoreless frames with six punchouts — facing a lineup that included Ben Zobrist, Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau, Yasiel Puig, Salvador Perez and Lucas Duda.
“It’s too good to be true,” Norimoto said, per the Los Angeles Times. “I wanted to see how my pitches would work against MLB hitters. The fact that my teammate [Motohiro] Shima was catching made me feel at ease and I was able to perform as usual. The atmosphere at the park was really nice.”
If Norimoto signs with an MLB organization, it’ll be the second straight offseason a 35-year-old NPB star signs an MLB contract after Tomoyuki Sugano joined the Orioles.
He’d also be the fourth player to make the jump from NPB this offseason
Fellow right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai inked a three-deal with the Astros.
Infielders Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays) also signed multi-year deals.

In Part I of the MLB Pipeline Executive Poll, we took a look at the industry’s picks for Rookie of the Year in each league. This next installment will dig deeper into what front offices think about top prospects. The survey, filled out by more than 40 execs across nearly every organization, asked about who they felt was the best prospect in baseball, the best pitching prospect and much more.
This one was a runaway. Konnor Griffin got twice as much support as last year’s survey leader, Roman Anthony. And Kevin McGonigle, a favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year Award honors, was the only other prospect to receive multiple votes. It’s understandable why, with Griffin playing across three levels in his first full season of pro ball and finishing with a combined .941 OPS to go along with 21 homers and 65 steals, all while playing a much better shortstop than many expected. Our 2025 MLB Pipeline Hitting Prospect of the Year has been so good so fast that he’s going to get a very long look this spring, and enough people think he’ll earn an Opening Day roster spot that some voted for him in the Rookie of the Year survey.
As for the others who received votes, Emerson and Jenkins could very well spend considerable time in the big leagues in 2026 and graduate off prospect lists, while Made was our choice on this week’s MLB Pipeline Podcast to be the No. 1 prospect in baseball at this time next year.
In the Rookie of the Year votes for both leagues, it was interesting to see so many respondents picking a hitter with no big league experience over pitchers who debuted under the spotlight of a playoff push and the postseason itself in 2025. In this survey question, those two arms finished in the top three. Nolan McLean was the Mets’ best starter down the stretch in 2025 and most expect him to pick up where he left off this year. His AL counterpart from the ROY polling, Trey Yesavage, was a postseason hero who pitched meaningful World Series innings. But he actually finished third here, with the Pirates’ Bubba Chandler getting more support. Keep in mind, this isn’t about who will have the best 2026, but who is the better long-term prospect. While Chandler’s results in the Minors last year were a bit inconsistent, his combination of stuff and athleticism never waned, and he also looked very good at the end of his big league debut.
Among the other four on the leaderboard, two are from the 2025 Draft and have yet to throw a professional pitch. Kade Anderson is the college lefty the Mariners took No. 3 overall and Seth Hernandez was the top high school arm in the class who went No. 6. Executives clearly think Andrew Painter is due to bounce back after an inconsistent 2025, his first year back post-Tommy John, and Thomas White is generally considered to be the best lefty prospect in the game.
All of this is subjective, of course, but none more so than this category because there still isn’t as much data on defensive performance as there is for hitting or pitching. It was still a little bit surprising to see Griffin top this list as well, though, beating out guys like Carson Williams and Starlyn Caba, who finished 1-2 in the survey a year ago. The working theory is that Griffin got this much support because he was so much better than expected at short, so his abilities stood out. He was initially slated to split time between the infield and center field but ended up playing just 15 games on the grass as he proved to everyone he can stay on the dirt at the premium position.
As usual, this question brought in a wide variety of names, 29 to be exact, as “underrated” can be defined in a number of ways: Guys who aren’t on the Top 100 but could or should be, guys on the Top 100 who should be higher, or maybe even just players who aren’t appreciated enough. Ten received multiple votes:
Schoolcraft earned attention in both underrated and breakout, so he could remove himself from contention for the former if he fulfills the latter. Florentino’s breakout really started in 2025 when he rushed onto the Top 100, but he could really catapult himself toward the top of the list if he keeps it going in 2026.
Jacob Misiorowski topped this list for two consecutive years, but his graduation from prospect status left the door open. Susana had tied the Miz a year ago, but he’s in second place this time, yielding to Cardinals’ 2025 first-rounder Doyle. That might be a bit disquieting to Cardinals Nation, given that the team took him No. 5 overall, but his combination of unorthodox delivery and effort had some scouts concerned. St. Louis should hope this follows the Max Scherzer storyline, since many evaluators thought the future Hall of Famer would end up in a bullpen because of his violent delivery in college. There were 17 total pitchers mentioned and Doyle’s share of the votes is close to what Misiorowski got in 2024.
Skenes is the only arm to make the list and he tops it easily. What makes this fascinating is that he was in the Minors for about 10 minutes … OK, it was 34 total innings. He made just seven starts at Triple-A in 2024 before getting called up to begin his Rookie of the Year campaign which was, if you asked Pirates fans, seven starts too many. Griffin is the only current prospect to make the list. This list of seven has brought home a whole lot of hardware — from Rookies of the Year (Skenes, Rodríguez, Acuña Jr.) to a Cy Young (Skenes) to numerous Silver Slugger Awards and All-Star appearances. Witt and Rodríguez went on to earn their team’s PPI picks in future Drafts too.
