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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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An Updated Look at the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects
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Image courtesy of Kason Huckaby, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Ryan Gallagher) There are a few bigger changes to take a look at: specifically, who is moving up the rankings, who is moving down, and why that may be. The top three prospects, Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez, remain unchanged. The first change in the rankings is that Connor Prielipp and Eduardo Tait flipped spots from the first ranking of the season. Prielipp was previously ranked #5 and is now ranked #4, and Tait was previously #4 and is now ranked #5. This change is slight, and might mostly be because Prielipp has made his major league debut, and looked pretty good doing it. This does not mean Tait is not as good a prospect. He still has a very high ceiling, but is still a couple of years away from being seen at Target Field. There are some other changes to the top 20 list, but let’s take a look at the biggest risers, who may have dropped in the rankings, and who is on the outskirts of the list, but could make an appearance by years end, due to one of the guys losing their prospect status, or because they play their way into being ranked higher based on their performance. Biggest Risers The first riser that someone will notice on the list is 2025 first round pick Marek Houston. Houston has played this year at High-A Cedar Rapids and hit .306/.371/.441 so far this year. The biggest question about Houston as a prospect was whether his offense would be good enough since he is said to be ready for the majors defensively. If he can continue to develop offensively, he will continue to rise on these lists until he makes his major league debut. Another riser on the list is the other first-round pick from 2025, pitcher Riley Quick. At 22 years old, Quick started the year at Single-A and was called up to High-A after having three starts and giving up no runs. He threw eight innings and had 13 strikeouts at Single-A and was deemed ready to be called up to High-A Cedar Rapids. Quick has thrown eight more innings and struck out 11 hitters, so he has continued to look the part. Because of this strong start, Quick rose from the #11-ranked prospect to #8. He has the potential to continue moving up the minor league ladder, and moving up quickly, no pun intended. The last riser to highlight is pitcher Ryan Gallagher, who was not ranked in the top 20 when the year started and is now ranked #16. Gallagher was one of two prospects that came from the Cubs in the Willi Castro trade at last year’s trade deadline. Gallagher is currently with Double-A Wichita and has had a solid start to the season. He threw 18 innings over four starts, with a 3.50 ERA and 20 strikeouts, which earned him a call-up to Triple-A, where he has made two starts so far. He’s an intriguing arm and someone who fans could see at Target Field in the next year or so. Biggest Falls With Gallagher previously not being ranked, that means someone had to drop out. The unlucky prospect to drop off the list was Marco Raya. Previously a top pitching prospect in the system, Raya has struggled mightily in his transition to the bullpen this year. He has thrown 19.1 innings and struck out 20 hitters, but has an ERA of 7.91, with a decently high walk rate (12.6%), and has also given up five home runs. Another prospect that has slid on this list is outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez. As you may or may not remember, Gonzalez was acquired along with Justin Topa in the trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle. Gonzalez has a slash line of .183/.255/.380 to start the year, which is not what he, or the Twins, hoped for. Still just 22 years old, Gonzalez is playing at Triple-A, so there is no reason to give up on him yet, but he will have to turn around offensively to not continue sliding on this list. The third player who slid on the list is second baseman Kyle DeBarge. Playing at Double-A, DeBarge has four home runs on the year, but his overall offensive numbers have been underwhelming, with a .593 OPS. Soon to be 23, DeBarge will look to turn his year around. One promising aspect of DeBarge’s season thus far is his 11 stolen bases over his first 29 games, so that’s something to keep an eye on if he is able to get on base at a higher clip. View full article
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There are a few bigger changes to take a look at: specifically, who is moving up the rankings, who is moving down, and why that may be. The top three prospects, Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez, remain unchanged. The first change in the rankings is that Connor Prielipp and Eduardo Tait flipped spots from the first ranking of the season. Prielipp was previously ranked #5 and is now ranked #4, and Tait was previously #4 and is now ranked #5. This change is slight, and might mostly be because Prielipp has made his major league debut, and looked pretty good doing it. This does not mean Tait is not as good a prospect. He still has a very high ceiling, but is still a couple of years away from being seen at Target Field. There are some other changes to the top 20 list, but let’s take a look at the biggest risers, who may have dropped in the rankings, and who is on the outskirts of the list, but could make an appearance by years end, due to one of the guys losing their prospect status, or because they play their way into being ranked higher based on their performance. Biggest Risers The first riser that someone will notice on the list is 2025 first round pick Marek Houston. Houston has played this year at High-A Cedar Rapids and hit .306/.371/.441 so far this year. The biggest question about Houston as a prospect was whether his offense would be good enough since he is said to be ready for the majors defensively. If he can continue to develop offensively, he will continue to rise on these lists until he makes his major league debut. Another riser on the list is the other first-round pick from 2025, pitcher Riley Quick. At 22 years old, Quick started the year at Single-A and was called up to High-A after having three starts and giving up no runs. He threw eight innings and had 13 strikeouts at Single-A and was deemed ready to be called up to High-A Cedar Rapids. Quick has thrown eight more innings and struck out 11 hitters, so he has continued to look the part. Because of this strong start, Quick rose from the #11-ranked prospect to #8. He has the potential to continue moving up the minor league ladder, and moving up quickly, no pun intended. The last riser to highlight is pitcher Ryan Gallagher, who was not ranked in the top 20 when the year started and is now ranked #16. Gallagher was one of two prospects that came from the Cubs in the Willi Castro trade at last year’s trade deadline. Gallagher is currently with Double-A Wichita and has had a solid start to the season. He threw 18 innings over four starts, with a 3.50 ERA and 20 strikeouts, which earned him a call-up to Triple-A, where he has made two starts so far. He’s an intriguing arm and someone who fans could see at Target Field in the next year or so. Biggest Falls With Gallagher previously not being ranked, that means someone had to drop out. The unlucky prospect to drop off the list was Marco Raya. Previously a top pitching prospect in the system, Raya has struggled mightily in his transition to the bullpen this year. He has thrown 19.1 innings and struck out 20 hitters, but has an ERA of 7.91, with a decently high walk rate (12.6%), and has also given up five home runs. Another prospect that has slid on this list is outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez. As you may or may not remember, Gonzalez was acquired along with Justin Topa in the trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle. Gonzalez has a slash line of .183/.255/.380 to start the year, which is not what he, or the Twins, hoped for. Still just 22 years old, Gonzalez is playing at Triple-A, so there is no reason to give up on him yet, but he will have to turn around offensively to not continue sliding on this list. The third player who slid on the list is second baseman Kyle DeBarge. Playing at Double-A, DeBarge has four home runs on the year, but his overall offensive numbers have been underwhelming, with a .593 OPS. Soon to be 23, DeBarge will look to turn his year around. One promising aspect of DeBarge’s season thus far is his 11 stolen bases over his first 29 games, so that’s something to keep an eye on if he is able to get on base at a higher clip.
