Latest news with #BobbyWitt
Fox News
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Speedway Classic: Fastest Players in MLB By Sprint Spped
If you blink, you might miss them — and no, we're not talking about the NASCAR race cars that usually electrify the grounds of Bristol Motor Speedway. We're, of course, talking about the fastest players in Major League Baseball, a few of whom will play in Saturday's Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway. There are a number of ways to determine a player's speed, from counting their steals to looking at their 90-foot splits. For this exercise, we're looking at the fastest players in MLB by their sprint speed, as defined by Baseball Savant. Let's get into it. We'd be remiss not to acknowledge one of the quickest players in the Speedway Classic, Elly De La Cruz. He was born to play in this event as one of the most aggressive base runners in the league. Since making his debut in 2023, nobody has more stolen bases than him (131) and he's tied for fifth in stolen bags this year with 29. In his 2024 season, he swiped the most bags in the majors with 67. Surprisingly, Cruz is in the 91st percentile in sprint speed with 29.1. Two seasons before, he was Top 3 in that statistic. Anytime there's a debate about the fastest player in MLB, Witt's name is always going to be in the discussion, and for good reason. Witt is a threat anytime he puts the ball in play. Since making his debut in 2022, his 31 triples are tied for second in that time span, and his 137 stolen bases are the most by any player in that same timeframe. This season, his sprint speed is 30.3 ft/sec, which puts him in the top spot. His home to first speed has never been higher than 4.14, which also ranks him at the top percentile of the league. Witt is the true definition of a five-tool player. In his 11th season, Trea Turner is still one of the fastest players in MLB. The 32-year-old is third among active players in stolen bases with 304, despite playing 265 fewer games than Starling Marte, who is the leader at 359. Turner has led the National League in stolen bases twice in his career: in 2018 with 43 and 2021 with 32. When he's not leading the league, he's hovering around the Top 10. Byron Buxton's 11-year career has been shortened due to nagging injuries, causing him to miss over 900 games. When he does get on the diamond, though, Buxton is undoubtedly one of the fastest players in the league. The 2015 No. 2 pick had a 60-yard dash time between 6.4-6.6. Buxton has 110 career stolen bases and has only been caught 12 times in his career. It didn't take long for Victor Scott II to make this speed known to the rest of MLB. In his first full season, Scott is fourth in the NL in stolen bases with 26 and has only been caught twice. He has one of the fastest home to first times with 4.13. The Phillies are well-represented on this list, as the 24-year-old speedster is Philadelphia's second player on this list. Rojas is one of five players in MLB this season to have a sprint speed above 30, and he has 30 bolts on the season. Simpson has been in the majors for 62 games and is already third in the entre league with 32 stolen bases. His speed is so electric he routinely beats out ground balls with his 3.95 home-to-first time. He's the only player with a time under four seconds. Any time Simpson is on base and a ball gets through the infield, there's a good chance he'll be sliding into home, if not standing up. He currently ranks sixth in sprint speed at 29.9. Soon he'll join the 30 club. White might not be the Braves player you were expecting to see on this list, but the stats back up that he's the fastest player on the team. The 31-year-old ranks higher than his outfield