The reframing of this question removes players like Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, who received multiple votes a year ago. Skenes and Witt actually finished tied for first in 2025 with 11.9 percent of the vote, so the jettisoning of the older players really helped Skenes’ total. A dozen players received at least one vote in this one.

The Detroit Tigers had several valuable contributors last season who helped the club make another run to the MLB playoffs.
One of the most underrated was catcher Dillon Dingler, who just completed his second year in Detroit. The 27-year-old emerged as one of manager A.J. Hinch’s most reliable weapons, making an impact both defensively and at the plate.
Dingler captured his first Gold Glove Award after playing outstanding defense, with Statcast’s Baseball Savant crediting him with a Fielding Run Value of 12.
He also took a significant step forward offensively, posting a .278 batting average, .327 on-base percentage, .752 OPS, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs across 126 games.
Those numbers are impressive given the demands of his workload behind the plate, underscoring his importance to Detroit’s success.
As Dingler enters the offseason with his role secured as the Tigers’ primary catcher, he took the time on Monday to share a personal life update.
In a collaborated post with his wife Alyssa, the couple announced the arrival of their first child, along with a series of photos introducing their newborn son.
The announcement quickly drew warm congratulations from teammates, fans and members of the Tigers organization.
The photos captured the couple’s joy, with Alyssa and Dillon both holding Francis in the hospital, marking a milestone moment away from the diamond.
Looking ahead to the 2026 MLB season, Dingler is expected to remain an essential piece for Detroit as both a defensive anchor and a developing bat.
His Gold Glove defense has already established him as one of the league’s premier catchers, and the Tigers believe his offensive growth can continue after last season’s step forward.
With his ability to control the running game and guide a young pitching staff, Dingler’s presence behind the plate is viewed as essential to the team’s playoff ambitions.
It also speaks volumes that he has spent his entire professional career in the Tigers organization, having been drafted in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft. That continuity has allowed him to grow with the franchise, and now, entering his prime years, he represents both stability and upside.

The American League East has kept the Hot Stove burning this offseason, and there’s little reason to think that will let up as January gets underway.
Reunion possibilities continue to loom over the AL East. Three of the top four position players on the market are coming off stints with teams in the division — shortstop Bo Bichette with the Blue Jays, third baseman Alex Bregman with the Red Sox and outfielder Cody Bellinger with the Yankees — and the door remains open for all three to return.
Bichette’s path back to Toronto is the most complicated of the three. At this point, the Blue Jays’ starting infield looks fairly settled, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Ernie Clement at second, Andrés Giménez at shortstop and new addition Kazuma Okamoto at third. That said, the sense around the industry is that Toronto is looking to make another offensive splash. If Bichette does re-sign with the Blue Jays, it would likely be as a second baseman, with either Clement or Okamoto moving into a super utility role.
Bregman and Bellinger have clearer routes back to Boston and New York, respectively. The Red Sox have first baseman Willson Contreras and shortstop Trevor Story locked into starting roles, but second base and third base are in flux. Former top prospect Marcelo Mayer is currently penciled in at the hot corner, but Boston could slide the 23-year-old over to second if Bregman were to return.
Similarly, the Yankees haven’t added an outfielder to replace Bellinger. Youngsters Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones (MLB Pipeline’s No. 99 prospect) are the in-house options to take the final spot if Bellinger doesn’t re-sign, with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge entrenched in right field and Trent Grisham in center.
We haven’t even mentioned Kyle Tucker yet — the consensus No. 1 free agent in this class also remains unsigned. The Blue Jays have been closely linked to Tucker throughout the offseason, and two industry sources who spoke with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand this week said they still view Toronto as his most likely destination, but there’s been no indication that he’s close to making his decision.
The Yankees are believed to be prioritizing Bellinger, but if they aren’t able to seal the deal with the 30-year-old, they could pivot to Tucker. Speaking of Bellinger, he could be an option for the Blue Jays if Tucker were to sign elsewhere.
Toronto has been connected to Bregman as well — though the addition of Okamoto could make him less of a fit — and Boston is considering Bichette alongside Bregman in its search for an infielder. The Red Sox would likely use the 27-year-old Bichette at second base.
The Yankees can’t be ruled out as a destination for Bichette, either. A recent entrant into the Bichette sweepstakes, New York is reportedly fielding trade inquiries for pending free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr., the team’s current starter at second base. Dealing Chisholm to address other needs and then signing Bichette to replace him isn’t out of the question for the Bronx Bombers.
The AL East set itself apart in 2025 — the Blue Jays (94) and Yankees (94) tied for the second-most wins in MLB, and the Red Sox joined them in the playoffs with an 89-73 record. It was also the only division without a 90-loss team. No matter what happens the rest of this offseason, it’s likely to maintain its status as MLB’s toughest division from top to bottom.
