February 13, 2026
Kansas City Royals catching prospect
Carter Jensen is a top breakout candidate heading into the 2026 regular season. Jensen made his MLB debut later in the second half last summer and immediately flashed upside. Through his first 20 MLB games, the former third-round selection posted a .300/.391/.550 slash line with three long balls. Under the hood, Jensen's production was even more impressive as he generated an elite .447 xwOBA, .336 xBA, and a .633 xSLG. Earlier in the campaign, the 22-year-old looked just as dominant in the upper minor leagues, across 111 games shared between Double-A and Triple-A. In this stint, Jensen posted a .290/.377/.501 line with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases. With Jensen ticked for a near every-day role, sharing time at DH and behind the dish, he possesses immense five-category upside at the catcher position in his first full season in the big leagues.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
February 13, 2026
Atlanta Braves right-handed pitching prospect
JR Ritchie is a name to closely monitor during spring training, as he could break camp with the MLB roster following the injury to
Spencer Schwellenbach. With Schwellenbach on the 60-day IL with an elbow injury, Ritchie could make a strong push to open camp in the starting rotation. Last summer, the team's No. 2-ranked prospect began the season at High-A and was able to progress through Triple-A by the second half. He looked sharp at High-A, logging 41 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.30 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a 38:10 K:BB. Across 98 1/3 innings at the upper levels (Double-A and Triple-A), Ritchie posted a 3.20 ERA with a solid 1.10 WHIP. While the Braves may turn to veterans like
Bryce Elder or
Martin Perez, Ritchie could make a strong case if he turns in a successful spring training.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
February 13, 2026
Seattle Mariners top prospect
Colt Emerson is in serious consideration to break camp with the MLB roster. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the team's President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, noted that it's "not out of the question" that the top shortstop prospect begins the season in Seattle. According to MLB.com, Emerson, the former 22nd overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, is viewed as the team's No. 1-ranked prospect and the overall No. 9 prospect in the sport. Last summer, the 20-year-old spent most of his time with High-A and Double-A and performed at an elite level. With High-A, Emerson held a .281/.388/.453 line with 11 long balls and six stolen bases. Through 40 games shared between Double-A and Triple-A, Emerson posted a .293/.373/.470 line. He is a top name to watch in camp as he could be worthy of a late-round selection.
--Andy SmithSource: Daniel Kramer
February 12, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that he thinks outfielder
Jordan Walker could steal more bases in 2026, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It might be a make-or-break year for Walker, who has stolen only 18 bases in 279 games in his first three seasons in the big leagues. The former first-rounder is surprisingly fast despite standing 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, and the Cardinals could give him more opportunities to run this year. The 23-year-old is still young, but so far, he's been a bust at the major-league level, slashing .240/.302/.378 with a .680 OPS, 27 home runs, 112 RBI, 107 runs, and a 26.9% strikeout rate. Walker's 66 wRC+ in 2025 ranked 270th out of 277 qualifying hitters, although he did make loud contact along the way. There have been positive reports about Walker's swing changes this offseason. Taking a chance on Walker will be cheap if you're hoping for a post-hype breakout.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
February 12, 2026
The Kansas City Royals announced on Thursday that they acquired right-hander
Mitch Spence from the Athletics in exchange for right-hander AJ Causey. In a corresponding move, the Royals moved right-hander
Alec Marsh (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list. Spence, 27, will be battling for a spot in KC's bullpen in spring training after posting a bloated 5.10 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with one save, 66 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 84 2/3 innings over 32 appearances (eight starts) in 2025 in Sacramento. He wasn't much better the year before for the A's in his major-league debut, going 8-10 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 126:44 K:BB in 151 1/3 frames covering 35 appearances (24 starts). With minor-league options remaining, Spence will most likely open the 2026 season at Triple-A Omaha as pitching depth for the Royals.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
February 12, 2026
The New York Mets placed right-hander
Tylor Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room for new outfielder
MJ Melendez on the 40-man roster, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Megill will miss the entire 2026 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in September of last year. The 30-year-old veteran stepped up in the Mets' starting rotation in 2025 with both
Sean Manaea and