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Scouting Ryan Gallagher, the Newest Addition to Twins Daily's Top Twins Prospect Rankings
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Twins Daily recently held a public vote on our top 20 prospects ranking, and the newest addition, coming in ranked 16th overall, is right-handed pitcher Ryan Gallagher. Who is Gallagher, and why is he climbing prospect lists? Bats: L / Throws: R Age: 23 Stats in 2025: (High-A, Double-A) 121.2 IP 133 SO 4.07 ERA 1.21 WHIP Rule 5 Eligible: After 2028 Season ETA: 2027 Ranking to Start 2026: NR What’s to Like It’s interesting to look at Gallagher’s raw stuff because he doesn’t overpower hitters, throwing his fastball at approximately 91 mph. While he doesn’t throw super hard, he is still intriguing due to his command and his changeup and slider, which he uses both to get swing and misses. He was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs along with Sam Armstrong for utility player Willi Castro. In 2025, he pitched with the Cubs High-A and Double-A teams before finishing the year with the Twins Double-A team in Wichita. Across those three stops, he threw 121.2 innings, racking up 133 strikeouts, and having a 4.07 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. At 23 years old, he is still being used as a starter but could end up as a multi-inning reliever, similar to how the Twins have used other prospects in recent years. Gallagher offers a bit more upside and is someone to keep an eye on if he can remain a starter throughout his time in the minors. What’s Left to Work On Gallagher will need to continue to be a strike thrower if he hopes to have success. He has walked six batters over his first seven innings in Triple-A, but his history of throwing strikes suggests it will not be a big problem going forward. Gallagher has a repeatable delivery and is someone who could be used in multiple roles, either as a starter or a multi-inning reliever. Proving his worth as a starter at Triple-A will be key in him not moving into a role that others like Pierson Ohl or Travis Adams have slid into, which isn’t a bad role, but not one he is likely to want to take if he, or the Twins, had the choice. What’s Next? Gallagher is currently at Triple-A St. Paul, so he is on the doorstep of the major leagues. He will continue to develop as a starter, but the key will be to keep throwing strikes and gain more experience against higher-level competition. He will likely spend the majority of the year at Triple-A with a chance to make his major league debut, depending on team need and his own personal development over the next few months. Gallagher still has upside and will look to prove that he was worth betting on at the 2025 trade deadline in his first full year in the Twins organization. View full article
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Twins Daily recently held a public vote on our top 20 prospects ranking, and the newest addition, coming in ranked 16th overall, is right-handed pitcher Ryan Gallagher. Who is Gallagher, and why is he climbing prospect lists? Bats: L / Throws: R Age: 23 Stats in 2025: (High-A, Double-A) 121.2 IP 133 SO 4.07 ERA 1.21 WHIP Rule 5 Eligible: After 2028 Season ETA: 2027 Ranking to Start 2026: NR What’s to Like It’s interesting to look at Gallagher’s raw stuff because he doesn’t overpower hitters, throwing his fastball at approximately 91 mph. While he doesn’t throw super hard, he is still intriguing due to his command and his changeup and slider, which he uses both to get swing and misses. He was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs along with Sam Armstrong for utility player Willi Castro. In 2025, he pitched with the Cubs High-A and Double-A teams before finishing the year with the Twins Double-A team in Wichita. Across those three stops, he threw 121.2 innings, racking up 133 strikeouts, and having a 4.07 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. At 23 years old, he is still being used as a starter but could end up as a multi-inning reliever, similar to how the Twins have used other prospects in recent years. Gallagher offers a bit more upside and is someone to keep an eye on if he can remain a starter throughout his time in the minors. What’s Left to Work On Gallagher will need to continue to be a strike thrower if he hopes to have success. He has walked six batters over his first seven innings in Triple-A, but his history of throwing strikes suggests it will not be a big problem going forward. Gallagher has a repeatable delivery and is someone who could be used in multiple roles, either as a starter or a multi-inning reliever. Proving his worth as a starter at Triple-A will be key in him not moving into a role that others like Pierson Ohl or Travis Adams have slid into, which isn’t a bad role, but not one he is likely to want to take if he, or the Twins, had the choice. What’s Next? Gallagher is currently at Triple-A St. Paul, so he is on the doorstep of the major leagues. He will continue to develop as a starter, but the key will be to keep throwing strikes and gain more experience against higher-level competition. He will likely spend the majority of the year at Triple-A with a chance to make his major league debut, depending on team need and his own personal development over the next few months. Gallagher still has upside and will look to prove that he was worth betting on at the 2025 trade deadline in his first full year in the Twins organization.