The Blue Jays have stayed aggressive after falling inches short of a World Series title, signing starter Dylan Cease to this winter’s richest contract to this point (seven years, $210 million) and also adding pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers before landing Okamoto. But Toronto knows firsthand how quickly things can go south. The team came in last place two years ago after averaging more than 90 wins across 2021-23.
The Yankees posted their 33rd consecutive winning season in 2025, but they struggled against the Blue Jays in both the regular season and the playoffs — and the gap has only widened this offseason. With their World Series drought at 16 seasons and Judge entering his age-34 campaign, the team faces mounting pressure to upgrade its roster.
The same goes for the Red Sox, who are looking to avoid a step back toward mediocrity after making progress in 2025. Boston’s ownership has faced criticism in recent years for its perceived reluctance to compete with MLB’s top spenders, and emerging from this offseason without a marquee free-agent signing would only add to that scrutiny — especially after creating significant payroll flexibility by trading Rafael Devers to the Giants in June. Granted, the Red Sox did acquire Contreras and Sonny Gray in separate trades with the Cardinals, but St. Louis kicked in a lot of cash as part of those deals.
While the Yankees and Red Sox try to keep up with the Blue Jays, the Orioles have done a lot to put themselves back in the division-title conversation. Coming off a last-place finish, Baltimore has been baseball’s busiest club this offseason, adding Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Shane Baz, Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittredge and re-signing Zach Eflin. The core that contributed to a 91-win season as recently as 2024 is also still largely in place. And another major rotation addition is a possibility, with Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez among the potential options.
Even the Rays can’t be overlooked. Although they declined Pete Fairbanks’ club option and traded away Baz, Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum in a pair of deals that brought back a haul of prospects, their free-agent agreements with veterans Steven Matz and Cedric Mullins indicate they still intend to compete in 2026. They should remain in the Wild Card mix at the very least.
As for who might be the division favorite? It’s still too early to tell. The Blue Jays look like the frontrunners right now, but with so much left to sort out in free agency, the AL East’s balance of power could still shift dramatically.

ATHLETICS (1) — Shea Langeliers, c.
BALTIMORE (11) — Keegan Akin, lhp; Shane Baz, rhp; Kyle Bradish, rhp; Yennier Cano, rhp; Gunnar Henderson, ss; Dean Kremer, rhp; Ryan Mountcastle, 1b; Trevor Rogers, lhp; Adley Rutschman, c; Taylor Ward, of; Tyler Wells, rhp.
BOSTON (4) — Triston Casas, 1b; Romy González, 2b; Tanner Houck, rhp; Johan Oviedo, rhp.
CHICAGO (0)
CLEVELAND (1) — Steven Kwan, of.
DETROIT (8) — Kerry Carpenter, of; Riley Greene, of; Tyler Holton, lhp; Zach McKinstry, 3b; Casey Mize, rhp; Tarik Skubal, lhp; Spencer Torkelson, 1b; Will Vest, rhp.
HOUSTON (11) — Bryan Abreu, rhp; Nick Allen, ss; Hunter Brown, rhp; Yainer Diaz, c; Jake Meyers, of; Steven Okert, lhp; Isaac Paredes, 3b; Jeremy Peña, ss; Jesús Sánchez, of; Bennett Sousa, lhp; Hayden Wesneski, rhp.
KANSAS CITY (8) — Kris Bubic, lhp; Bailey Falter, lhp; Kyle Isbel, of; Daniel Lynch, lhp; Michael Massey, 2b; Nick Mears, rhp; Vinnie Pasquantino, 1b; John Schreiber, rhp.
LOS ANGELES (6) — Jo Adell, of; Brock Burke, lhp; Reid Detmers, lhp; Zach Neto, ss; Logan O’Hoppe, c; José Soriano, rhp.
MINNESOTA (7) — Alex Jackson, c; Ryan Jeffers, c; Trevor Larnach, of; Royce Lewis, ss; Bailey Ober, rhp; Joe Ryan, rhp; Cole Sands, rhp.
NEW YORK (8) — David Bednar, rhp; Jake Bird, rhp; José Caballero, inf; Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2b; Fernando Cruz, rhp; Camilo Doval, rhp; Luis Gil, rhp; Anthony Volpe, ss.
SEATTLE (7) — Randy Arozarena, of; Matt Brash, rhp; Logan Gilbert, rhp; George Kirby, rhp; Bryce Miller, rhp; Luke Raley, of; Gabe Speier, lhp.
TAMPA BAY (10) — Bryan Baker, rhp; Garrett Cleavinger, lhp; Nick Fortes, c; Griffin Jax, rhp; Kevin Kelly, rhp; Josh Lowe, of; Richie Palacios, of; Ryan Pepiot, rhp; Edwin Uceta, rhp; Steven Wilson, rhp.
TEXAS (4) — Jake Burger, 1b; Ezequiel Durán, 2b; Josh Jung, 3b; Josh Smith, ss.