Frankie Montas injured, and he went on to go 5-5 with a career-best 3.95 ERA (3.43 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 33 walks in 68 1/3 innings over 14 starts. Megill even had two starts with 10-plus strikeouts, but he landed on the IL in June with a right-elbow sprain and never pitched again. He has a career 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 435:163 K:BB in 409 2/3 innings over his 88 outings (81 starts) with the Mets over five seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
February 12, 2026
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that infielder
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hamstring) tweaked his hamstring in January, according to Charlie Goldsmith. Encarnacion-Strand is on a running progression in camp and may be forced to miss the first few Cactus League games. The 26-year-old is off to a bad start in spring training after struggling to the tune of a .208/.234/.377 slash line with a .610 OPS, six home runs, 19 RBI, and 13 runs scored in just 36 games played in 2025 in his third year in the big leagues. He was eventually sent down to Triple-A Louisville on July 12 and never made it back to Cincy. CEH's plate discipline was awful, and it didn't improve much down on the farm, as he struck out nearly 25% of the time. He has 21 home runs in his three years in the big leagues, but his 27.1% strikeout rate and high chase rate haven't helped his cause. Barring a strong spring training, Encarnacion-Strand could find himself back at Louisville to begin the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
February 12, 2026
Kansas City Royals right-hander
Seth Lugo (back) was seen throwing a bullpen session at camp on Thursday, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. It's good to see the veteran hurler throwing again after he was shut down for the final month of last season due to a nagging back injury. Lugo doesn't have any restrictions this spring and mentioned that he wants to use his fastball more in early counts in 2026. The 36-year-old started the year off strong last season but really struggled down the stretch (likely due to his back) to finish with a 4.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts in 145 1/3 innings pitched over 26 starts in his second year in KC. Lugo could bounce back in 2026 with better health, but nobody should be expecting another career year from him at this stage of his career, especially with a 21.1% strikeout rate since the start of 2024. The heavy workload may be catching up to him after he transitioned to a full-time starting role three years ago.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Kansas City Star - Jaylon T. Thompson
February 12, 2026
Washington Nationals catcher
Keibert Ruiz (concussion) has been cleared from concussion restrictions after dealing with head injuries last year, according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. Now healthy, Ruiz enters spring training this year in a competition with No. 2 overall prospect
Harry Ford, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in December, for the starting role in D.C.
Riley Adams and
Drew Millas will be battling for a backup role. The 27-year-old Ruiz was initially hit by a pitch in the head in late June of last year, which limited him to 68 games played. The Venezuelan backstop hit .247/.277/.318 with a career-worst .595 OPS, only two home runs, 25 RBI, and 19 runs scored in 267 plate appearances. Ruiz is hard to strike out, but when he makes contact with the baseball, it's usually weak. He might open the year as the Nats' starting catcher, but he also grades out poorly defensively, and it's only a matter of time before Ford takes over.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Jessica Camerato
February 12, 2026
Seattle Mariners infielder
Ryan Bliss (knee, biceps) was part of a full infield workout at second base at spring training on Thursday, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. It's a promising sign for Bliss after he missed most of last year with significant meniscus and biceps injuries. The 26-year-old only appeared in 11 games at the big-league level in 2025 with Seattle, going 7-for-35 (.200) with a homer, three RBI, and two stolen bases. Bliss had surgery on his biceps last April and then tore his meniscus in September. The former second-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 out of Auburn hit just .222/.290/.397 with a .687 OPS, two home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 71 games for the M's in his rookie campaign in 2024. Bliss will be competing at the keystone this spring, but in all likelihood, he'll begin the year as infield depth at Triple-A Tacoma.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
February 12, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (heels) will be a couple of days delayed in reporting to camp due to his rehab, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Nootbaar is in a spot in his progression where he's running on an altered-gravity treadmill, and the Cardinals have not had one delivered yet to their spring training facilities. The 28-year-old had surgery on both of his heels in early October of last year. We should have a better idea of Nootbaar's timetable for a return when he reports to camp, but as of now, it's looking likely that he won't be ready for Opening Day in late March. In addition to playing through heel issues, Nootbaar missed three weeks with a rib-cage injury and finished with a mediocre .234/.325/.361 slash line, career-low .686 OPS, 13 homers, and 48 RBI in 135 games. Nootbaar has teased fantasy managers with his batted-ball metrics, but his health has not cooperated.
