Over and over again, we’ve been left to wonder where the Blue Jays’ latest pitching addition will fit in. Each time, it takes care of itself. Max Scherzer’s signing looked like complete excess at the time, but Shane Bieber has been delayed by forearm fatigue and José Berríos has run into elbow issues. On top of that, Trey Yesavage will begin the season on the IL with a right shoulder impingement. If we’ve learned anything here, it’s that the Blue Jays’ rotation will take on a dozen different shapes as the year goes on. In a perfect world, they’ll reach a point where 7-8 healthy starters are competing. For now, all of that excess depth is already saving the Blue Jays from what could have been an ugly situation.
Alonso’s numbers during his seven-year MLB career are impressive, and they’re a big reason why the O’s signed the slugging first baseman to a five-year $155 million deal. But the 31-year-old brings much more to the team than that, as he showed every day of Spring Training. Whether it was rallying the pitchers together during fielding practice or giving teammates hitting tips from the top step of the dugout during games, his leadership qualities were on display quite often in camp. A veteran addition to a Baltimore core that is still quite young, Alonso’s leadership, knowledge and experience could help get the O’s back on track after a disappointing 2025.
As a group, the Rays’ outfield has arguably been the highlight of Spring Training. On an individual level, though, nothing has been more significant than the way McClanahan has looked in his return to the rotation. The two-time All-Star hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since August 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and a nerve issue in his left triceps, but he has checked every box in his gradual build-up this spring. The lefty’s velocity keeps ticking up with every outing, and his changeup remains a devastating weapon. His innings will surely be managed, which is why he’ll round out the season-opening rotation in the No. 5 spot, but he has answered questions about his potential effectiveness every time he’s taken the mound.
Considering that Anthony took just 257 at-bats before his season-ending oblique injury in 2025, the expectations heading into this season feel rather high, even for a player with such immense talent. But when Anthony was added to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, he couldn’t have been more comfortable in the spotlight, belting two key home runs and being named the left fielder for the All-Tournament team. With a keen batting eye, raw power and solid defensive skills, the 21-year-old appears ready to become one of MLB’s most impactful stars.
There was a lot of early talk about how the Yankees were “running it back,” and that’s largely true — most of the faces are familiar. But this spring underlined the group’s potential pitching upside, helmed by Max Fried and set to receive a full year of Cam Schlittler, with reinforcements like Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón on the way. Ryan Weathers is a project, but Will Warren had a strong spring. No one may have generated more attention than Carlos Lagrange, whose triple-digit heat has the righty banging on the big league door. Elmer Rodriguez and Ben Hess could also see time in the Bronx this year.
We’ve known DeLauter (the Guardians’ No. 2 prospect and No. 46 overall, according to MLB Pipeline) has plenty of talent, and that it has just been a matter of him staying on the field. But he’s blown that prognostication out of the water this spring while crushing Cactus League pitching. He has a special blend of power and plate discipline that has been on full display, and he has been steadily durable. It’s exciting to dream on how that could translate into the regular season, in which he’s set to be a key fixture in a Cleveland lineup that could use his thump.
The Royals will break camp with the five starters we expected them to: Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron. Bailey Falter is likely to appear out of the bullpen as a swingman/long reliever. That means Ryan Bergert will begin the season in Triple-A as the first pitcher the Royals turn to when they need depth, and Stephen Kolek won’t be far behind as he rehabs from an oblique strain. What this spring showed was that Bergert probably deserved to be on the team — but the Royals ran out of room. That’s a great problem to have, and they know they’ll be relying on Bergert throughout the season.
The Tigers have a decision to make on whether to promote their top prospect (No. 2 overall) to the Majors for Opening Day, but any question about his defense should be pretty well answered. Alternating between shortstop and third base for most of Spring Training, McGonigle showed the ability to react and adjust at both, making fundamental plays consistently along with a handful of gems. His ability to turn the double play at either spot is impressive, particularly with a quick release.
This may be a transitional year for the Twins, but if it is, it may be a transition to an exciting future. The club’s top prospects showed out in a big way this spring, headed by Emmanuel Rodriguez, whose power and speed combination flashed throughout camp. Rodriguez is joined by Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Gabriel Gonzalez on the offensive side, and thrilling young arms like Kendry Rojas and Connor Prielipp. Every one of them gave reason to be excited this spring.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, and with the White Sox, you have. But under manager Will Venable and his staff, the 2026 White Sox have carved out an identity before the first pitch of the regular season has been thrown. That identity took root in the second half of 2025, with the young core getting valuable on-field experience and seeing consistently positive results. Now the focus is on winning games, with an aggressive style of taking extra bases whenever possible and making the right plays defensively.
