MLB Player News

Eshelman, a California native, will provide the Padres with some extra starting pitching depth this season. The soft-tossing 27-year-old righty holds a lackluster 5.77 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 49/30 K/BB ratio across 98 1/3 innings (31 appearances, 14 starts) at the major-league level since 2019.

Campbell took a first-inning sweeper from Justin Verlander and hit it 394 feet at 101.9 mph off the bat for a home run. It’s been a slow spring for the 23-year-old, but he drastically overhauled his swing mechanics and stance in the offseason, and those things take time to click. He will most likely begin the season at Triple-A and continue to refine his new mechanics, but he still remains a high upside prospect and a potential buy in dynasty formats.

The big hit was a two-run home run allowed to Kristian Campbell in the top of the first inning. Verlander sat 94 mph on his fastball, which is basically where he was at last season, and also registered a 39 percent whiff rate. He gave up just the one hard-hit baseball and threw 64 percent strikes, so this was an encouraging outing overall.

Early also posted a 29 percent whiff rate and 31 percent CSW while showing off his advanced six-pitch mix. The 24-year-old started last year in Double-A and made just six starts in Triple-A, so the Red Sox are hesitant to push him for a full MLB season if they don’t need to. The organization would also gain an extra year of control over Early if he remains in the minor leagues for the early portion of the season, so, with Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval also capable of being the fifth starting pitcher, it seems highly likely that Early will begin the year in Triple-A.

It was initially believed that Priester was behind some of the other starters because of wrist discomfort that carried over from last season. However, Murphy said on Thursday that the team was “thinking about even sending him to a specialist now. We’re optimistic that the shoulder MRI, the elbow MRI, everything is good. But something’s keeping him from progressing.” The fact that Priester had MRIs on both his shoulder and his elbow and is also potentially being sent to a specialist suggests that Brewers are not really sure what’s preventing him from being able to let it loose on the mound. At this stage, given the uncertainty, it’s hard to feel good about drafting Priester in fantasy leagues unless you’re in a deep league with multiple IL spots.

Miller is recovering from a hip injury in 2025, but was able to post a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings across four starts at Double-A last season. The 2022 eighth round pick will look to build on that and put together a healthy season in 2026.

Briceño is one of the top prospects in the Tigers’ system, but he will be sidelined for a few months after wrist surgery. Malgeri made it as high as Double-A last year, while Seelinger had a solid season, posting a 2.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 75/25 K/BB ratio in 65 2/3 innings out of the bullpen at Double-A and Triple-A.

Carroll has said he plans to play on Opening Day, which would certainly bode well for him. We assume the Diamondbacks will see how his hand feels after facing live pitching on Friday, and then make a decision on when he could get back into Cactus League games. We should still expect a bit of power regression for Carroll coming off the hamate surgery, but the rest of his profile should remain solid.

Moncada hit a 370-foot blast in the third inning to put Cuba up 3-0 at the time. He also had a 103.4 mph groundout, giving him two of the eight hardest hit balls in the contest. Moncada claims he has dropped 20 pounds during the offseason to stay healthy this year. He will begin the season as the starting third baseman for the Angels and could be worth a roll of the dice in AL-only leagues or deeper fantasy formats.

Sandridge was acquired from the Yankees at the end of January. He had a 4.55 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 47/17 K/BB ratio in 31 2/3 innings at Triple-A for the Yankees last season. Even if he starts at Triple-A, there is a good chance that he sees MLB innings this season.

Fermin had a 4.46 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 39/23 K/BB ratio in 34 1/3 innings for the Angels last season. The 24-year-old could begin this year at Triple-A.