--Keith HernandezSource: Belleville News - Jeff Jones
February 12, 2026
Texas Rangers right-handed reliever
Nabil Crismatt (elbow), who is in camp with the Rangers on a minor-league deal, will have right-elbow surgery and will not pitch for Team Colombia in this year's World Baseball Classic, according to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports. It's unclear exactly what kind of surgery Crismatt will have, but at the very least, he'll probably miss several months. The 31-year-old veteran joined the Rangers in the offseason after going 3-0 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and nine walks in 34 innings over eight appearances (five starts) for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year. The six-year MLB veteran won't be guaranteed to resurface in the big leagues with the Rangers this year once he's recovered from his elbow surgery. In his six MLB seasons, Crismatt has a 3.71 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 187:63 K:BB in 211 innings pitched with four different clubs.
--Keith HernandezSource: DLLS Sports - Jeff Wilson
February 12, 2026
Miami Marlins catcher
Agustin Ramirez, who is ranked at RotoBaller as the No. 4 fantasy backstop after a strong rookie campaign, is working to improve his defense behind the plate as he heads into his sophomore campaign in 2026, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Offensively, Ramirez hit .231 with a .700 OPS, 21 home runs, 33 doubles, 67 RBI, 72 runs scored, and 16 steals over 136 games (71 at catcher). He was the first rookie catcher in MLB history to hit at least 20 homers and steal 15 bases, and just the sixth Marlins player to do it. However, his mark of minus-14 defensive runs saved ranked second-worst among 31 catchers with at least 600 innings caught. He had just an 8.8% caught-stealing rate and 19 passed balls. Ramirez spent time in the offseason working on his mobility, but if he cannot improve defensively, he could become more of a full-time DH with catching prospect
Joe Mack right behind him. For his bat alone, though, Ramirez is very attractive in fantasy in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Miami Herald - Jordan McPherson
February 12, 2026
The Athletic's Mitch Bannon writes that Toronto Blue Jays outfielders
Nathan Lukes and
Davis Schneider will likely form a platoon in left field in 2026. Lukes, who hits from the left side, will be on the strong side of the platoon. The 31-year-old veteran has handled right-handers pretty well since the start of the 2023 season, slashing .266/.330/.421 with all 13 of his home runs against them. Lukes was hard to strike out, but he also had a ground-ball rate of over 45%, so he probably won't provide a ton of pop, especially in a platoon. Schneider, 27, hits from the right side, but he was actually better against right-handed pitchers last year while slashing .234/.361/.436 overall with a .797 OPS, 11 home runs, and 31 RBI in 82 regular-season games played. He has a limited skill set and is mostly useful to the Blue Jays for his defensive versatility. Neither Lukes nor Schneider should be rostered in shallow mixed leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
February 12, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Addison Barger will play most of his games in right field in 2026, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Meanwhile,
Nathan Lukes and
Davis Schneider will likely form a platoon in left. Barger split his time almost evenly between the outfield and third base in his second year in the big leagues with Toronto in 2025, but the Jays have a bigger need in the outfield now that
Anthony Santander (shoulder) is injured again. How much he plays against lefties will be the big question after he slashed an unremarkable .217/.270/.337 against southpaws last year. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter limped to the finish line and finished with a .243/.301/.454 slash line with a .756 OPS, 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 61 runs scored, and four steals in 460 at-bats during the regular season. Barger was a postseason hero, finished third on the team in homers, and regularly hit the ball on the screws when he made contact. He has a solid floor in at least the strong side of a platoon, and there is breakout potential if he can improve against lefties.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
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