teammates, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr., with a sprint speed of 29.9. Anything in the gap can easily be a triple for Corbin Carroll. Since making his debut in 2022, he leads the majors in triples with 39. He's also eighth in stolen bases with 104 during that time span. In the 2024 season, Carroll circled the bases in 14.30 seconds for an inside-the-park homer, one of the fastest times since being tracked by Statcast. His first-to-home time, 4.12, is one of the fastest in the league, and he's just outside the top 10 in sprint speed with 29.7. You might not think of Peña as this blazer on the base paths, but his sprint speed is among the highest in the majors. His 29.6 puts him in the 97th percentile of MLB players. He's another player that made his debut in 2022 and, since then, has been in the top 10 in sprint speed each season. Armstrong was a superstar in the making, and he's taken his game to another level this year, putting himself in the MVP conversation. One thing that helped take his game to the next level is his elite speed. PCA ranks in the top 10 in all base running categories; his 29 stolen bases rank fifth in the majors. Armstrong blazed around the bases in just 14.10 secs for an inside-the-park homer in 2024, the fastest time recorded in 2024. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
New York Times
23-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As Cubs search for pitching continues, so does Matthew Boyd's brilliant season
CHICAGO — Prior to the Cubs' 6-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals, much of the discussion between manager Craig Counsell and the local media centered around the team's need for starting pitching, which almost certainly will be addressed in the next week. But until then, the Cubs are going to get by with what they have. That they have Matthew Boyd is a big reason this team is in this position right now. The veteran lefty continued his brilliant season on Tuesday, tossing seven shutout frames and thoroughly overwhelming the Royals offense. Boyd's brilliance on the evening extended his scoreless stretch to 23 innings and gave him 10 straight starts where he's tossed at least five innings while giving up two or fewer runs. Advertisement 'Somehow he's just gotten better in this stretch,' Counsell said. 'He's just overwhelming hitters. It's just a great pitch mix and deception. You watch the Bobby Witt at-bats, who's one of the best hitters in the game. What (Boyd) did there tonight is a great example of how good the stuff is. It's been fun to watch him pitch.' Witt, who entered the night fourth in baseball in WAR, went 0-for-3 against Boyd with two strikeouts. The play of the game occurred in the fifth. The Cubs were clinging to a two-run lead when the Royals loaded the bases with one out against Boyd with a trio of singles, which included a bloop hit and a bunt. It was the only real threat of the night for the Royals and one that was snuffed out by a defense that has repeatedly proven to be among the best in baseball. Kyle Isbel softly lined a ball to Dansby Swanson, who was playing just to the left of second base. The dynamic shortstop then immediately ran and dove at Freddy Fermin, who was attempting to slide back into second, and tagged him out for a critical double play that ended the inning. dansby the mansby. — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 23, 2025 'That play was huge at that point in the game,' Boyd said. 'It could've been a tipping point. He continues to make great plays when the game's on the line.' 