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Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperConnor PrielippEmmanuel RodriguezEduardo TaitDasan HillMarek HoustonKendry RojasRiley QuickCharlee SotoHendry MendezGabriel GonzalezQuentin YoungRyan GallagherAndrew MorrisBrandon WinokurAdrian BohorquezCJ CulpepperKyler FedkoKhadim Diaw
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Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (82 pitches, 52 strikes (63.4% strikes)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (4) Bottom 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Ober (-0.31), Byron Buxton (-0.09), Brooks Lee (-0.08) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off an offensive outburst in game one of the series, the Twins handed the ball to Bailey Ober to face the Nationals and veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas Wednesday night. Ober was coming off three straight quality starts. Mikolas was struggling coming into the game, and has been struggling for multiple seasons, really. Both Ober and Mikolas started with two perfect innings, so it was starting to look like a potential pitcher’s duel. The Twins got the first baserunner on a leadoff check-swing double by Luke Keaschall in the top of the third inning, his eighth double of the season. In the very next at-bat, Matt Wallner hit a 106-MPH single, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Nationals finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, on a CJ Abrams one-out double to tie the game. The tie didn’t last long, as the Twins took the lead in the top of the fifth on a Wallner solo home run. You may not believe me, but I was talking to my dad on the phone and I called the homer. (I guess, maybe, you'll believe me this one time, since Mikolas was pitching.) The Nationals responded in the bottom of the fifth, though, on a Drew Millas two-run home run, after a leadoff single by Jacob Young. Ober was chased from the game in the sixth inning, after giving up back-to-back doubles to Abrams and Brady House, giving the Nationals a two-run lead. Jose Tena greeted Andrew Morris with a double of his own, stretching the lead to three runs. The Twins rookie wasn’t able to get out of the inning after giving up a two-out triple to Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez, making it 6-2. The Twins were into their pen, and the rout was soon on. The Nationals added insult to injury on a House two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Justin Topa. Topa and Luis García went to pieces, and the game turned from that taut early battle into a bruising blowout by a bad team. Tena didn’t want to be left out of the home run party, adding a solo shot of his own and giving the Nationals a 15-2 lead. Former Twin Zak Kent made his debut with the Nationals by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. The Twins will look to forget about this game and move on quickly in the final game of the series in DC. What’s Next? The Twins and Nationals will face off on Thursday afternoon in game three of the series. The Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 6.49 ERA), while the Nationals will counter with Minnesota native Jake Irvin (1-4, 4.93 ERA). Woods Richardson will look to get on track after struggling for much of the year thus far. In his most recent start, he threw 4 2/3 innings and gave up four earned run in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. After tomorrow’s game, the Twins will travel to Cleveland to face the Guardians in a three-game series. SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Orze 0 24 0 16 0 40 Morris 0 57 0 0 14 71 Rogers 0 32 0 0 0 32 Garcia 18 0 0 13 14 45 Banda 18 0 0 19 0 37 Topa 10 17 0 0 32 59 Funderburk 14 3 0 0 17 34 Klein 12 0 0 0 0 12
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Image courtesy of © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (82 pitches, 52 strikes (63.4% strikes)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (4) Bottom 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Ober (-0.31), Byron Buxton (-0.09), Brooks Lee (-0.08) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off an offensive outburst in game one of the series, the Twins handed the ball to Bailey Ober to face the Nationals and veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas Wednesday night. Ober was coming off three straight quality starts. Mikolas was struggling coming into the game, and has been struggling for multiple seasons, really. Both Ober and Mikolas started with two perfect innings, so it was starting to look like a potential pitcher’s duel. The Twins got the first baserunner on a leadoff check-swing double by Luke Keaschall in the top of the third inning, his eighth double of the season. In the very next at-bat, Matt Wallner hit a 106-MPH single, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Nationals finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, on a CJ Abrams one-out double to tie the game. The tie didn’t last long, as the Twins took the lead in the top of the fifth on a Wallner solo home run. You may not believe me, but I was talking to my dad on the phone and I called the homer. (I guess, maybe, you'll believe me this one time, since Mikolas was pitching.) The Nationals responded in the bottom of the fifth, though, on a Drew Millas two-run home run, after a leadoff single by Jacob Young. Ober was chased from the game in the sixth inning, after giving up back-to-back doubles to Abrams and Brady House, giving the Nationals a two-run lead. Jose Tena greeted Andrew Morris with a double of his own, stretching the lead to three runs. The Twins rookie wasn’t able to get out of the inning after giving up a two-out triple to Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez, making it 6-2. The Twins were into their pen, and the rout was soon on. The Nationals added insult to injury on a House two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Justin Topa. Topa and Luis García went to pieces, and the game turned from that taut early battle into a bruising blowout by a bad team. Tena didn’t want to be left out of the home run party, adding a solo shot of his own and giving the Nationals a 15-2 lead. Former Twin Zak Kent made his debut with the Nationals by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. The Twins will look to forget about this game and move on quickly in the final game of the series in DC. What’s Next? The Twins and Nationals will face off on Thursday afternoon in game three of the series. The Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 6.49 ERA), while the Nationals will counter with Minnesota native Jake Irvin (1-4, 4.93 ERA). Woods Richardson will look to get on track after struggling for much of the year thus far. In his most recent start, he threw 4 2/3 innings and gave up four earned run in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. After tomorrow’s game, the Twins will travel to Cleveland to face the Guardians in a three-game series. SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Orze 0 24 0 16 0 40 Morris 0 57 0 0 14 71 Rogers 0 32 0 0 0 32 Garcia 18 0 0 13 14 45 Banda 18 0 0 19 0 37 Topa 10 17 0 0 32 59 Funderburk 14 3 0 0 17 34 Klein 12 0 0 0 0 12 View full article