TORONTO (4) — Ernie Clement, inf; Tyler Heineman, c; Eric Lauer, lhp; Daulton Varsho, of.
___
ARIZONA (8) — Kevin Ginkel, rhp; Jake McCarthy, of; Gabriel Moreno, c; Ryne Nelson, rhp; A.J. Puk, lhp; Pavin Smith, 1b; Alek Thomas, of; Ryan Thompson, rhp.
ATLANTA (1) — Dylan Lee, lhp.
CHICAGO (2) — Javier Assad, rhp; Justin Steele, lhp.
CINCINNATI (10) — Graham Ashcraft, rhp; Will Benson, of; TJ Friedl, of; Nick Lodolo, lhp; Gavin Lux, of-inf; Matt McLain, 2b; Tony Santillan, rhp; Brady Singer, rhp; Spencer Steer, 1b-of; Tyler Stephenson, c.
COLORADO (6) — Brennan Bernardino, lhp; Brenton Doyle, of; Ryan Feltner, rhp; Tyler Freeman, of-inf; Jimmy Herget, rhp; Mickey Moniak, of.
LOS ANGELES (4) — Anthony Banda, lhp; Alex Call, of; Brusdar Graterol, rhp; Brock Stewart, rhp.
MIAMI (7) — Anthony Bender, rhp; Edward Cabrera, rhp; Calvin Faucher, rhp; Braxton Garrett, lhp; Max Meyer, rhp; Andrew Nardi, lhp; Ryan Weathers, lhp.
MILWAUKEE (6) — William Contreras, c; Trevor Megill, rhp; Garrett Mitchell, of; Brice Turang, 2b; Andrew Vaughn, 1b; Angel Zerpa, lhp.
NEW YORK (6) — Francisco Alvarez, c; Huascar Brazobán, rhp; Reed Garrett, rhp; Tylor Megill, rhp; David Peterson, lhp; Luis Torrens, c.
PHILADELPHIA (7) — Tanner Banks, lhp; Alec Bohm, 3b; Jhoan Duran, rhp; Jesús Luzardo, lhp; Brandon Marsh, of; Edmundo Sosa, inf; Bryson Stott, 2b.
PITTSBURGH (4) — Joey Bart, c; Oneil Cruz, of; Justin Lawrence, rhp; Dennis Santana, rhp.
ST. LOUIS (7) — Alec Burleson, of; Brendan Donovan, 2b-lf; Nolan Gorman, 2b-3b; Matthew Liberatore, lhp; Lars Nootbaar of; Andre Pallante, rhp; JoJo Romero, lhp.
SAN DIEGO (6) — Jason Adam, rhp; Freddy Fermin, c; Mason Miller, rhp; Adrián Morejón, lhp; JP Sears, lhp; Gavin Sheets, of-dh.
SAN FRANCISCO (0)
WASHINGTON (5) — CJ Abrams, ss; Cade Cavalli, rhp; Luis García, 2b; MacKenzie Gore, lhp; Jake Irvin, rhp.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Ask most Yankees fans, and you’ll hear the same complaint: the team hasn’t done nearly enough this offseason. Sure, they kept Trent Grisham on a qualifying offer and brought back reliever Pete Blackburn for another year. But is that the kind of headline-grabbing move you were expecting from the Yankees? And after such a disappointing 2025, fans were expecting a major bounce-back winter. So far, it just hasn’t happened.
Still, that lack of big splashes might not be as damaging as it feels. And despite all the frustration, the Yankees are actually being projected to do something this season that many fans probably wouldn’t have seen coming!
“The Yankees are still favored to win the AL East, per the AL season win totals posted by ⁦BetOnline_ag,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale shared via X.
Yes, you read that right. According to BetOnline, the Yankees have a 93% chance of winning the AL East in 2026, which is the highest projection for any team in baseball. And what makes it even more surprising is that the Blue Jays, who made plenty of noise by adding big names like Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto, are still slotted behind New York in second place.
That alone has raised a few eyebrows.
The Yankees, meanwhile, still have plenty on their to-do list before Opening Day. They’re reportedly eyeing a massive deal for Cody Bellinger, and if that falls through, Kyle Tucker is the next big target. On top of that, they’re still looking for another starting pitcher and could definitely use some extra bullpen help. Back in October, all of that felt realistic. With Spring Training creeping closer, though, it’s starting to feel a lot less confident.
That’s why fans are scratching their heads. After the way Toronto humbled the Yankees last season, it’s hard to understand how New York ended up with such a dominant projection.
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And if you’re confused, you’re far from alone. Just take a look at social media, where the Bleacher Creatures are clearly stunned by the numbers.
Fans are left stunned by the Yankees’ projection
Are the Yankees armed up enough to win the divisional title? Fans wonder. “I don’t understand this at all. They’re probably the 4th best team in that division as currently constructed,” one fan said. “They are a 3rd-place team as currently constructed,” added another.