'That was all instinct, all backyard baseball,' Swanson said. The play kept Boyd's scoreless streak intact and helped him lower his ERA to 2.20 on the season. The lefty is now second in that category in the National League behind only Paul Skenes (1.91). Boyd's 118 2/3 innings are his most since 2019. The Cubs will continue to monitor his workload and were careful with him coming out of the All-Star break, taking advantage of the time off by giving him nine days in between starts. Advertisement 'It's as simple as there's not a lot of natural breaks in the season,' Boyd said of the long rest between starts. 'We were just taking advantage of it while it was there.' That Boyd hasn't pitched much over the last half-decade meant the Cubs were taking a risk by adding him in the offseason. They saw how he looked in 51 1/3 innings last year that included a 0.77 postseason ERA. But for a pitcher who battled injuries in the recent past, they didn't know how durable he could be. However, Boyd has remained consistent in his belief that his best performance was yet to come. He appears to be in the midst of that. Boyd has gone from intriguing offseason addition with upside to team ace. His performance thus far has him in the Cy Young conversation and an essential part of one of the best teams in baseball. That the Cubs were so confident in their assessment of Boyd and have been proven right bodes well for their ability to do the same this month when trying to acquire the right pieces. Because they will surely need upgrades to the rotation. Jameson Taillon went down with a hamstring injury at the start of the month, and the Cubs have had to cover three starts over that time. They lost every single one of those games. Counsell has started Chris Flexen along with relievers Drew Pomeranz and Ryan Brasier in those three games, using Flexen and Ben Brown as the bulk guys when using an opener. 'These are the options; our options aren't changing,' Counsell said. 'This is what we're going to go with. We're going to have to pitch better on those days. Flat out.' But those options could change with a trade, right? 'We play with what we got,' Counsell said. 'That's how it works.' What the Cubs have 'got' come July 31 will almost certainly look different. They should also have reinforcements beyond the trade deadline in the coming weeks. Taillon will throw a live BP on Friday, then another next week when the team is in Milwaukee before heading out on assignment. Javier Assad is pitching Thursday in Arizona, then will start for an affiliate after that. For now, the Cubs will make do with what they have. And when Boyd toes the rubber, that is plenty.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
White Sox have lost 9 straight in Kansas City with loss to Royals Tuesday night
Bobby Witt singled with the bases loaded to cap a crazy rally in the bottom of the ninth as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night. It was the second walk-off hit of Witt's career, following a game-ending grand slam in 2023. Mark Canha coaxed a walk off Cam Boozer (0-3) to lead off the ninth. Drew Waters blooped it to very short right field, but Michael A. Taylor's throw was wide at second. Freddy Fermin bunted for a hit to load the bases. After Kyle Isbel popped out, Jonathan India drove in the tying run with a fielder's choice and Witt followed with a single to center. Taylor Clarke (1-0) earned the win in relief. The White Sox got on the board first with an RBI single from Brooks Baldwin in the fourth, scoring Matt Thaiss. Thaiss led off the sixth with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. He went to third on a ground out and scored when Vaughn's grounder went under the glove of third baseman Jonathan India for an error. Isbel led off the bottom of the sixth with a line drive home run that just cleared the fence in right center. The White Sox