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Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (88 pitches, 62 strikes (70.5% strikes)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (7) Lowest WPA: Cole Sands (-0.21), Tristan Gray (-0.16), Victor Caratini (-0.13) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off a win in game one of the series, the Twins turned to Joe Ryan to face off with Logan Gilbert and the Mariners. Ryan was dominant early. He got into a little trouble in the third inning, giving up two hits and having runners on first and third with one out, but then struck Cal Raleigh out before getting Julio Rodríguez to ground out to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Twins got singles from Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton, but were unable to push a run across. The game remained scoreless until Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his seventh home run of the season—and second of the series. Alas, the third turned out to be a better microcosm of the night than the fifth was. The Twins were only able to get one run while Logan Gilbert was in the game, but they did force him to throw more pitches than he would have liked. Gilbert lasted five innings and threw 92 pitches. That got the Twins into the Seattle bullpen, but the bullpen turned out to be up to that lengthy task. The Mariners got a couple of two-out hits in the top of the sixth, tying the game on a Josh Naylor single. They broke the tie after a leadoff double from Randy Arozarena in the top of the seventh, which chased Ryan from the game. Mariners second baseman Cole Young got the two-out single off Kody Funderburk that, as it turned out, opened the floodgates. The Twins bullpen had an unfortunate eighth inning, giving up three hits and three runs. Josh Naylor got his third hit of the night (a three-run home run off Cole Sands), giving the Mariners a four-run lead. Check out the bat flip. Meanwhole, the Twins offense was virtually lifeless against the Mariners bullpen, mustering one hit over four innings against four separate Mariners relievers. Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell all threw a scoreless frame, without the traffic and sense of danger Gilbert seemed to deal with all night. Added to the roster before the game, righty Luis García made his Twins debut and gave up two runs in the top half of the ninth inning, on a two-out double by Rodríguez. Garrett Acton hit the injured list just minutes before the first pitch, with a shoulder strain, so García might be needed for a while. On the other hand, the team might swap him out for another fresh arm after his underwhelming team debut. What’s Next? The Twins will look to bounce back and win game three on Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners. Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.91 ERA) will face off against George Kirby (4-2, 2.97 ERA). Bradley has been a bright spot for the Twins this year and will look to get back on track after giving up six runs against the Tampa Bay Rays in his last start. Kirby will look to continue his very good start to the year, most recently giving up two runs over six innings versus the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 PM CT. FRI SAT SUN MON TUES TOT Morris 0 0 0 40 0 40 Orze 10 9 0 0 0 19 Topa 0 0 10 0 0 10 Rogers 0 15 0 14 0 29 Banda 7 0 9 0 0 16 Funderburk 0 0 20 0 15 35 Garcia 0 0 0 0 23 23 Sands 0 0 7 0 13 20
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Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (88 pitches, 62 strikes (70.5% strikes)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (7) Lowest WPA: Cole Sands (-0.21), Tristan Gray (-0.16), Victor Caratini (-0.13) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off a win in game one of the series, the Twins turned to Joe Ryan to face off with Logan Gilbert and the Mariners. Ryan was dominant early. He got into a little trouble in the third inning, giving up two hits and having runners on first and third with one out, but then struck Cal Raleigh out before getting Julio Rodríguez to ground out to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Twins got singles from Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton, but were unable to push a run across. The game remained scoreless until Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his seventh home run of the season—and second of the series. Alas, the third turned out to be a better microcosm of the night than the fifth was. The Twins were only able to get one run while Logan Gilbert was in the game, but they did force him to throw more pitches than he would have liked. Gilbert lasted five innings and threw 92 pitches. That got the Twins into the Seattle bullpen, but the bullpen turned out to be up to that lengthy task. The Mariners got a couple of two-out hits in the top of the sixth, tying the game on a Josh Naylor single. They broke the tie after a leadoff double from Randy Arozarena in the top of the seventh, which chased Ryan from the game. Mariners second baseman Cole Young got the two-out single off Kody Funderburk that, as it turned out, opened the floodgates. The Twins bullpen had an unfortunate eighth inning, giving up three hits and three runs. Josh Naylor got his third hit of the night (a three-run home run off Cole Sands), giving the Mariners a four-run lead. Check out the bat flip. Meanwhole, the Twins offense was virtually lifeless against the Mariners bullpen, mustering one hit over four innings against four separate Mariners relievers. Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell all threw a scoreless frame, without the traffic and sense of danger Gilbert seemed to deal with all night. Added to the roster before the game, righty Luis García made his Twins debut and gave up two runs in the top half of the ninth inning, on a two-out double by Rodríguez. Garrett Acton hit the injured list just minutes before the first pitch, with a shoulder strain, so García might be needed for a while. On the other hand, the team might swap him out for another fresh arm after his underwhelming team debut. What’s Next? The Twins will look to bounce back and win game three on Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners. Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.91 ERA) will face off against George Kirby (4-2, 2.97 ERA). Bradley has been a bright spot for the Twins this year and will look to get back on track after giving up six runs against the Tampa Bay Rays in his last start. Kirby will look to continue his very good start to the year, most recently giving up two runs over six innings versus the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 PM CT. FRI SAT SUN MON TUES TOT Morris 0 0 0 40 0 40 Orze 10 9 0 0 0 19 Topa 0 0 10 0 0 10 Rogers 0 15 0 14 0 29 Banda 7 0 9 0 0 16 Funderburk 0 0 20 0 15 35 Garcia 0 0 0 0 23 23 Sands 0 0 7 0 13 20 View full article
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Cory Moen reacted to a post in a topic:
Twins Taking Closer By Committee to a New Level
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Matt Tolbert was a utility infielder for the Twins from 2008-2011. He played in 247 career games and was worth 0.8 bWAR. He is from McComb, Mississippi and was drafted in the 16th round by the Twins in the 2004 MLB draft out of the University of Mississippi. He was not known for his bat, with a career OPS+ of 65. He hit three career home runs, and stole 17 bases in his career.