In the AL East, the Orioles have added Pete Alonso, while the Blue Jays already have Cease and Okamoto and expect more moves. The Yankees, meanwhile, have largely stood pat, with Grisham their most notable retention. This has led fans to question why teams with stronger offseason upgrades are still projected behind New York. Many believe the projections are driven more by history and the Yankees’ reputation than by current rosters. As one fan put it, “They shouldn’t be. Should be Toronto,” another remarked.
“Must be with the assumption of either resigning Belly or Tucker/Bichette. Otherwise, not sure they have enough firepower,” one user said. We agree with this statement. While the Yankees have still not landed any big names, they are still rumored to have a few. Be it Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, or Kyle Tucker, the Yankees are rumored to be in the race. So, hoping to land at least one from these names, the Yankees might have been projected to have a good 2026. However, if it is so, why not the Blue Jays at the top?
If you remember, despite making a few good moves, the Jays are still rumored to be with all the names mentioned above. “Must be a Yankee fan who runs it. No other explanation,” one fan said. Well, maybe this is the reason behind this projection.
However, when it comes to MLB, we all know how surprises could burst out of nowhere. So, even if the Yankees are not landing enough big names in the offseason, it would be too early to conclude on them now.

Antes de mudarse de Japón a las grandes ligas, Kazuma Okamoto puso los logotipos de los 30 equipos de la MLB frente a su hija y le preguntó cuál le gustaba más.
Su elección, al igual que la de él, fue el de los Azulejos de Toronto.
Los Azulejos, campeones defensores de la Liga Americana, presentaron a su nuevo fichaje en una conferencia de prensa el martes, dos días después de finalizar un contrato de cuatro años y 60 millones de dólares con el jugador de cuadro de 29 años.
“La adquisición de Kazuma Okamoto es otro paso significativo para esta organización. Definitivamente mejoramos hoy”, señaló Ross Atkins, gerente general de los Azulejos.
Después de quedarse a dos outs de su primer título de la Serie Mundial desde 1993, los Azulejos han hecho adiciones significativas esta temporada baja. Antes de agregar a Okamoto, Toronto fichó a tres lanzadores, comenzando con un contrato de siete años y 210 millones de dólares para el derecho Dylan Cease. También firmaron al derecho Cody Ponce con un contrato de tres años y 30 millones de dólares y llegaron a un acuerdo de tres años y 37 millones de dólares con el relevista Tyler Rogers.
Okamoto habló principalmente en japonés el martes, pero comenzó con algunas líneas en inglés.
“Muchas gracias por esta oportunidad”, dijo. “Estoy muy feliz de unirme a los Azulejos. Trabajaré duro todos los días y haré lo mejor para el equipo. Gracias por su apoyo. Encantado de conocerlos. Vamos Azulejos”.
Okamoto bateó para .327 con 15 jonrones y 49 carreras impulsadas en 69 juegos el año pasado para los Yomiuri Giants de la Liga Central. Se lesionó el codo izquierdo mientras intentaba atrapar un lanzamiento en primera base el 6 de mayo cuando chocó con Takumu Nakano de los Hanshin Tigers, una lesión que dejó a Okamoto fuera de juego hasta el 16 de agosto.
Okamoto registró un promedio de .277 con 248 jonrones y 717 carreras impulsadas en 11 temporadas en el béisbol japonés. El seis veces All-Star lideró la Liga Central en jonrones en 2020, 2021 y 2023.
“Ha sido emocionante verlo a lo largo de los años”, comentó Atkins. “Ha tenido una carrera increíble hasta ahora. El impacto en ambos lados del juego, las habilidades ofensivas son tan dinámicas como se puede. Nos encaja muy bien”.
Atkins no se comprometió con una posición defensiva para Okamoto, diciendo que los Azulejos valoran su versatilidad para jugar en ambas esquinas y en el jardín.
“Podría impactar a nuestra organización desde un punto de vista defensivo de varias maneras”, expresó Atkins. “Continuaremos teniendo ese diálogo con él”.
Atkins no descartó más movimientos, pero dijo que habría implicaciones en el roster con cualquier nueva adición.
“Nos sentimos bien con nuestro equipo”, manifestó. “Lo único que añadiría es que las adiciones en este punto comenzarán a reducir el tiempo de juego de jugadores que consideramos piezas muy buenas de las grandes ligas, así que tenemos que tener eso en cuenta”.
Entre los agentes libres restantes está el campocorto Bo Bichette, el dos veces All-Star que bateó para .311 con 18 jonrones y 94 carreras impulsadas para Toronto en 2025. Bichette también conectó un jonrón contra Shohei Ohtani en el Juego 7 de la Serie Mundial.
Okamoto conectó un jonrón contra Kyle Freeland de Colorado para ayudar a Japón a vencer a Estados Unidos por 3-2 en la final del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2023. Ahora en las mayores, dijo que espera representar a su país nuevamente en el torneo de 2026 este marzo.
Aunque el logotipo de los Azulejos fue atractivo para la hija de Okamoto, el jugador de cuadro reconoció haber tenido una reacción diferente al ver a su nuevo manager, John Schneider, en la televisión durante la Serie Mundial del año pasado.