added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Josh Rojas to make it 3-1. Salvador Perez had a double in the eighth, scoring Vinnie Pasquantino, to pull the Royals within one. Key moment The Royals had first and second with one out, trailing 2-1 in the seventh. However, reliever Steven Wilson got Fermin to foul out and then retired Isbel on a fielder's choice to end the inning. Key stat The White Sox have lost nine straight at Kauffman Stadium, their most ever in Kansas City. Up next White Sox RHP Jonathan Cannon (2-3, 4.26 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 3.52 ERA) on Wednesday in the third game of a four-game series.
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Witt has RBI single in 9th to rally Royals to 4-3 win over White Sox
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt singled with the bases loaded to cap a crazy rally in the bottom of the ninth as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night. It was the second walk-off hit of Witt's career, following a game-ending grand slam in 2023. Mark Canha coaxed a walk off Cam Boozer (0-3) to lead off the ninth. Drew Waters blooped it to very short right field, but Michael A. Taylor's throw was wide at second. Freddy Fermin bunted for a hit to load the bases. After Kyle Isbel popped out, Jonathan India drove in the tying run with a fielder's choice and Witt followed with a single to center. Taylor Clarke (1-0) earned the win in relief. The White Sox got on the board first with an RBI single from Brooks Baldwin in the fourth, scoring Matt Thaiss. Thaiss led off the sixth with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. He went to third on a ground out and scored when Vaughn's grounder went under the glove of third baseman Jonathan India for an error. Isbel led off the bottom of the sixth with a line drive home run that just cleared the fence in right center. The White Sox added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Josh Rojas to make it 3-1. Salvador Perez had a double in the eighth, scoring Vinnie Pasquantino, to pull the Royals within one. Key moment The Royals had first and second with one out, trailing 2-1 in the seventh. However, reliever Steven Wilson got Fermin to foul out and then retired Isbel on a fielder's choice to end the inning. Key stat The White Sox have lost nine straight at Kauffman Stadium, their most ever in Kansas City. Up next White Sox RHP Jonathan Cannon (2-3, 4.26 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 3.52 ERA) on Wednesday in the third game of a four-game series. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Rotoworld Top 300 overall headlined by Witt, Ohtani, Judge, De La Cruz
Here's the initial version of the Top 300 for 5x5 mixed fantasy baseball leagues. We'll be keeping this updated through Opening Day and beyond, and all of this year's draft guide materials will be presented on free of charge. Expect much more in the way of fantasy baseball content in the coming days. 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld's preseason fantasy baseball content. Rotoworld Staff, Rotoworld Staff, **updated as of Saturday, March 8** Top 300 Player Team Pos Rk 1 Bobby Witt Jr. Royals SS 1 2 Shohei Ohtani Dodgers DH 1 3 Aaron Judge Yankees OF 1 4 Elly De La Cruz Reds SS 2 5 Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres OF 2 6 Gunnar Henderson Orioles SS 3 7 Julio Rodriguez Mariners OF 3 8 Corbin Carroll Diamondbacks OF 4 9 Jose Ramirez Guardians 3B 1 10 Juan Soto Mets OF 5 11 Yordan Alvarez Astros OF 6 12 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Blue Jays 1B 1 13 Paul Skenes Pirates SP 1 14 Jackson Chourio Brewers OF 7 15 Kyle Tucker Cubs OF 8 16 Tarik Skubal Tigers SP 2 17 Francisco