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Matt Tolbert was a utility infielder for the Twins from 2008-2011. He played in 247 career games and was worth 0.8 bWAR. He is from McComb, Mississippi and was drafted in the 16th round by the Twins in the 2004 MLB draft out of the University of Mississippi. He was not known for his bat, with a career OPS+ of 65. He hit three career home runs, and stole 17 bases in his career. View full player
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2026 Wichita Wind Surge Roster Preview
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Image courtesy of William Parmeter (L to R: CJ Culpepper, Kala'i Rosario, Hendry Mendez) Starting the year at Double-A means a prospect has the opportunity to make an impact on the major league roster in the near future. While this year’s Wind Surge roster doesn’t have any of the top prospects in the Twins system, there is still an interesting list to see which of these players will take the next step forward and see if they are able to put themselves in the Twins future plans. When prospects get to Double-A, this can be the first time they struggle in their professional career. The Wind Surge roster this year doesn’t have a top 5 Twins prospect but does have three of Twins Daily’s top 20 prospects, including Hendry Mendez, Kyle DeBarge, and CJ Culpepper. Mendez is the one who is on the 40-man roster out of the three. Mendez was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, along with pitching prospect Geremy Villoria, from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. Mendez hit well after being acquired, hitting for a .324/.461/.450 slash line after the trade. He has played in the corner outfield mostly but has been getting more work at first base recently. DeBarge is a former first round pick, that has steadily climbed the minor league ladder and will be playing his age-22 season in 2026. He has played most of his time at second base, but has also seen time at shortstop, and in left field and center field as well. Culpepper, when healthy, has looked very solid over the past few years. He pitched in 17 total games this past year and will look to have a healthy season after starting the 2025 season on the injured list with a pinched nerve. He throws up to seven or eight pitches, so he makes for a pitching prospect worth watching. Coaching Staff The coaching staff in the minor leagues are key in helping develop the future major leaguers in any organization. The Wind Surge had a number of new coaches in 2025, and will be returning the some, but have some new coaches as well. Nico Giarratano will be the new manager, after former Wichita manager Brian Dinkelman was promoted to manage the Twins Triple-A affiliate. Giarratano was the manager for the FCL Twins in 2025. Giarratano will be joined on the coaching staff by hitting coaches Andrew Cresci and Julian Gonzalez, pitching coaches Jesus Sanchez and Stephen Ridings. Meagan Vota will serve as the strength and conditioning coach, with Taylor Carpenter serving as the lead athletic trainer. Asja Morello will work closely with Carpenter as the Assistant Athletic Trainer, and to round out the staff, Chase Carder will serve as the Baseball Technology Coordinator. Pitchers RHP Sam Armstrong, RHP Spencer Bengard, RHP Kyle Bischoff, RHP Darren Bowen, RHP Ricky Castro, RHP CJ Culpepper, RHP Ryan Gallagher, RHP Ruddy Gomez, RHP Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP Ty Langenberg, LHP Jaylen Nowlin, RHP Jose Olivares, RHP Mike Paredes, RHP Luis Quinones, RHP Sam Ryan, RHP Logan Whitaker, RHP Jarret Whorff Culpepper and Gallagher are the two highest ranked pitching prospects on this roster, with Culpepper sitting 18th on Twins Daily’s top 20 prospects. Culpepper is a former 13th round selection by the Twins back in 2022. Gallagher and Armstrong were acquired from the Chicago Cubs in return for utility man Willi Castro. They are both intriguing arms and will be worth watching this year as well. Bowen’s name might be familiar, as he was part of the Jorge Polanco trade, along with Justin Topa. He pitched at Double-A this past year. Olivares is another name that is recognizable, as he was signed back in 2021 and is ranked the #26 prospect by MLB Pipeline to start this season. Hidalgo has shown the ability to strike batters out at a pretty solid clip, most recently having 99 strikeouts over 84 2/3 innings pitched in 2025 between High-A and Double-A. If he’s unable to develop as a starter, a move to the bullpen could provide a path to Target Field in the future. Quinones comes over from the Blue Jays organization, where he topped out at Triple-A in 2024, prior to missing the 2025 season with an injury. He’ll look to have a healthy and productive season this year. Catchers: Ricardo Olivar, Andrew Cossetti, Poncho Ruiz Olivar was a Twins Daily Top 20 prospect at this time last year and has been left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft the past two years. He has played positions other than catcher as well, so the defensive versatility makes him a prospect to watch. Andrew Cossetti will be returning to Double-A for his third straight year, and he is a bat-first catcher, who hit .226/.366/.432 in 2025, which was an improvement over his 2024 season numbers. Ruiz will be playing his age-24 season this year, after playing the 2025 season between Low-A and High-A. He also played in the Mexican Pacific Winter League this offseason, which allowed him to get some more experience. Infielders: Billy Amick, Hendry Mendez, Kyle DeBarge, Jake Rucker, Ben Ross, and Jose Salas Salas might be a familiar name, as he came over in the Pablo Lopez/Luis Arraez swap a few years ago. At the time, Salas was mostly a shortstop but has transitioned into playing center field more regularly in recent years. Rosario is a very intriguing prospect and has shown more promise recently after struggling early in his professional career. He’ll need to show he can be more consistent against right-handed pitchers, as he crushed lefties to a .954 OPS this past season, in comparison to a more modest .794 OPS against righties. Rucker has played the past three seasons at Double-A so he will need to start improving at the plate to not stall in the upper minors. Ross is a versatile defender, having played shortstop, third base, along with left field and centerfield as well, just this past year. He’s also played first base and right field in his minor league career as well. The big question for him is if his bat will develop to make him an option for the Twins in the future. Outfielders: Garrett Spain, Hendry Mendez, Kala’i Rosario, Maddux Houghton Mendez will likely see more time at first base this year after playing previously mostly as a corner outfielder. As previously mentioned, he is a prospect to keep an eye on and may move quickly depending on how he hits. He played the 2025 season at Double-A, and if he continues to hit, he will likely receive a call up to St. Paul this year, and we may even see him at Target Field before the end of the season. Spain was a minor league Rule 5 selection this past December out of the Milwaukee Brewers organization. A left-handed hitter, he will look to see if he can make adjustments with the Twins to break through in the upper minors. He showed more power in 2025, hitting 16 home runs. Rosario is an exciting prospect with a high ceiling. He was a 5th round selection in the shortened 2020 draft. He will play his second year with Wichita, where he hit 25 home runs this past season. Houghton is not a heralded prospect but did play at four levels across the minors this past year, getting his first taste at Triple-A St. Paul. He has shown the ability to steal bases and shown some power over the past year, hitting 12 home runs and stealing 26 bases. While the Wichita roster may not be as filled with high-end prospects, there are still plenty of intriguing players to keep an eye on and a few that Twins fans could see at Target Field in short order. Whether the players are playing at Double-A for the first time, or repeating the level, this season could be a springboard year to assert themselves as prospects and push themselves into the long-term plans for the big-league club. The Wind Surge will start their season on Thursday, April 2nd versus the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals Double-A), with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm. View full article