“Su cara da miedo, pero parece un tipo realmente agradable”, dijo Okamoto mediante un traductor, agregando que desde entonces había conocido a Schneider en una videollamada.

While early predictions for the 2026 MLB season are already being made, one Seattle name has been thrown in the mix. However, it might not be who you’re expecting. Catcher Cal Raleigh came close to taking home hardware last season, but ultimately lost out to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
This year, however, MLB added another name to consider. They predict that Mariners star Julio Rodriguez could claim MVP honors this upcoming season.
2025 Success
Although the Mariners fell short of a World Series appearance, their American League West championship marked their most successful season in more than two decades. Rodríguez played an important role in Seattle’s achievements. He covered the outfield with elite defense while serving as one of the team’s most productive bats.
Julio appeared in more games than any other player in the American League last season. Barely beating out Randy Arozarena by a single plate appearance. He has earned recognition as the No. 1 center fielder in baseball.
His 2025 efforts proved to be a defining force. He helped fuel a type of success the Pacific Northwest hasn’t seen since 2001. Over the course of the year, he posted a .267/.324/.474 slash line while launching 32 home runs and driving in 95 runs, consistently delivering in key moments.
His production helped propel Seattle to its first American League Championship Series appearance in 24 years. In recognition of his elite performance, he was also named to the All-MLB First Team for the first time in his career, further cementing his status among the game’s best.
At just 25 years old, Rodríguez has already built an impressive resume. He has been named a three-time All-Star, three top-10 MVP finisher, and two-time Silver Slugger.
Unfortunately, consistency over a full season is a challenge for Rodriguez. He often surges in the second half, a hurdle he may be able to overcome this season. With Seattle’s current momentum, Rodríguez enters the year as a legitimate MVP contender, if he can maintain production.
Rodriguez’s Offseason
Julio’s impact extends well beyond the diamond.
Through his No Limits Foundation and Green Hope Foundation, along with a personal investment of $1.3 million, Rodríguez continued giving back to his community this offseason.
Rodríguez recently unveiled a fully renovated multi-sport complex in Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic, where he grew up. The facility features the country’s first public AstroTurf baseball field. Also featured are two T-ball fields, a soccer field, stadium lighting, batting cages, and bullpens. Additionally, there are spectator stands, and modern restroom facilities as well as professional drainage throughout.
In a media release, Rodríguez reflected on the project’s significance:
“This field is where everything started for me,” Rodríguez said. “Being able to give back to Loma de Cabrera and create a place where kids can feel proud, feel safe, and believe in themselves means everything. I want them to know there are no limits to what they can achieve.”

The Toronto Blue Jays have had an aggressive offseason coming off one game short of winning the 2025 World Series. As a result, their front office is doing everything possible to ensure the team gets back to the Fall Classic to finish the job.
Moreover, the Blue Jays are linked to two top free-agent hitters in Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette. A move for Bichette would bring back a player who came up through Toronto’s minor league system, reached stardom, and is now testing the free-agent market.
As for Tucker, he would be an outfield piece and a solid No. 2 behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr., bringing World Series experience from his time with the Houston Astros. Nonetheless, while Tucker is tempting, former MLB pitcher Jake Peavy believes that the Blue Jays need to bring back Bichette.
“For me, a shortstop signing Bo Bichette, keeping Bichette in that uniform, makes a whole lot more sense than adding another outfielder when Addison Barger has really solidified himself in right field, and you’re going to do what you’re doing in left,” Peavy said during a Jan. 6 appearance on MLB Network.
“Adding [Kazuma Okamoto] is 40-home-run-potential power. If you’re adding huge depth to your lineup, this is a nice move. I hope it also leaves room for Bo to get in there. I don’t know on the Kyle Tucker front. It just seems unlikely for me.”
Blue Jays Among Teams Aggressively Pursuing Kyle Tucker
Moreover, on Jan. 6, former MLB general manager Jim Duquette reported, citing a league source, that the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Blue Jays are leading the pursuit of Kyle Tucker.
While no deal seems imminent, these three clubs stand well ahead of the other teams reportedly interested. Nonetheless, this information starkly contrasts with what a Mets insider said about the team’s interest in Tucker.
On Jan. 5, The Athletic’s Will Sammon appeared on SNY’s “Baseball Night in New York “ to share whether the Mets are a serious suitor for Tucker.
“I would suspect that [Tucker is] the crown jewel of this free agent class, and he probably has other options that may be better, “ Sammon said. “We’ll see, because [the Mets are] always going to lurk, they’re always going to linger, they’re going to check in on guys, and they have the resources to make things very interesting.”
Mets Seen as Leading Candidate for Kyle Tucker
As for the other team in what looks like a three-horse race, the Blue Jays, one insider believes that while Toronto have had interest in Tucker, the top suitor for the outfielder is the Mets.
“At one point, the Blue Jays looked like the best candidate to give Kyle Tucker a long-term deal, ” Ben Nicholson-Smith said on Jan. 5 during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “Now, I would say that’s the Mets because, you look at the Mets roster, they have Tyrone Taylor starting in one outfield spot on their projection.