The Angels have been quietly building solid pitching depth with plenty of upside, as 19 of their Top 30 prospects are pitchers and several showed off impressive velocities both in camp and during Spring Breakout. No. 2 prospect Ryan Johnson pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster for a second straight year, while No. 19 prospect Walbert Urena also could make the club. No. 5 prospect George Klassen is also on the cusp of the Majors while No. 1 prospect Tyler Bremner could impact the rotation despite being selected just last year as the No. 2 overall pick in the Draft.
Despite losing workhorse starter Framber Valdez to free agency following last season, the Astros have built what is shaping up to a formidable rotation, which is anchored by American League Cy Young finalist Hunter Brown. The Astros’ two biggest offseason additions, Japanese star Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows, have had terrific springs and should slot in nicely behind Brown. If Lance McCullers’ strong spring carries into the season, that would be a huge development. Then there’s Cristian Javier, who’s looking for his first full healthy season since 2023.
From reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and runner-up Jacob Wilson, to middle-of-the-order threats Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom, a Lawrence Butler intent on bouncing back, and now Max Muncy, who has taken a big step forward as arguably the A’s top hitter this spring, there is no easy out in this lineup. Entering Saturday, the A’s led the Majors this spring in home runs (52) and ranked second in OPS (.860) and runs scored (178).
When your team has legitimate World Series aspirations like Seattle does, the farm system isn’t supposed to be the main story. But the high-upside trio featuring infielder Colt Emerson (MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 overall prospect) and starting pitchers Kade Anderson (No. 21) and Ryan Sloan (No. 33) have shined enough to where they’ve boosted their chances of being part of Seattle’s plans in 2026. Emerson will be their shortstop of the future, Anderson will be among their next wave of homegrown starters and the 20-year-old Sloan has all the makings of an arm that might record consequential outs in October. It’s rare that you see an organization with as much big league talent potentially leaning on prospects in an anticipated playoff run. And that’s what’s made this camp so fascinating.
The Rangers offense has had two straight years of regression across the board. The front office didn’t undergo a full-scale overhaul of the position player group, instead deciding to trade Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo and non-tender Adolis García and Jonah Heim. In a small sample this spring, it’s paid off, with Texas averaging 6.1 runs per game (5.16 R/G in 2025 Spring Training). Spring Training stats only mean so much, but there’s clearly been a collective change in approach at the plate up and down the lineup.
The starting pitching depth was depleted as Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz were all lost during Spring Training. But J.R. Ritchie (Braves No. 2 prospect) and Didier Fuentes (No. 3) provided indication they could be reliable if called upon during the early part of the season. Along with these two pitching prospects making a strong impression, the team was encouraged to see both Grant Holmes and Reynaldo López show that they have both distanced themselves from the injuries that shut them down last year.
Miami fielded one of the Majors’ youngest clubs in 2025, and the team wants to capitalize on that athleticism this upcoming season. Entering Sunday, the Marlins had stolen 45 bases — second most this spring — and been caught only 10 times. Position players wore GPS units during camp to monitor workload and competed for the fastest sprint speeds. With the expectation of more close games in 2026, every 90 feet will matter for Miami.
At least, that’s the hope for a starting unit that imploded over the final four months of last season. While concerns linger about Sean Manaea’s fastball velocity, the Mets no longer need Manaea to lead their rotation. Instead, Freddy Peralta is here, looking every bit like the multi-time All-Star he’s been. Nolan McLean may eventually supplant Peralta as the team’s ace, while Clay Holmes and David Peterson could form one of the more impressive back-end tandems in baseball. Then there’s Kodai Senga, the wild card of this six-man rotation. He looked better than ever in Spring Training, producing a 1.86 ERA over three starts while flashing 99 mph heat. If Senga can maintain that success into the regular season, it will be a boon for the Mets.
This was exemplified when the Nationals optioned 2023 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews to Triple-A after he struggled in camp. They also optioned catcher Harry Ford (No. 71 overall prospect) to get consistent playing time, and right-hander Josiah Gray will begin the season with the Red Wings instead of in the starting rotation as he builds back up from Tommy John surgery. Said first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, “If we were just focused on winning this coming year and not focused on anything beyond that, we’re probably mortgaging the whole future for the present, which I’m not sure a lot of organizations would do right now.