Articles
Victor Mesa Jr. Optioned To Triple-A Jacksonville
Miami Marlins outfield prospect Victor Mesa Jr. (hamstring) was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday. The 23-year-old was in camp competing for a roster spot this spring when he suffered a strained right hamstring during drills on Feb. 21, never even getting a chance to appear in a Grapefruit League game. The left-handed hitter was […]
Jarod Rupp10 Fantasy Baseball Bold Predictions - Jarod Rupp's 2025 Picks
In an attempt to win our fantasy leagues, for months leading up to our drafts, we are taking in as much information as possible, forming thoughts and opinions on what the likeliest outcome for a player is. But sometimes, it's fun to take a break from all of that and think about what's possible, even […]
Jarod Rupp
Ryan Clifford Belts Home Run For First Spring Hit
New York Mets outfield/first base prospect Ryan Clifford collected his first hit of the spring season on Thursday, which was a two-run shot in the sixth inning of the team's 5-0 Grapefruit League win over the Astros. The 21-year-old is now 1-for-6 during the spring, although it's not likely that he'll be with the big […]
Jarod Rupp
Curtis Mead Swinging A Hot Bat This Spring
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Curtis Mead has been raking this spring, now 8-for-9 through four games, including a double and a home run with a stolen base to boot. The Australian native is fighting for a roster spot this spring, and it appears he's putting his best foot forward. The right-handed hitter has had some […]
Jarod Rupp
Franco Aleman Undergoes Hernia Surgery
Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Franco Aleman (hernia) underwent surgery to repair a hernia in his left hip/groin area, which has a 4-6 week recovery timeline. Had the righty made the team out of camp, he'd probably miss Opening Day, but at this point, it's more likely that he'll begin at Triple-A whenever he returns, which […]
Jarod Rupp
Marcelo Mayer Homers, Collects Three RBI In Three-Hit Day
Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer went 3-for-3 with three RBI in Thursday's 6-5 Grapefruit League win over the Tigers, which included a single, a triple, and his first home run of the spring season. The 22-year-old is now 5-for-11 (.455) in the spring, and although he's a long shot to make the team […]
Jarod Rupp
Samuel Basallo Blasts His First Home Run Of The Spring
Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Samuel Basallo hit his first home run of the spring on Thursday in an 11-8 Grapefruit League win over the Blue Jays. The solo blast was a crushed, clearing the scoreboard in center field. He's now 2-for-4 in three spring appearances, but perhaps more notable was that he came off the […]
Jarod Rupp
AJ Smith-Shawver Strikes Out Three In Spring Debut
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher prospect AJ Smith-Shawver made his spring debut on Wednesday, yielding zero runs on two hits while striking out three in two innings of work in a 9-4 Grapefruit League win over the Pirates. Smith-Shawver made 21 starts at Triple-A last season, posting an uninspiring 4.85 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, but also […]
Jarod Rupp
Jordan Lawlar Cranks First Cactus League Home Run Of 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar blasted his first home run of the spring in Wednesday's 7-1 Cactus League win over the Brewers. The two-run home run was the only hit of the day for the 22-year-old, who is now 2-for-8 this spring. While it is always a welcome sight when your players perform well, […]
Jarod Rupp
Will Warren Strikes Out Four In Three Perfect Innings
New York Yankees starting pitcher prospect Will Warren turned in his second consecutive strong outing to open the spring season, tossing three innings of perfect baseball in Wednesday's 7-0 Grapefruit League win over the Cardinals. The righty didn't allow a hit or a walk while striking out four batters, utilizing a four-pitch mix that included […]
Jarod Rupp
Cubs Option Owen Caissie To Triple-A
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday as the team made the first round of roster cuts. Although Caissie is one of the Cubs' top prospects, it wasn't surprising to see him get sent down since the Cubs are currently set in the outfield with Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, and […]
Jarod Rupp2025 Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Prospects: Later-Round Values for Drafts
With another fantasy baseball season upon us, it is time to prepare in order to deftly maneuver your way through the draft so you have a better shot at outperforming your league mates. You've probably already read the first part of this article, Top Fantasy Baseball Prospect Pitchers for 2025, but you're looking for more […]
Jarod Rupp
Quinn Mathews Strikes Out Three In First Grapefruit League Game
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher prospect Quinn Mathews made his spring debut on Tuesday, tossing two innings of scoreless ball in a 3-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Blue Jays. The southpaw yielded two hits and one walk while striking out three in the outing. The Stanford product was a fourth-round draft pick for the […]
Jarod Rupp
Cam Smith Blasts Two Home Runs On Tuesday
Houston Astros third base prospect Cam Smith belted a pair of home runs in Tuesday's 8-5 Grapefruit League win over the Mets, his first two hits of the spring season. The first was a two-run opposite-field shot in the sixth after entering the game for Isaac Paredes, and the other was an opposite-field solo shot […]
Jarod Rupp
Roki Sasaki's Fastball Clocking In At Mid-90s In Simulated Game
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki pitched in a simulated game on Tuesday, and his fastball clocked in at "mid-90s," which is where the Dodgers anticipated he'd be at this early stage of the season. He's expected to pitch and make his MLB debut in the second game of the Tokyo Series on March […]
Jarod Rupp