“They have Carson Benge, I had to check that name, starting in one of their other outfield spots. So, clearly, the Mets need to add an outfielder. Kyle Tucker’s out there; the Mets spend like nobody else.”

One of the challenges of following baseball as a fan or as a prospect evaluator is keeping track of the pools of players at all different levels, ages and countries. With that in mind, here is our third ranking of the best baseball players on Earth by birth year.
Scouts and the public will often talk about baseball players in rookie classes, draft classes or international signing classes, occasionally ranking players by age or level, but very rarely in terms of when they were born, which is a great way to track movement over time among the same group of players.
One of the most interesting parts of my job as a prospect evaluator is mixing the levels of play, countries and ages of the players I scout, from international amateurs in Latin America and U.S. high school and college prospects to players in the lower minors, and foreign professional leagues in Asia and, of course, the more straightforward work watching players in the upper minors and big leagues. This exercise gives me an excuse to check in with sources all over the world at all levels of baseball to make sure I still have my finger on the pulse.
Also, as I get my offseason prospect rankings ready for later this winter leading into the beginning of MLB’s international signing period Jan. 15 with draft season starting soon after that, it’s good to review players through this spectrum rather than just by draft class or international signing class.
Our last version of this ranking came in August 2024, so just over one full season has happened since then — but it’s been nearly 17 months on the calendar, which is an eternity when it comes to ranking teenaged players, though not as much changes with the more established big leaguers who start our list.
2000
These older age groups are much more stable because almost all of the players listed have had multiple big league seasons in the last iteration, so now I’m correcting for breakouts who have since had some regression (Lawrence Butler, Logan O’Hoppe, Colton Cowser) and subbing in more recent breakouts such asBryan Woo, Maikel Garcia and Ceddanne Rafaela.
All that said, I’m still surprised the top four stayed in exactly the same order since the last time we did this exercise.
Recently signed Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami was a late cut this time and in the last iteration, as well. Andy Pages, Caleb Durbin, Sal Frelick, Parker Messickand Triston Casas are some other players in the running domestically, while OF Shota Morishita (Hanshin of NPB) hit .275 with 23 homers in Japan last year.
2001
The top of this group had a little more movement than the year above, with Roki Sasaki and Anthony Volpe as the disappointments from the top five in the last ranking andNolan McLean, Drake Baldwin, and Tyler Soderstrom(a longtime favorite of mine) taking steps forward.
The last two spots on the list are still a bit unstable asCam Schlittler and Cade Hortonmade big progress in 2025, but Matt Shaw, Chase DeLauter, Dalton Rushing, Alex Freeland and Ronny Mauricio could jump onto the list with strong 2026 showings.
2002
The separator for this group is either having already posted a 3-plus WAR season in the big leagues or looking like someone who might soon. I think the top of this list will hold, but I’m guessing the back half will change a bit in the next update.
There are a number of candidates who just missed here and could join the next edition: Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer, Travis Bazzana, Jordan Lawlar, Jackson Jobe, Payton Tolle and a long list of other players who will either be on this year’s top 100 prospect list or graduated in 2025 from last year’s top 100 during the season.
2003
This group is obviously headlined by standout big league debuts with some more speculative projections of big league success at the bottom after some early experience. The top of this list held pretty well from the last ranking, but the bottom half did not. But those who fell off this list are still going to be on this winter’s top 100 or will just miss making that list.
Like the 2002 ranking, there are a ton of big-name prospects who just missed, such asCole Young, Jett Williams, Jasson Dominguez, Andrew Painter, Carson Benge, Mike Sirota, Carter Jensen, Cam Smith and Jonah Tong
Keep an eye on two KBO standouts: right fielder Ahn Hyun-min (.334, 22 homers last season, plus exit velocity) and 3B Kim Do-yeong (38 homers and 40 stolen bases in 2024 but played only 30 games in 2025; plus-plus runner, plus exit velocity, might move to center field).
2004
The top six held from the previous ranking with the shuffling coming from Roman Anthony’s loud big league debut and Kevin McGonigle’scontinued domination of the minor leagues.
The four players who fell off the end of the list are still among the top 100-150 prospects in the sport, so it’s more of a shuffling among top prospects than anyone flopping just yet. Bryce Eldridge, Angel Genao, Travis Sykora, A.J. Ewing, Jonny Farmelo and Josue Briceno are among the pros who just missed.
This is also where we start to see current minor leaguers and amateur players popping up.
Kade Anderson was the top prospect in the 2025 draft for some teams (and me), and he was in everyone’s top two or three coming out of LSU. The 2026 draft group looks to be strong with the consensus top two prospects appearing later in this story, while Justin Lebron is the wild card who is generally seen as the third-best prospect in the upcoming draft but with loud tools that could propel him to the top spot with a big spring. College outfielders Drew Burress and A.J. Gracia were the fourth and fifth picks in my first mini-mock and are future candidates to make the list for this birth year.