Lindor Mets SS 4 18 Jackson Merrill Padres OF 9 19 Austin Riley Braves 3B 2 20 Jarren Duran Red Sox OF 10 21 Mookie Betts Dodgers SS 5 22 Freddie Freeman Dodgers 1B 2 23 Logan Gilbert Mariners SP 3 24 Ronald Acuna Jr. Braves OF 11 25 Oneil Cruz Pirates SS 6 26 Trea Turner Phillies SS 7 27 Zack Wheeler Phillies SP 4 28 Wyatt Langford Rangers OF 12 29 Jazz Chisholm Jr. Yankees 3B 3 30 Michael Harris II Braves OF 13 31 Manny Machado Padres 3B 4 32 Matt Olson Braves 1B 3 33 Jacob deGrom Rangers SP 5 34 James Wood Nationals OF 14 35 Bryce Harper Phillies 1B 4 36 CJ Abrams Nationals SS 8 37 Pete Alonso Mets 1B 5 38 Lawrence Butler Athletics OF 15 39 Marcell Ozuna Braves DH 2 40 Ketel Marte Diamondbacks 2B 1 41 Blake Snell Dodgers SP 6 42 Emmanuel Clase Guardians RP 1 43 Teoscar Hernandez Dodgers OF 16 44 Rafael Devers Red Sox 3B 5 45 Dylan Cease Padres SP 7 46 Brenton Doyle Rockies OF 17 47 William Contreras Brewers C 1 48 Jose Altuve Astros 2B 2 49 Luis Robert Jr. White Sox OF 18 50 Garrett Crochet Red Sox SP 8 51 Corey Seager Rangers SS 9 52 Brent Rooker Athletics DH 3 53 Framber Valdez Astros SP 9 54 Bo Bichette Blue Jays SS 10 55 Kyle Schwarber Phillies DH 4 56 Dylan Crews Nationals OF 19 57 Joe Ryan Twins SP 10 58 Tanner Bibee Guardians SP 11 59 Josh Lowe Rays OF 20 60 Mike Trout Angels OF 21 61 Jasson Dominguez Yankees OF 22 62 Corbin Burnes Diamondbacks SP 12 63 Chris Sale Braves SP 13 64 Junior Caminero Rays 3B 6 65 Josh Hader Astros RP 2 66 Ian Happ Cubs OF 23 67 Anthony Volpe Yankees SS 11 68 Christian Walker Astros 1B 6 69 Mark Vientos Mets 3B 7 70 Max Fried Yankees SP 14 71 Josh Naylor Diamondbacks 1B 7 72 Willson Contreras Cardinals C 2 73 Mason Miller Athletics RP 3 74 Cole Ragans Royals SP 15 75 Cody Bellinger Yankees 1B 8 76 Raisel Iglesias Braves RP 4 77 Isaac Paredes Astros 3B 8 78 Michael King Padres SP 16 79 Ezequiel Tovar Rockies SS 12 80 Edwin Diaz Mets RP 5 81 Seiya Suzuki Cubs OF 24 82 Spencer Strider Braves SP 17 83 Alec Bohm Phillies 3B 9 84 Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dodgers SP 18 85 Devin Williams Yankees RP 6 86 Bryan Reynolds Pirates OF 25 87 Marcus Semien Rangers 2B 3 88 Bryce Miller Mariners SP 19 89 Matt McLain Reds 2B 4 90 Jordan Westburg Orioles 2B 5 91 George Kirby Mariners SP 20 92 Ryan Helsley Cardinals RP 7 93 Tyler Glasnow Dodgers SP 21 94 Triston Casas Red Sox 1B 9 95 Michael Toglia Rockies 1B 10 96 Jeff Hoffman Blue Jays RP 8 97 Justin Steele Cubs SP 22 98 Christopher Morel Rays 2B 6 99 Spencer Schwellenbach Braves SP 23 100 Willy Adames Giants SS 13 101 Jhoan Duran Twins RP 9 102 Shota Imanaga Cubs SP 24 103 Xavier Edwards Marlins SS 14 104 Pete Crow-Armstrong Cubs OF 26 105 Felix Bautista Orioles RP 10 106 Spencer Steer Reds 1B 11 107 Logan Webb Giants SP 25 108 Adley Rutschman Orioles C 3 109 Alex Bregman Red Sox 3B 10 110 Cristopher Sanchez Phillies SP 26 111 Jonathan India Royals 2B 7 112 Riley Greene Tigers OF 27 113 Bailey Ober Twins SP 27 114 Zach Neto Angels SS 15 115 Salvador Perez Royals C 4 116 Ryan Walker Giants RP 11 117 Ozzie Albies Braves 2B 8 118 Bryan Woo Mariners SP 28 119 Robert Suarez Padres RP 12 120 Masyn Winn Cardinals SS 16 121 Pablo Lopez Twins SP 29 122 Vinnie Pasquantino Royals 1B 12 123 Carlos Rodon Yankees SP 30 124 Royce Lewis Twins 3B 11 125 Tanner Scott Dodgers RP 13 126 Matt Chapman Giants 3B 12 127 Maikel Garcia Royals 2B 9 128 Nick Castellanos Phillies OF 28 129 Hunter Brown Astros SP 31 130 Yainer Diaz Astros C 5 131 Andres Munoz Mariners RP 14 132 Sonny Gray Cardinals SP 32 133 Luis Garcia Jr. Nationals 2B 10 134 Zac Gallen Diamondbacks SP 33 135 Trevor Megill Brewers RP 15 136 Steven Kwan Guardians OF 29 137 Anthony Santander Blue Jays OF 30 138 Kevin Gausman Blue Jays SP 34 139 Adolis