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Starting the year at Double-A means a prospect has the opportunity to make an impact on the major league roster in the near future. While this year’s Wind Surge roster doesn’t have any of the top prospects in the Twins system, there is still an interesting list to see which of these players will take the next step forward and see if they are able to put themselves in the Twins future plans. When prospects get to Double-A, this can be the first time they struggle in their professional career. The Wind Surge roster this year doesn’t have a top 5 Twins prospect but does have three of Twins Daily’s top 20 prospects, including Hendry Mendez, Kyle DeBarge, and CJ Culpepper. Mendez is the one who is on the 40-man roster out of the three. Mendez was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, along with pitching prospect Geremy Villoria, from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. Mendez hit well after being acquired, hitting for a .324/.461/.450 slash line after the trade. He has played in the corner outfield mostly but has been getting more work at first base recently. DeBarge is a former first round pick, that has steadily climbed the minor league ladder and will be playing his age-22 season in 2026. He has played most of his time at second base, but has also seen time at shortstop, and in left field and center field as well. Culpepper, when healthy, has looked very solid over the past few years. He pitched in 17 total games this past year and will look to have a healthy season after starting the 2025 season on the injured list with a pinched nerve. He throws up to seven or eight pitches, so he makes for a pitching prospect worth watching. Coaching Staff The coaching staff in the minor leagues are key in helping develop the future major leaguers in any organization. The Wind Surge had a number of new coaches in 2025, and will be returning the some, but have some new coaches as well. Nico Giarratano will be the new manager, after former Wichita manager Brian Dinkelman was promoted to manage the Twins Triple-A affiliate. Giarratano was the manager for the FCL Twins in 2025. Giarratano will be joined on the coaching staff by hitting coaches Andrew Cresci and Julian Gonzalez, pitching coaches Jesus Sanchez and Stephen Ridings. Meagan Vota will serve as the strength and conditioning coach, with Taylor Carpenter serving as the lead athletic trainer. Asja Morello will work closely with Carpenter as the Assistant Athletic Trainer, and to round out the staff, Chase Carder will serve as the Baseball Technology Coordinator. Pitchers RHP Sam Armstrong, RHP Spencer Bengard, RHP Kyle Bischoff, RHP Darren Bowen, RHP Ricky Castro, RHP CJ Culpepper, RHP Ryan Gallagher, RHP Ruddy Gomez, RHP Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP Ty Langenberg, LHP Jaylen Nowlin, RHP Jose Olivares, RHP Mike Paredes, RHP Luis Quinones, RHP Sam Ryan, RHP Logan Whitaker, RHP Jarret Whorff Culpepper and Gallagher are the two highest ranked pitching prospects on this roster, with Culpepper sitting 18th on Twins Daily’s top 20 prospects. Culpepper is a former 13th round selection by the Twins back in 2022. Gallagher and Armstrong were acquired from the Chicago Cubs in return for utility man Willi Castro. They are both intriguing arms and will be worth watching this year as well. Bowen’s name might be familiar, as he was part of the Jorge Polanco trade, along with Justin Topa. He pitched at Double-A this past year. Olivares is another name that is recognizable, as he was signed back in 2021 and is ranked the #26 prospect by MLB Pipeline to start this season. Hidalgo has shown the ability to strike batters out at a pretty solid clip, most recently having 99 strikeouts over 84 2/3 innings pitched in 2025 between High-A and Double-A. If he’s unable to develop as a starter, a move to the bullpen could provide a path to Target Field in the future. Quinones comes over from the Blue Jays organization, where he topped out at Triple-A in 2024, prior to missing the 2025 season with an injury. He’ll look to have a healthy and productive season this year. Catchers: Ricardo Olivar, Andrew Cossetti, Poncho Ruiz Olivar was a Twins Daily Top 20 prospect at this time last year and has been left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft the past two years. He has played positions other than catcher as well, so the defensive versatility makes him a prospect to watch. Andrew Cossetti will be returning to Double-A for his third straight year, and he is a bat-first catcher, who hit .226/.366/.432 in 2025, which was an improvement over his 2024 season numbers. Ruiz will be playing his age-24 season this year, after playing the 2025 season between Low-A and High-A. He also played in the Mexican Pacific Winter League this offseason, which allowed him to get some more experience. Infielders: Billy Amick, Hendry Mendez, Kyle DeBarge, Jake Rucker, Ben Ross, and Jose Salas Salas might be a familiar name, as he came over in the Pablo Lopez/Luis Arraez swap a few years ago. At the time, Salas was mostly a shortstop but has transitioned into playing center field more regularly in recent years. Rosario is a very intriguing prospect and has shown more promise recently after struggling early in his professional career. He’ll need to show he can be more consistent against right-handed pitchers, as he crushed lefties to a .954 OPS this past season, in comparison to a more modest .794 OPS against righties. Rucker has played the past three seasons at Double-A so he will need to start improving at the plate to not stall in the upper minors. Ross is a versatile defender, having played shortstop, third base, along with left field and centerfield as well, just this past year. He’s also played first base and right field in his minor league career as well. The big question for him is if his bat will develop to make him an option for the Twins in the future. Outfielders: Garrett Spain, Hendry Mendez, Kala’i Rosario, Maddux Houghton Mendez will likely see more time at first base this year after playing previously mostly as a corner outfielder. As previously mentioned, he is a prospect to keep an eye on and may move quickly depending on how he hits. He played the 2025 season at Double-A, and if he continues to hit, he will likely receive a call up to St. Paul this year, and we may even see him at Target Field before the end of the season. Spain was a minor league Rule 5 selection this past December out of the Milwaukee Brewers organization. A left-handed hitter, he will look to see if he can make adjustments with the Twins to break through in the upper minors. He showed more power in 2025, hitting 16 home runs. Rosario is an exciting prospect with a high ceiling. He was a 5th round selection in the shortened 2020 draft. He will play his second year with Wichita, where he hit 25 home runs this past season. Houghton is not a heralded prospect but did play at four levels across the minors this past year, getting his first taste at Triple-A St. Paul. He has shown the ability to steal bases and shown some power over the past year, hitting 12 home runs and stealing 26 bases. While the Wichita roster may not be as filled with high-end prospects, there are still plenty of intriguing players to keep an eye on and a few that Twins fans could see at Target Field in short order. Whether the players are playing at Double-A for the first time, or repeating the level, this season could be a springboard year to assert themselves as prospects and push themselves into the long-term plans for the big-league club. The Wind Surge will start their season on Thursday, April 2nd versus the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals Double-A), with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm.