Robbie Ray Adds Changeup To Pitch Mix, Strikes Out Three On Tuesday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray is reportedly adding a changeup to his repertoire. The lefty is said to have borrowed the grip from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal after communicating with him this offseason and results so far have been promising. The 33-year-old pitched two innings in Tuesday's 7-5 […]
Jarod Rupp
Liam Hicks Looking To Earn Backup Catcher Spot For Marlins
Miami Marlins catching prospect Liam Hicks has a "real chance" to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, according to Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. The backstop also drew praise from starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. If the 25-year-old were to make the team, he'd be expected to back up Nick Fortes. The […]
Jarod Rupp
Kyle Harrison To Make Spring Debut On Friday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison is expected to make his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Brewers, although Logan Webb will be the starter for that game and Harrison will follow. Harrison is anticipated to work as the fifth man in the rotation for the Giants to start 2025 but has yet […]
Jarod Rupp
Mets Acquire Alexander Canario From Cubs
The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Alexander Canario from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. The 24-year-old was recently DFA'd by the Cubs after the team signed Justin Turner. Canario has some major league experience, going 12-for-42 (.286) with a pair of home runs during his two stints in the big leagues between […]
Jarod Rupp
Lazaro Montes Hits Three-Run Home Run, Scores Three Times On Monday
Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes belted his first home run of the spring in Monday's 12-8 Cactus League win over the Brewers. It was a three-run blast to center field, and the 20-year-old also walked twice, then came around to score both times in a big day at the plate. Montes is Seattle's second-ranked […]
Jarod Rupp
Kevin Alcantara Stays Hot With RBI Double On Monday
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 10-5 Cactus League win over the Padres. He's now 6-for-11 this spring with a pair of doubles and four RBI. The 22-year-old is putting his best foot forward in his audition to make the Cubs roster out of camp, […]
Jarod Rupp
Chase Dollander Strikes Out Three In Spring Debut
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher prospect Chase Dollander made his spring debut on Monday, facing eight batters in a 2-2 tie with the Giants. The righty yielded one earned run on two hits and did not walk a batter while striking out three. Dollander is the Rockies' top prospect and is ranked No. 25 overall. After […]
Jarod Rupp
J.J. Wetherholt Blasts First Spring Home Run In Two-Hit Day
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt collected a pair of hits in his first three spring at-bats on Sunday, with one of them being an opposite-field, three-run home run. The left-handed slugger was the seventh overall pick in last year's draft and held his own during his first taste of pro ball. The West […]
Jarod Rupp
Bubba Chandler Displays His Potential In Spring Debut
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher prospect Bubba Chandler made his spring debut on Sunday and faced four batters. While he allowed one hit and walked a batter, his stuff appeared to be as advertised. The 22-year-old featured his four-seamer and slider, striking out one hitter as well, and the fastball clocked in as high as 99.1 […]
Jarod RuppFantasy Baseball Post-Hype Sleepers: Infield Breakout Candidates for 2025
Every year, it happens -- some of the hottest prospect names get their shot at the big time, and while some live up to the hype, others fall flat for one reason or another. These guys enter the league with so much fanfare because of the talent they've displayed to the world already, but sometimes, […]
Jarod Rupp
Astros Sign Infielder Brendan Rodgers To Minor-League Deal
The Houston Astros have signed free-agent infielder Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training on Tuesday night. Rodgers had played his entire career with the Colorado Rockies before being non-tendered in the offseason. The former third-overall draft pick never lived up to his top prospect billing but was able to […]
Jarod Rupp
Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System To Be Used During Some Spring Games
MLB will test an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system this spring in order to gather data to determine whether or not to implement the system during regular season big league games, although that would not happen this season and no earlier than 2026. The league has tested the system through experimentation at the minor league […]
Jarod Rupp
Jesus Sanchez Will Get Reps In Center Field This Spring
Miami Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez will get reps in center field during the spring, according to manager Clayton McCullough. It sounds like this will just be to add some versatility, as McCullough also noted that Derek Hill and Dane Myers will get the most reps in center, with Myers currently projected to be the team's […]
Jarod Rupp
Bryan Reynolds Expected To Play Right Field; No Plans To Play First Base
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds will work as the team's right fielder in 2025, according to manager Derek Shelton. There was talk of the veteran possibly making a move to first base due to Spencer Horwitz's (thumb) injury, but he's apparently put those rumors to rest. He's not the only one making a move, as […]
Jarod Rupp
Athletics Set To Play In Las Vegas In 2028
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stated that he expects that the Athletics' new stadium in Las Vegas will be open in 2028. In the meantime, the team will call Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, home, which is also home to Triple-A's Sacramento River Cats of the San Francisco Giants organization. Manfred also […]
Jarod Rupp
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