Garcia Rangers OF 31 140 Nolan Jones Rockies OF 32 141 Garrett Mitchell Brewers OF 33 142 Brice Turang Brewers 2B 11 143 Gerrit Cole Yankees SP 35 144 David Bednar Pirates RP 16 145 Nico Hoerner Cubs 2B 12 146 Yandy Diaz Rays 1B 13 147 Jared Jones Pirates SP 36 148 Tommy Edman Dodgers SS 17 149 Tyler O'Neill Orioles OF 34 150 Jeremy Pena Astros SS 18 151 Kodai Senga Mets SP 37 152 Jorge Soler Angels OF 35 153 Paul Goldschmidt Yankees 1B 14 154 Reese Olson Tigers SP 38 155 Randy Arozarena Mariners OF 36 156 Cal Raleigh Mariners C 6 157 Freddy Peralta Brewers SP 39 158 Justin Martinez Diamondbacks RP 17 159 Christian Encarnacion-Strand Reds 1B 15 160 Aaron Nola Phillies SP 40 161 Josh Jung Rangers 3B 13 162 Christian Yelich Brewers OF 37 163 Drew Rasmussen Rays SP 41 164 Brandon Nimmo Mets OF 38 165 Kenley Jansen Angels RP 18 166 Colton Cowser Orioles OF 39 167 Brandon Pfaadt Diamondbacks SP 42 168 Luis Arraez Padres 2B 13 169 Evan Carter Rangers OF 40 170 Hunter Greene Reds SP 43 171 Trevor Story Red Sox SS 19 172 Ryan Pressly Cubs RP 19 173 Sandy Alcantara Marlins SP 44 174 Jake Burger Rangers 3B 14 175 Roki Sasaki Dodgers SP 45 176 Carlos Estevez Royals RP 20 177 Jung Hoo Lee Giants OF 41 178 Andres Gimenez Blue Jays 2B 14 179 Luis Castillo Mariners SP 46 180 Kerry Carpenter Tigers OF 42 181 Xander Bogaerts Padres SS 20 182 Jesus Luzardo Phillies SP 47 183 Brandon Lowe Rays 2B 15 184 Byron Buxton Twins OF 43 185 Zach Eflin Orioles SP 48 186 Tyler Soderstrom Athletics 1B 16 187 Ryan Mountcastle Orioles 1B 17 188 Lars Nootbaar Cardinals OF 44 189 Grayson Rodriguez Orioles SP 49 190 Ceddanne Rafaela Red Sox SS 21 191 Reynaldo Lopez Braves SP 50 192 Colt Keith Tigers 2B 16 193 Nolan Arenado Cardinals 3B 15 194 Jackson Holliday Orioles 2B 17 195 Shane McClanahan Rays SP 51 196 Liam Hendriks Red Sox RP 21 197 Brendan Donovan Cardinals 2B 18 198 Brandon Woodruff Brewers SP 52 199 Gleyber Torres Tigers 2B 19 200 Shea Langeliers Athletics C 7 201 Nick Pivetta Padres SP 53 202 Ryan McMahon Rockies 3B 16 203 Jack Flaherty Tigers SP 54 204 Bryson Stott Phillies 2B 20 205 Joc Pederson Rangers DH 5 206 Kyle Finnegan Nationals RP 22 207 Michael Busch Cubs 1B 18 208 Jo Adell Angels OF 45 209 Max Scherzer Blue Jays SP 55 210 Jesus Sanchez Marlins OF 46 211 Jurickson Profar Braves OF 47 212 Gavin Lux Reds 2B 21 213 Beau Brieske Tigers RP 23 214 Nathan Eovaldi Rangers SP 56 215 Luis Rengifo Angels 2B 22 216 Will Smith Dodgers C 8 217 Zack Gelof Athletics 2B 23 218 Shohei Ohtani Dodgers SP 57 219 Victor Robles Mariners OF 48 220 A.J. Puk Diamondbacks RP 24 221 Thairo Estrada Rockies 2B 24 222 Yusei Kikuchi Angels SP 58 223 Jake McCarthy Diamondbacks OF 49 224 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diamondbacks OF 50 225 Jackson Jobe Tigers SP 59 226 Max Muncy Dodgers 3B 17 227 Matt Shaw Cubs 3B 18 228 J.T. Realmuto Phillies C 9 229 Cedric Mullins Orioles OF 51 230 Clay Holmes Mets SP 60 231 Taylor Ward Angels OF 52 232 Andrew Vaughn White Sox 1B 19 233 Jordan Romano Phillies RP 25 234 Bowden Francis Blue Jays SP 61 235 Brandon Marsh Phillies OF 53 236 Carlos Correa Twins SS 22 237 Sean Manaea Mets SP 62 238 Alexis Diaz Reds RP 26 239 Parker Meadows Tigers OF 54 240 Jordan Walker Cardinals OF 55 241 Edwin Uceta Rays RP 27 242 Eugenio Suarez Diamondbacks 3B 19 243 Nick Lodolo Reds SP 63 244 Logan O'Hoppe Angels C 10 245 Dansby Swanson Cubs SS 23 246 Nestor Cortes Brewers SP 64 247 George Springer Blue Jays OF 56 248 Griffin Jax Twins RP 28 249 Jeimer Candelario Reds 3B 20 250 Matthew Boyd Cubs SP 65 251 Heliot Ramos Giants OF 57 252 Nathaniel Lowe Nationals 1B 20 253 Pete Fairbanks Rays RP 29 254 Jeffrey Springs Athletics SP 66 255 TJ Friedl Reds OF 58 256 Matt Wallner Twins OF 59 