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Image courtesy of © Brett Davis-Imagn Images With the Twins looking to return to being competitive in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look around at the other teams in the division and what moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the Chicago White Sox this season. The White Sox finished last in the division with a 60-102 record, marking their second straight season with over 100 losses after setting an MLB record with 121 in 2024. Here is a look at some notable additions and subtractions for the White Sox this offseason. Subtractions OF Luis Robert Jr. SP Martin Perez RP Tyler Alexander OF Michael A. Taylor RP Miguel Castro OF Mike Tauchman Additions INF Munetaka Murakami, 2 years, $34 million RP Seranthony Dominguez, 2 years, $20 million SP Anthony Kay, 2 years, $12 million, mutual option for 2028 SP/RP Jordan Hicks (trade w/Red Sox) OF Austin Hays 1 year, $6 million, mutual option for 2027 2B Luisangel Acuna (trade with Mets) SP/RP Sean Newcomb 1 year, $4.5 million OF Jarred Kelenic (minor league deal) P Erick Fedde, 1 year, $1.5 million Chicago made headlines this offseason with several notable changes. The addition of infielder Munetaka Murakami, signed from the NPB in Japan, is expected to bring significant power to the lineup despite a tendency for strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez was signed as the new closer to help improve a bullpen that has struggled for the last couple of years. Just as notable as their signings, the White Sox made a major move by trading former All-Star and Silver Slugger OF Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. In return, they acquired infielder Luisangel Acuna—brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr.—along with pitching prospect Truman Pauley. The White Sox also acquired veteran pitcher Jordan Hicks in a trade with the Red Sox. Hicks is expected to either join the starting rotation or be used as a high-leverage relief pitcher, depending on team needs. Although the additions seem to surpass the subtractions for the South Siders, the overall impact will depend on how the team manages a new direction and if young players can take a step forward to being more consistently competitive going forward. Here is a look at a few injuries and the players who should have the biggest impact on the successes the White Sox will have in 2026. Injuries LHP Ky Bush, Tommy John surgery RHP Drew Thorpe, Tommy John surgery 1B Tim Elko - Torn ACL - expected return June/July RHP Prelander Berroa - Recovering from Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Losing two pitchers to Tommy John surgery—Ky Bush, a top thirty prospect, and Drew Thorpe—depletes pitching depth. Tim Elko and Prelander Berroa have gotten a cup of coffee, but they will be out to start the year, which will limit options in the lineup and out of the bullpen. Key Players SS Colson Montgomery - 3.3 bWAR SP Adrian Houser - 3.0 bWAR RP Mike Vasil - 2.9 bWAR SP Shane Smith - 2.3bWAR C Kyle Teel - 1.9 bWAR 3B Miguel Vargas - 1.9 bWAR Other players include starting pitcher Davis Martin, infielder Chase Meidroth, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and utility player Lenyn Sosa (2B/OF). Notably, SS Colson Montgomery finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and led the team in bWAR in 2026. Starting pitchers Adrian Houser and Shane Smith will anchor the rotation, with Smith displaying front-line potential thus far in his career. Catcher Kyle Teel and third baseman Miguel Vargas are also young players aiming to build on strong 2025 campaigns and step into more prominent roles at their respective positions. With a team looking to return become more competitive, there will be opportunity for a number of young players. Young players can help speed up a rebuild and return a team to competitiveness quickly if they are called up and have success. The White Sox system boasts five prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100, led by OF Braden Montgomery, whose advanced approach and athleticism make him a potential everyday outfielder. LHP Noah Schultz, a power lefty, is expected to contribute to the major league rotation as early as 2026. LHP Hagen Smith projects as high-upside rotation depth. Both SS Billy Carlson and SS/3B Caleb Bonemer show promise but may need more seasoning in the minors before contending for roster spots. Spring Storylines (and beyond) Early in the year, attention will rest on how the team's catcher and designated hitter roles take shape. With three catchers—Teel, Edgar Quero, and Korey Lee—vying for playing time both behind the plate and at DH, and potential contributions from Murakami, Andrew Benintendi, and Lenyn Sosa in the DH role, this competition will be something worth keeping an eye on. Like many teams, the White Sox will be hoping their young players can take a step forward and provide the next core of players to build around when they return to contention. Colson Montgomery and Shane Smith will headline the position player and pitchers as young players with high upside. Munetaka Murakami signing with the White Sox was a bit of a surprise, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to MLB. Transitioning leagues can present challenges, and evaluation will focus on both his adjustment to Major League pitching and how opponents approach him as well. Murakami brings considerable potential, especially in the power department. With all of the additions shaping the roster for this year and into the future, here is a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and expected record for the White Sox in 2026. Projected Lineup Chase Meidroth - 2B Kyle Teel - C Colson Montgomery - SS Munetaka Murakami - 1B Miguel Vargas - 3B Austin Hays - RF Andrew Benintendi - LF Edgar Quero - DH Brooks Baldwin - CF Projected Rotation Shane Smith - RHP Davis Martin - RHP Anthony Kay - LHP Erick Fedde - RHP Sean Burke - RHP Projected Record PECOTA: 5th place, 69-93 Fangraphs: 5th place, 69-93 While the projections may temper White Sox fans' expectations, the roster features intriguing talent and some interesting storylines to keep an eye on this year. Both PECOTA and Fangraphs see improvement over last year, making it worth watching whether the team can surpass forecasts and build momentum throughout 2026 and beyond. While not projected as favorites, the White Sox are positioned to offer stronger competition in the AL Central this season than in recent seasons. Progress this year could spark renewed division rivalries and signify important steps toward contending for the division crown in the near future for the South Siders. View full article