2005
The already-legendary 2023 MLB draft (headlined by Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford) was especially deep in high school position players, and that group is spread among the 2004 and 2005 birth years. Colt Emerson, Walker Jenkins, Roch Cholowsky, George Lombard Jr. and Ralphy Velazquez are on this list with Arjun Nimmala just missing, while the 2004 group includes Kevin McGonigle, Aidan Miller, Max Clark and Justin Lebron with Bryce Eldridge, Jonny Farmelo and Drew Burress just missing. The league did a pretty good job sorting through this group with only Lebron making it to college without being offered first-round money.
The just-missed group here is mostly prospects already in pro ball who rank in the back end of the top 100 (to just off the list) — with Theo Gillen, Charlee Soto, Caleb Bonemer, Braylon Doughty, Felnin Celesten, Starlyn Caba, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Jefferson Rojas the best of that bunch.
2006
Konnor Griffin was an obvious first-round talent early in his high school career, but even at draft time he was seen as a high risk/high reward prospect when the Pirates took him No. 9 overall. He’s now the top prospect in the sport by a mile and one of the better in recent memory after a full-season pro debut for the ages. My predraft comp of Fernando Tatis Jr. underrated Griffin’s ability to stick at shortstop but might nail both having a big league debut at age 20 and MVP-level projections.
Ethan Salas is the only player from the top five of the last list to fall off, and his 2026 season will be key to seeing whether he is going to recover to his early career projections. Billy Carlson, Johnny King and Alfredo Duno are among the top pros to just miss.
Two personal favorites to watch who could jump on the next version of this list: the 28th pick in 2025, third baseman Josh Hammond (Royals), and two right-handed pitchers eligible for the 2027 draft, Oregon State’s Dax Whitney and Wake Forest’s Chris Levonas.
2007
Jesus Made was a recent discovery who had just finished one of the loudest DSL seasons of all time when the last ranking came out. He has delivered on that noise and is a consensus top-five prospect in the sport now.
Eli Willits rose from a mid-first-round talent when the last list was published to the No. 1 draft pick a year later. Rainiel Rodriguez rose from a name to watch coming off a big DSL season to one of the best catching prospects in the sport in the same span.
The prospects who fell off the list were largely premature bets on strong DSL showings, while the new names are high-first-round high schoolers in the 2025 draft and a fresh crop of recent international signees who had breakout seasons.
Royals right-hander Kendry Chourio was a late cut from the international group. The just-missed list is otherwise heavy on 2025 and 2026 high school draft prospects led by Kruz Schoolcraft from the 2025 group and Tyler Spangler, Jacob Lombard, Gio Rojas and Carson Bolemon from the 2026 side. Keep an eye on potential helium 2026 draft prospects Will Yow, Kaden Waechter and Jensen Hirschkorn.
2008
Colt Emerson joins Roch Cholowsky and Justin Lebron as the top prospects for the 2026 MLB draft. There was buzz during the summer that 2027 prospect Dylan Seward was going to reclassify, and he would have been in that group if he did, but he ended up sticking in the 2027 class.
Luis Hernandez is signing with the Giants later this month and will go into the top 150ish prospects in the sport when he does (I’m still working on that detail). Victor Valdez is also in that class, likely to sign with the Rays soon, while Kevin Defrank and Andrew Salas signed with the Marlins in last year’s class and had big pro debuts. Defrank sat at 96-99 mph and hit 100 mph in the DSL with a real slider, a changeup and good feel for his age, while Salas (brother of Ethan) played shortstop and center field in Low-A and was solid at the age of a high school junior.
The back of the list includes some toolsy international signees with solid DSL debuts who snuck ahead of a bunch of high schoolers expected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round: Blake Bowen, Coleman Borthwick, Logan Schmidt, Eric Booth Jr., Kevin Roberts Jr., Will Brick, Brady Harris, Connor Salerno (2027 class). I just prefer Trevor Condon (think Brett Gardner or Steven Kwan) right now, but that group will get shuffled a lot leading up to draft time.
2009
And now to the most speculative part of the article! Wandy Asigen (switched late from the Yankees to the Mets) and Francisco Renteria (Phillies) will sign later this month, while Alfredo Sena (Braves) is the top player in next year’s class. I expanded this last group from the usual five names to six to include one player from the classes of 2026 (Rocco Maniscalco, who reclassified from 2027), 2027 (Jacob Seamon, second in the class behind Dylan Seward) and 2028 (Striker Pence, who is rumored to be considering a move to the 2027 class for obvious reasons mentioned below).
Pence, who is the nephew of longtime MLB outfielder Hunter, was seen as a strong two-way prospect early in 2025 but turned into one of the more intriguing pitchers on Earth this summer, when he sat in the upper-90s and hit 100 mph at multiple events, mixing in a strong slider, sweeper and splitter as a 6-foot-6 16-year-old. A couple just-misses include 2027 left-hander/first baseman Jared Grindlinger and 2028 right-hander/center fielder Dexter McCleon Jr. along with a number of players who will get seven figures in the international market later this month. Two domestic players born in 2010 (third baseman Colin Anderson and right fielder Ethan Stewart) have popped up in the early going from the 2028 draft class.