257 Cade Smith Guardians RP 30 258 Pavin Smith Diamondbacks 1B 21 259 Willi Castro Twins SS 24 260 Yu Darvish Padres SP 67 261 JJ Bleday Athletics OF 60 262 Kirby Yates Dodgers RP 31 263 Tyler Fitzgerald Giants SS 25 264 Ranger Suarez Phillies SP 68 265 Gabriel Moreno Diamondbacks C 11 266 Jonathan Aranda Rays 1B 23 267 Robbie Ray Giants SP 69 268 Michael Conforto Dodgers OF 61 269 Chris Bassitt Blue Jays SP 70 270 Rhys Hoskins Brewers 1B 24 271 Masataka Yoshida Red Sox DH 6 272 Seth Lugo Royals SP 71 273 Michael Massey Royals 2B 25 274 Orion Kerkering Phillies RP 32 275 Ryan Pepiot Rays SP 72 276 Joey Ortiz Brewers 3B 21 277 Lane Thomas Guardians OF 62 278 Jason Adam Padres RP 33 279 Lenyn Sosa White Sox 2B 26 280 J.D. Martinez DH 7 281 Taj Bradley Rays SP 73 282 Josh Bell Nationals 1B 25 283 Wilyer Abreu Red Sox OF 63 284 Chris Martin Rangers RP 34 285 Aaron Civale Brewers SP 74 286 Craig Kimbrel RP 35 287 Alec Burleson Cardinals OF 64 288 Tyler Stephenson Reds C 12 289 Walker Buehler Red Sox SP 75 290 Nolan Schanuel Angels 1B 26 291 Jacob Young Nationals OF 65 292 Ryan Weathers Marlins SP 76 293 Hyeseong Kim Dodgers 2B 27 294 Ivan Herrera Cardinals C 13 295 Camilo Doval Giants RP 36 296 Roman Anthony Red Sox OF 66 297 Jake Cronenworth Padres 2B 28 298 Shane Baz Rays SP 77 299 Justin Verlander Giants SP 78 300 Miguel Vargas White Sox 3B 22 Recent Updates March 8 - Gerrit Cole has tumbled from 69th to 143rd as a result of his elbow concerns. I also dropped the pitcher-only Shohei Ohtani from 198th to 218th, as a return in the first half of May appears unlikely there. March 7 - Injuries have dropped George Kirby from 39th to 93rd overall and Grayson Rodriguez from 121st to 189th. I will be tempted to move Kirby back up if he responds well over the next couple of weeks. For what it's worth, last time he dealt with shoulder inflammation, when he was in the minors in 2021, he recovered quickly and was back working in games in just less than a month. This sounds like it might be similarly minor. March 4 - Big pitcher update today, with Cristopher Sánchez (39th to 27th among SPs), Reese Olson (56th to 39th), Jesús Luzardo (66th to 48th) and Jackson Jobe (87th to 59th) among those getting significant bumps up the rankings. I also moved relievers Justin Martinez (19th to 17th among RPs) and Jordan Romano (29th to 24th) up some. Feb. 26 - Back with the Nationals and a shoo-in for the closer's role, Kyle Finnegan has jumped from No. 296 to No. 233. None of his potential replacements in D.C. had been included in previous top 300s. - It sounds like Sean Manaea will miss at least the first couple of weeks with his oblique strain, dropping him from No. 53 to No. 60 among starting pitchers. Mid-February - Nick Pivetta jumped from No. 286 to No. 195 after landing in a great situation with the Padres. It's not quite the perfect ballpark, as homers are the real concern with Pivetta and Petco suppresses hits more than longballs. Still, it's an obvious improvement for the right-hander, and he'll be backed by a pretty good defense and lineup. - Alex Bregman also landed in the ideal spot with the Red Sox and jumped from No. 150 to No. 95. I'm still probably not as high on him as most will be, but playing in Fenway half the time will help with his typically modest batting average and home run outputs of late. With Bregman in Boston, Kristian Campbell has fallen out of the top 300 for now, though that could be temporary depending on how the Rafael Devers drama shakes out. - Giancarlo Stanton, who started out at No. 243 here, has dropped off the list as he deals with sore elbows. - Since the move to right field makes him a slightly better bet to stay healthy, Mike Trout got boosted from No. 69 to No. 60.