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- shane smith
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With the Twins looking to return to being competitive in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look around at the other teams in the division and what moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the Chicago White Sox this season. The White Sox finished last in the division with a 60-102 record, marking their second straight season with over 100 losses after setting an MLB record with 121 in 2024. Here is a look at some notable additions and subtractions for the White Sox this offseason. Subtractions OF Luis Robert Jr. SP Martin Perez RP Tyler Alexander OF Michael A. Taylor RP Miguel Castro OF Mike Tauchman Additions INF Munetaka Murakami, 2 years, $34 million RP Seranthony Dominguez, 2 years, $20 million SP Anthony Kay, 2 years, $12 million, mutual option for 2028 SP/RP Jordan Hicks (trade w/Red Sox) OF Austin Hays 1 year, $6 million, mutual option for 2027 2B Luisangel Acuna (trade with Mets) SP/RP Sean Newcomb 1 year, $4.5 million OF Jarred Kelenic (minor league deal) P Erick Fedde, 1 year, $1.5 million Chicago made headlines this offseason with several notable changes. The addition of infielder Munetaka Murakami, signed from the NPB in Japan, is expected to bring significant power to the lineup despite a tendency for strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez was signed as the new closer to help improve a bullpen that has struggled for the last couple of years. Just as notable as their signings, the White Sox made a major move by trading former All-Star and Silver Slugger OF Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. In return, they acquired infielder Luisangel Acuna—brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr.—along with pitching prospect Truman Pauley. The White Sox also acquired veteran pitcher Jordan Hicks in a trade with the Red Sox. Hicks is expected to either join the starting rotation or be used as a high-leverage relief pitcher, depending on team needs. Although the additions seem to surpass the subtractions for the South Siders, the overall impact will depend on how the team manages a new direction and if young players can take a step forward to being more consistently competitive going forward. Here is a look at a few injuries and the players who should have the biggest impact on the successes the White Sox will have in 2026. Injuries LHP Ky Bush, Tommy John surgery RHP Drew Thorpe, Tommy John surgery 1B Tim Elko - Torn ACL - expected return June/July RHP Prelander Berroa - Recovering from Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Losing two pitchers to Tommy John surgery—Ky Bush, a top thirty prospect, and Drew Thorpe—depletes pitching depth. Tim Elko and Prelander Berroa have gotten a cup of coffee, but they will be out to start the year, which will limit options in the lineup and out of the bullpen. Key Players SS Colson Montgomery - 3.3 bWAR SP Adrian Houser - 3.0 bWAR RP Mike Vasil - 2.9 bWAR SP Shane Smith - 2.3bWAR C Kyle Teel - 1.9 bWAR 3B Miguel Vargas - 1.9 bWAR Other players include starting pitcher Davis Martin, infielder Chase Meidroth, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and utility player Lenyn Sosa (2B/OF). Notably, SS Colson Montgomery finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and led the team in bWAR in 2026. Starting pitchers Adrian Houser and Shane Smith will anchor the rotation, with Smith displaying front-line potential thus far in his career. Catcher Kyle Teel and third baseman Miguel Vargas are also young players aiming to build on strong 2025 campaigns and step into more prominent roles at their respective positions. With a team looking to return become more competitive, there will be opportunity for a number of young players. Young players can help speed up a rebuild and return a team to competitiveness quickly if they are called up and have success. The White Sox system boasts five prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100, led by OF Braden Montgomery, whose advanced approach and athleticism make him a potential everyday outfielder. LHP Noah Schultz, a power lefty, is expected to contribute to the major league rotation as early as 2026. LHP Hagen Smith projects as high-upside rotation depth. Both SS Billy Carlson and SS/3B Caleb Bonemer show promise but may need more seasoning in the minors before contending for roster spots. Spring Storylines (and beyond) Early in the year, attention will rest on how the team's catcher and designated hitter roles take shape. With three catchers—Teel, Edgar Quero, and Korey Lee—vying for playing time both behind the plate and at DH, and potential contributions from Murakami, Andrew Benintendi, and Lenyn Sosa in the DH role, this competition will be something worth keeping an eye on. Like many teams, the White Sox will be hoping their young players can take a step forward and provide the next core of players to build around when they return to contention. Colson Montgomery and Shane Smith will headline the position player and pitchers as young players with high upside. Munetaka Murakami signing with the White Sox was a bit of a surprise, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to MLB. Transitioning leagues can present challenges, and evaluation will focus on both his adjustment to Major League pitching and how opponents approach him as well. Murakami brings considerable potential, especially in the power department. With all of the additions shaping the roster for this year and into the future, here is a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and expected record for the White Sox in 2026. Projected Lineup Chase Meidroth - 2B Kyle Teel - C Colson Montgomery - SS Munetaka Murakami - 1B Miguel Vargas - 3B Austin Hays - RF Andrew Benintendi - LF Edgar Quero - DH Brooks Baldwin - CF Projected Rotation Shane Smith - RHP Davis Martin - RHP Anthony Kay - LHP Erick Fedde - RHP Sean Burke - RHP Projected Record PECOTA: 5th place, 69-93 Fangraphs: 5th place, 69-93 While the projections may temper White Sox fans' expectations, the roster features intriguing talent and some interesting storylines to keep an eye on this year. Both PECOTA and Fangraphs see improvement over last year, making it worth watching whether the team can surpass forecasts and build momentum throughout 2026 and beyond. While not projected as favorites, the White Sox are positioned to offer stronger competition in the AL Central this season than in recent seasons. Progress this year could spark renewed division rivalries and signify important steps toward contending for the division crown in the near future for the South Siders.
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